Plainsmen fall to Kimball in semifinals, close season 12-11

The season came to an end for the Perkins County Plainsmen on Tuesday February  24 as they dropped a 48–81 decision to the Kimball Longhorns in the semifinal round.

Perkins County started the game with strong energy, but Kimball’s offensive efficiency and full-court pressure proved difficult to match as the contest wore on. The Longhorns shot well throughout the night and gradually pulled away to secure the win.

Colton Kroeker led the Plainsmen offensively with 11 points. Myles Bishop contributed on the boards, pulling down nine rebounds while battling inside against a physical Kimball squad.

Head coach Corey Potts credited his team’s effort while acknowledging the challenge Kimball presented. “I knew coming in to this one that Kimball was playing really well, so we were going to have to play a very clean game,” Potts said. “We started strong and had to make some adjustments defensively, and the boys did a great job handling their pressure in the full court. Down the stretch, we just didn’t have enough gas in the tank from the night before and that is completely on me. I was very proud of the boys and how they kept battling despite Kimball shooting lights out.”

Following the loss, Potts reflected on the season and the growth of his team. “I am so proud of this group of young men and the season they had,” he said. “We lost a large group of leaders and athletes from the senior class the year before, so I knew it was going to take some guys stepping up to fill those shoes. Colton, Myles, and Rylee did a great job of stepping in to take that leadership role.”

Potts added that the team showed steady improvement as the year progressed. “As a team, we continued to get better every week and over the last month really started to hit our stride with knowing who we were and how to execute it,” he said. “This is a great group of really good kids, and when the year is over it is always a gut punch because you have those seniors walking away from your program when you wish you could always get just one more game with them.”

Despite the semifinal loss, the Plainsmen close the season with momentum, experience, and a foundation to build on heading into next year.