Jock Talk

The Kimball High Basketball Teams faced some very strong competition this past week and they have more of the same this week.

The Kimball boys had to start off the new year facing Sidney on the road and Sidney is ranked number 3 in the State Class B rankings. They ran past Kimball with 11 players getting into the scoring act and 5 in double figures as they whipped the Horns 82-46. The Red Raiders are good! They proved it the next night by beating number 9 ranked Gering 59-44. Tomorrow night (Friday) the Kimball boys host Bridgeport, ranked 5th in the state Class C-2 rankings.

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The Kimball girls also had to come out of the Holiday break against Sidney, ranked number 10 in the state Class B ratings. The Lady Longhorns played good enough to almost win losing by a mere 5 points. The next night they went to Mitchell and faced a Lady Tiger Team that will be ranked in C-1 this week I would bet, after they upset number 7 ranked Chadron in C-1 the night following their win over Kimball. Kimball could have, and should have, won this game. These two clubs could meet two or three more times this season. Kimball then had to meet up withPotter-Dix, ranked number 7 in Class D-2, this past Tuesday night. Also on their schedule is Hemingford, ranked number 3 in C-2, and possibly number 5 ranked North Platte St. Pats, and of course maybe Chadron in sub-district tournament play.

The good thing about all of this is the Lady Longhorns can play with, and win over, any of these teams mentioned!

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Let’s take a look at the Kimball sports schedule for this week.

You can scratch the home wrestling match with Lingle/Southeast that was to be held tonight (Thursday) as it has been cancelled.

Basketball at home Friday and Saturday with Bridgeport corning to town Friday for games beginning at 4 p.m. for the JV games followed by girl’s varsity and boy’s varsity. Saturday Gordon-Rushville comes to Kimball for early games starting at 2 p.m. for JV, girl’s varsity at 3:30 and boy’s varsity at 5 p.m.

You fans come hungry both nights as the FFA will feed you Friday night and the NHS will have a cake raffle. Saturday the Knights of Columbus will hold their spaghetti feed.

The South Platte Valley Conference Tournament begins Monday and the Kimball girls are a higher seeded team so they will host a first round game with probably either Perkins County or Chase County with the seedings to be announced later Wednesday. That game will be played at Kimball Monday evening at probably a 5 or 5:30 p.m. start time. Come early and you can watch some freshman games being played in the south gymnasium as they host Mitchell for girls and boys games beginning at 4 p.m.

The Kimball boys will probably have to travel for their first round game on Tuesday and it looks like it could be as far east as North Platte St Pats, but maybe to Bridgeport, and here again, we won’t know in time to pass it along due to deadlines. Tournament play continues Thursday through Saturday at the North Platte Mid Plains Community College site (January 21-23).

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To show you the power of the Observer Sports Department, I have been writing about former Kimball High star Mike Daum and his play at South Dakota State University. As good as he has been, I, and others, were thinking he should get more minutes of court time and thus would provide more points for the Jackrabbitts. The coach listened, and against IUPUI, Mike got 26 minutes and had a career high 23 points going 9/11 on field goals and 2/3 on three pointers plus 3/4 at the foul line and also had 6 rebounds and a steal. Sad to say the Jacks lost 74-67 and are now 13-4 on the season.

Our other former Kimball High standout playing at Hastings College was also in on a losing night as Hastings lost to Nebraska Wesleyan 115 to 109. Kendall had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.