VIRGINA BEACH – Getting the chance to spend the offseason wrestling against some of the top competition in the country, North Platte freshman Cooper Kirkham took eighth place in the National High School Coaches Association Championships on April 7.

DEARBORN – Spending the last 11 months remembering the 4-3 loss to Plattsburg in the 2023 Class 2 District 15 Baseball Tournament, North Platte (12-2) was able to get revenge on April 18.

HAMILTON – The North Platte baseball team (11-2) was nearly flawless when they moved to 3-1 in KCI Conference play on April 11.

DEARBORN – West Platte has familiarity at the North Platte track and field and that was apparent when the Blue Jays swept the Panther Invitational on April 15.

DEARBORN – Meeting up with similar records at the time, the North Platte baseball team (7-2) rattled off 13 hits opposed to one by West Platte (5-3) en route to the 9-0 win on April 4.

SMITHVILLE – The track and field season has officially begun as North Platte and West Platte had some early competition at the Smithville Invitational on March 28.

DEARBORN – Coming off a one-run, 11-inning heartbreaking loss against Lawson (9-1), North Platte played stellar baseball through two innings against St. Joseph Christian (3-1) before a thunderstorm caused a postponement on April 1.

DEARBORN – North Platte (5-1) entered the spring with high expectations on the baseball field and the Panthers are officially off to their best start in more than 15 years.

DEARBORN – Coming up one run shy of a district title, the North Platte baseball team has a chip on its shoulder this spring.

DEARBORN – Since 2019, North Platte has hung up a combined nine state banners in cross-country and track and field with the goal to add to the collection this spring.

PLATTE COUNTY – In the aftermath of an eventful basketball season, the KCI Conference shared what players deserved awards for their strong play on the court, which includes 12 from North Platte and West Platte.

DEARBORN – Needing one more win to make it to the Class 2 Girls’ Basketball Final Four, North Platte (24-6) ran into the No. 1 ranked team in the state, Skyline (28-2), on March 1.

COLUMBIA – In the brief history of North Platte collabing with Mid-Buchanan for a boys’ wrestling program, there have been five state medalists – three of which are 2024 seniors who made it back to Mizzou Arena on Feb. 21 and 22.

DEARBORN – In pursuit of the first district title since 2019, North Platte (24-5) has exceeded past that through three postseason games so far to reach the Class 2 Girls’ State Quarterfinals.

GOWER – In what ended up being the greatest season in nearly 20 years for the North Platte boys’ basketball program (18-8) ended in heartbreaking fashion with a tough playoff loss when East Buchanan (19-8) drilled 11 shots from downtown on Feb. 20.

LATHROP – West Platte 113-pounder Canton Wilkins wrapped up the Class 1 District 4 Boys’ Wrestling Tournament with a third-place finish at Lathrop High School to take third place on Feb. 17.

Panthers use electric home atmosphere in Courtwarming thriller

KEARNEY – All four wrestlers who attend school in Platte County came up shy of keeping their seasons alive beyond the Class 1 District 4 Girls’ Wrestling Tournament, which took place at Kearney High School on Feb. 9 and 10.

DEARBORN – In what was a relatively even game in three of the four quarters of play, the North Platte girls’ basketball team (18-5) used a strong second period to hold a double-digit margin over Lawson (15-9) and defeat yet another KCI Conference foe on Feb. 6.

DEARBORN – Regardless of how the rest of the season plays out, the North Platte boys’ basketball team (16-6) has officially clinched its first winning season since 2016 and has earned its most wins since 2011.

PLATTSBURG – Staying unbeaten in KCI Conference play, the North Platte girls’ basketball team (17-4) blew out Plattsburg (12-9) on its courtwarming on Feb. 2.

DEARBORN - The North Platte boys’ basketball team (13-5) made a late surge to close out the third quarter, but Mid-Buchanan (11-6) responded to survive 60-54 in the 7th Annual Kemper Crossover on Jan. 25.

DEARBORN – A second-half scoring drought caused North Platte (15-3) to fall behind by as much as 15 points in the second round of the North Platte Girls’ Invitational Basketball Tournament against St. Joseph’s Christian (13-4) on Jan. 25.

DEARBORN – Facing its first losing skid of the season, the North Platte boys’ basketball team (12-4) turned three straight losses into four consecutive wins.

DEARBORN – All season long, the North Platte girls’ basketball team (13-2) has been a tough team to beat, and it took a Class 5 opponent to snap the 8-game winning streak.

DEARBORN – Since finishing 2023 with five straight victories, the North Platte girls’ basketball team (11-1) kicked off 2024 with two more tallies in the win column in a comfortable manner.

DEARBORN – The longest win streak the North Platte boys’ basketball program has seen in eight seasons was snapped with back-to-back defeats for the first time this winter.

ST. JOSEPH – The North Platte boys’ basketball team (8-1) was on the nice list this Christmas season, unwrapping two wins in a pair of holiday-themed contests to end the calendar year.

ST. JOSEPH – The North Platte girls’ basketball team (9-1) was dancing merrily in the new old-fashioned way after claiming its fifth straight victory at the Civic Arena Holiday Hoops Tournament on Dec. 21.

WESTON – Following a close first quarter, the North Platte girls’ basketball team (7-1) slowly but surely pulled away from West Platte (1-4) by taking and making smart shots en route to a 56-36 triumph on Dec. 15.