Determined PC boys finish 12-12; Kraus sees growth, potential

by Becky uehling

Grant tribune-sentinel

First year Head Coach Todd Kraus is proud of the young men that made up his 2022-23 Perkins County boys basketball team. The Plainsmen ended their year with a 12-12 record. 

Made up of mostly underclassmen, what the team lacked in experience and size they made up for with heart.

Kraus said he has a lot of positive take-aways from the year, especially the fact the Plainsmen were willing to learn and try new things.

“We put in a lot of new things for these players to try to grasp, different principles and a whole different defensive scheme,” he said. “I am proud of how they handled it. They kept their heads down and stayed the course.”

Kraus said the off season will definitely be a time for both the coaching staff and the team to change and grow. 

“Offensively, I need to go back to the drawing board and see what I can do to help get some more scores,” he said. “We need to find a more secured identity in what we do offensively. But that will come in time.”

Kraus said the rough winter was challenging for the team, along with some injuries and sickness, but commended the boys on how they handled the conditions.

“We got through it okay and battled,” he said.

Four of the western Nebraska teams that the Plainsmen played this year made it to the state tournament—Paxton, North Platte St. Pat’s, Maywood/Hayes Center and Dundy County Stratton. The Plainsmen lost to all of them but Paxton during the year. Kraus said he was disappointed with that. 

“I wish we could have competed better against the top tiered teams,” he said. 

Kraus said his team didn’t compete real well with the state qualifiers they lost to, but he believes the Plainsmen will get there.

 “I obviously wanted to be better and I know the kids did too,” he said. “They played hard enough that they could compete, but now, as a coach, I have got to get them to that point. So we can have a better opportunity with those types of teams and be able to win. That is our goal as a group and it is what we are going to be working on.”

Some of the things that will help them improve, Kraus said, will definitely be getting into the weight room. 

“If we get more strength it will help us with fundamentals and ball security,” he said. “Then we can get to the point where we can handle pressure better.”

Kraus said he also knows his team and knows they will work hard to improve before next year. 

“I know these guys will put the time in,” he said. “We have a core group of guys that are extremely dedicated to the game. They want to get better and improve and that is fun to see and be a part of. I am excited for the future.”

Kraus thanks the fans and community for supporting the team throughout the year. 

Leading scorer for Perkins County this year was Sophomore Jackson Wykert with 297 points. Sophomore Ryder Potts led the Plainsmen in assists with 59, and Blake Garner led in rebounds with 165.