Sports

High school sports tend to be cyclical. Rare is the team that can beat graduation and extend a dynasty past four years. Central Plains entered Friday’s season opener at Hoisington riding a 54-game win streak.

Central Plains senior Emily Ryan entered Friday’s season-opener in Hoisington as the No. 9 all-time leading scorer in Kansas. The future Iowa State Cyclone opened her final prep season with 44 points in less than three quarters of action.

The Bearcats acquired their first loss Friday against the Lyons Lions. The final score was 46-58. The ‘Cats fell behind during the first quarter with a score of 7-18 and stayed behind in the second with a score of 13-27.

The Lady Bearcats beat the Lady Lions, 42-38, Friday at Ellsworth in the first game of the season. As the first quarter started, Lyons grabbed the ball and were quick to score. The Lions led after the first quarter 11-9.

Two of the three Ellsworth wrestlers head coach Steve Thorburn took to the 3-2-1A State Tournament at Hays during the 2018-19 season will return this year. Both Tyler Walford and Morgan Kelley were state qualifiers. The two, along with Brendan Tripp, will be seniors and team captains.

The Lady Oilers have a lot to live up to going into the 2019-20 basketball season. They’re coming off a year when they posted a perfect 27-0 record and brought home a 1A state championship title.

The Central Plains Oiler boys’ basketball team begins its 2019-20 season with a new head coach, Ted Schmid. He replaces Brett Rolfs who resigned in May after seven years at the helm.

The 2019-20 season for the Wilson Dragons could go either way. “With a completely new lineup from losing four seniors, the kids can either respond and step up, or they can be pushed back a little. Time will tell,” said head coach Trenton Ptacek. The Dragons have a lot on their side.

The inexperience of the 2019-20 Lady Dragons should be offset by their aggressiveness and willingness to learn. Wilson lost a key player, Kaleigh Hanzlick, to graduation. However, the team will have three returning players — sophomore Macy Hanzlick and juniors Bryna Hill and Kami Thrasher.

The Ellsworth Lady Bearcats have the potential to finish in the top level of North Central Activities Association teams this season. That’s the expectation of Ken Cravens, who has served as the Lady ‘Cats head coach for 18 years.