A district championship plaque was raised by the North Platte boys basketball team for just the second time in program history.
In a rematch of the North Platte Invitational championship game, which the Panthers won by a single score, North Platte prevailed once again, 77-76 over top-seeded Mid-Buchanan. This time, the game played out in a much different fashion on Feb. 28 at a neutral site venue inside Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph.
After North Platte fell behind early in the Class 3 District 15 championship, trailing 17-12 after the first quarter, things went from bad to worse as Mid-Buchanan shot lights out from the floor to extend their lead to 19 at halftime. North Platte was reminded in the locker room of what got them to the position they started the day in.
The phrase ‘don’t be butter’ was preached. That has become a unique motto for the team throughout the season, first coined following their KCI Tournament defeat to West Platte in early December.
“I sort of just randomly came up with it at practice following the loss and it felt very Ted Lasso-esque as it made the guys laugh, but then we kept using it the rest of the season,” North Platte head coach Braydn Kemper said. “The meaning behind it was I thought we melted when the pressure got hot in the game against West Platte so I told the team, when things get hot, don’t melt under pressure. Don’t melt in the microwave, just stay composed and keep playing our basketball.”
Kemper told his team they played like butter the entire first half. Everything changed in the second half, and it changed quickly.
“The boys kept making big plays and hitting big shots,” Kemper said. “Before we knew it we were down five after a couple huge threes and they called timeout midway through the third and I told the boys, ‘We are right back in this, this is a brand new ball game, go play.’”
North Platte poured on 38 points in the third quarter alone. Not only had they clawed their way back into the game, but they had taken a 63-60 lead.
While the momentum and lead shifted, Mid-Buchanan continued to battle to keep itself in the game. Raife Smith led the Dragons’ offense with 31 points before fouling out late in the contest.
“The final quarter was back and forth like I had expected,” Kemper said. “Both teams kept making big plays. It was a true heavyweight fight and luckily we were able to land more punches.”
The Panthers escaped victorious with the 77-76 victory as Dylan Armstrong became the first Panther to touch a district boys basketball title since 2011. Armstrong corralled three of North Platte’s 14 offensive rebounds, a detail of strength that did just enough to tilt the contest in the Panthers’ favor as they outscored Mid-Buchanan 10-6 in second-chance points.
Brenden Matt finished the district championship with 30 points against Mid-Buchanan.
Jase Smith was another major influence, providing five more opportunities from offensive rebounds. Smith had nine boards in total and ended the day with 24 points and five triples while Brenden Matt led North Platte with 30 points and six scores from deep.
The district title signaled the latest and greatest chapter of a special season for the Panthers, which included a first North Platte Invitational Tournament title in over a decade in January. That type of success had been unthinkable for much of the program’s history.
“When I came to North Platte in 2021, we made a program goal to keep getting better every single day and every single game,” Kemper said. “We all knew the lack of success on the boys side of athletics at North Platte but the boys were hungry to turn things around.”
From Kemper’s first season to the current one, the gradual success has been evident. North Platte now has back-to-back 20-win seasons to show for it, and more importantly, will add a new year to the program’s district championship banner hanging inside the North Platte High School gym.
After knocking off the No. 3 team in all of Class 3 and winning 11 straight, No. 7-ranked North Platte hopes to keep their dreams going throughout the Class 3 State Tournament. They will be fueled by hard work and community support.
“Each year I get players that buy in, a community and school that is super supportive,” Kemper said. “So to finally have some hardware to show for it means a ton. I specifically know the hard work this group has put in since they were extremely young to be on this stage today hitting big shots. There is no secret, if you want to be a great basketball player, get in the gym and shoot.”
The Panthers will return to St. Joseph, where they will meet South Harrison for the Class 3 State Sectional on March 3 at St. Joseph Christian High School. If they advance past sectionals, North Platte will face the winner of Windsor and University Academy on March 7 at Staley High School.
“The team just wants to keep playing together,” Kemper said. “They have fun, they always seem to step up to the challenge. I hope Tuesday is no different.”