Plainsmen Boys open season with home victory, tough road test
By Emmalee Parsley Stevens
Grant Tribune Sentinel
The Perkins County Plainsmen boys basketball team launched their 2025–26 season with a home win over the Hershey Panthers on December 4 before traveling to Bridgeport on December 5 for their first road contest. The Plainsmen showed strong senior leadership, defensive improvement, and early-season grit across both matchups.
Hershey
The Plainsmen started their season with a burst of energy in front of the home crowd, defeating Hershey 66–59. Perkins County trailed 12–11 after the first quarter but found momentum in the second, outscoring the Panthers 22–17 to take a 33–29 halftime lead. After a tight third quarter, the Plainsmen closed out the game with a strong 20-point final period. In the end Plainsmen achieved the victory with a final score of 66-59.
Senior Colton Kroeker led the Plainsmen with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while senior Rylee Schotberger added 19 points. Senior Myles Bishop contributed 12 rebounds and six assists, helping fuel Perkins County’s offensive flow.
Head coach Corey Potts praised the team’s defensive turnaround and senior leadership, saying:
“The boys came out with a ton of energy to kick off the season at home. I really challenged all of them on the defensive end because in our Jamboree game we struggled with our footwork. The defense led to our offense by controlling the boards and getting some easy baskets in transition. The seniors—Colton Kroeker, Rylee Schrotberger, and Myles Bishop—stepped up really big to lead the team.”
Bridgeport
Perkins County faced a tough test on the road, falling 70–34 to a strong Bridgeport squad. The Bulldogs jumped ahead early, leading 19–7 after the first quarter and extending the margin to 44–15 by halftime. The Plainsmen found better offensive rhythm in the second half but were unable to overcome the early deficit.
Junior Levi Nolt led the team with six points, and senior Colten Kroeker added seven. Nolt grabbed four rebounds, while freshman Spencer Williams and sophomore Cade Kroeker each pulled down three. Cade Kroeker also finished with four assists.
Coach Potts said the team’s effort remained strong despite the challenging matchup:
“I was a little worried going into this one, questioning if we would have enough gas in the tank after the battle with Hershey. Bridgeport has an arsenal of weapons on offense and works hard to make teams uncomfortable. The fatigue was definitely a factor and caused us to get away from our fundamentals, but that’s often the case early in the season and against a solid team. I was very proud of the boys because they kept battling and picking each other up.”
Next Action
The Plainsmen will travel to Haxtun to face the Haxtun Bulldogs on December 9 at 7 p.m., with coverage to appear in the next issue of the Grant Tribune-Sentinel.
Perkins County returns home on December 12 to host the Kimball Longhorns at Perkins County High School, where junior varsity action will begin at 4 p.m. as the Plainsmen continue their early-season stretch.