Big 7 League Girls Preview 

Another year of proving the Big 7 League is one of, if not the best, girl’s leagues in the state.  Oh, and besides basketball, they also have the 3A state volleyball champion the last two years! Again last year, two teams made it to the 3A State Tournament and Nemaha Central had a perfect undefeated season, before it was prematurely ended by the threat of Covid before the semifinals and championship games.  Everyone had the Lady Thunder pegged to win it all.  It was the fourth straight campaign for Nemaha to make the state tournament and Jeff West joined them after the Tigers knocked off unbeaten Riley County in their Sub State Championship game.  The Thunder have now won the Big 7 League three consecutive seasons and are the favorites again in 2020-21 in what appears to be a two-team race with rival Sabetha.  Yet, there are probably at least four teams that all feel like they have a chance to finish in the top three of the Big 7 in 2020-21. Last year we said goodbye to some long-term successful coaches and welcomed four new girls coaches to the Big 7. This year all the head coaches return to their respective programs. 

Coming off an undefeated season, the NEMAHA CENTRAL THUNDER have now finished with at least 17 wins for seven straight seasons and more than 20 wins in six of those years. Coach Hadden Hiltgen has won 184 games in 10 years in Seneca and must replace three key seniors. The Thunder still have a very talented and experienced returning cast with size, athleticism and plenty of scoring options. The key question is how depth develops, especially in the post behind Riley Rottinghaus (6’2, senior). 

Sabetha went 18-4 last year with three of those losses to Nemaha Central as Coach Nate Bauman moved from the assistant to head role. The SABETHA BLUEJAYS have now posted 12 consecutive campaigns. They lost seven seniors, including three starters, but return good talent and only lost one game on both JV and freshman squads last year.  Coming off a state championship volleyball season, the Lady Jays are full of confidence, led by seniors Melinna Schumann and Leah Renyer.

Like Bauman, Kurt Haussler took the head coaching reins of the HOLTON WILDCATS after 16 years as an assistant last year and directed the team to a 12-10 season, losing four times by three points or less. Only three letter-winners are back to the varsity squad this year and Saydee Tanking (third-year starting senior) is the only returning starter.    

The JEFF WEST TIGERS were able to peak again at the end of the season and advance to state for the third time in Coach John Malloy’s seven seasons in Meriden.  Kristin Biltoff burst on the scene with a terrific sophomore year and is joined by three other Jeff West juniors that played in all 24 Tiger games, including 15 wins last winter.  Size and depth and big questions for JW this year.

The team poised to take a big step forward this year is the HIAWATHA REDHAWKS who won eight games a year ago and played with only one senior on the team. Brady Jasper enters year seven as the Hawks Head Coach and has a pair of all league Junior performers back in Clara Lindstrom and Sarah Madsen.  Plus, a group of JV players that went 12-3 last year looking to contribute more at the varsity level.  

It wasn’t quite a first winning season since joining the Big 7 League, but it was 10 wins, which was the most in six seasons for the PERRY LECOMPTON KAWS. Coach Jami Hodge returns for on encore second season and only lost two starters, although they were key leaders for the Kaws.  Katy Hurd (6’1, junior) is a force inside and Perry has good size, but must become more consistent and committed to really push into the top half of the Big 7. 

Like Coach Bauman and Haussler, David Boucher took over as head coach last year after several years as an assistant for the ROYAL VALLEY PANTHERS. The team struggled to just three wins after having to replace eight of their top nine players that accounted for 98 percent of the scoring. This year, the Panthers return four starters including leading scorer Kennedy Bryan, who is just a sophomore. RV should be improved, but still very young and without much size.    

The RIVERSIDE CYCLONES won a league game for the first time in a couple years and posted four total victories last season.  It’s year number four for Coach Tim Stillman who returns his entire starting lineup from last year and looks to be more competitive with an experienced squad and some talented freshman that may push for varsity minutes, too. 

Big 7 League Boys Preview 

The Big 7 had just one boys team in the 3A State Tournament last year and that was Nemaha Central who tied for second place in the league standings but qualified for the big dance for the first time since becoming the Thunder. Perry Lecompton had been at state the previous two years and also placed second in the league behind a Royal Valley team that also knocked them out in Sub-State. The Panthers posted their best boys hoop season in school history going 13-1 to win the Big 7 and winning 14 straight games before getting upset by St. Mary’s 44-43 in the Sub State Championship game. Royal Valley went 21-2 and will now have the bullseye on their backs. 

There is only one new coach in the league this year and that is for the league favorite ROYAL VALLEY PANTHERS. Chris Brown takes over after coaching at Jackson Heights the last six years where he led the Cobras to a pair of league titles and a state championship. RV returns four talented starters, including D1 prospect Nahcs Wahwassuck and three other juniors. Brevin Canady is the senior point guard that will make this team go with the only questions being depth and how the players and new coach mesh together with a new system.  

Jon Thomas has now won 447 games in his 25 years in Seneca and the NEMAHA CENTRAL THUNDER are a contender every single year.  In fact, they have now finished with at least 16 wins and in the top three of the Big 7 League for 10 consecutive years. Five seniors are gone leaving just two starters in Junior 6’4” twin brothers Marcus and Kurtis Beck. Coach Thomas has several new starting backcourt options, but guard play and consistent perimeter scoring may dictate if this team can challenge for more hardware.    

The PERRY LECOMPTON KAWS are riding a lot of confidence with some great athletes. Two state basketball tourney appearances and now coming off back-to-back state football title games. Coach Jared Swafford begins his sixth season with a deep and talented backcourt after losing only two seniors from last year’s 15-win team. Parker Stone, Dawson Williams and Brad Robb are household senior names, but the Kaws must find some kind of post play to at least rebound and defend the inside with all their height graduated. 

The JEFF WEST TIGERS had a new coach last year as Matt Simmons took over and the team posted a 12-win campaign for the first time in 12 years. Yet, it was still just a one-game improvement for a team that returned six seniors and a wealth of experienced top varsity performers.  They did have several injuries and already are dealing with more health issues entering the winter season. The Tigers only return two starters for this year and will have many new guys in more important varsity roles. A healthy Josh Broxterman (6’3) alongside fellow senior star Garett Athon (6’4) should keep the Tigers competitive.

With only one senior on the roster last year, the RIVERSIDE CYCLONES improved their win total to six games and despite just two league W’s, they were the only Big 7 team to beat Royal Valley. Besides all but one player returning this year, the JV team went 13-3 and Coach Tyler Herbster is back with another year of adapting the team to his system. Three of the four starters back are guards who all scored between 7-10 points per game last year and should help the Cyclones vie for their first winning basketball season since 2013. 

The HOLTON WILDCATS appear to be a team on the rise despite winning just five games last year.  Coach Connor Bechard begins his third season with three returning starters including all-league performer, Kale Purcell. Holton doesn’t have a lot of size at the forward spots and besides five returning letter-winners, there are several unknowns who will step up and what sophomores are ready to contribute consistently at the varsity level.

Like Jeff West, the HIAWATHA REDHAWKS had a lot of hype and hope with a deep and talented senior class last year, but after posting a winning season for the first time in 10 years, the Hawks could still only muster one additional victory in a 12-win campaign. Also like Jeff West, Hiawatha lost a lot of close games last year in the ultra-tough Big 7. Coach Garry Smith returns for a third season but will be counting on players from a 15-1 JV team to carry that confidence and success to the varsity level this winter after losing five senior starters that accounted for virtually all the team stats from last year.  Austin Coffelt is the top varsity returner after posting 5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game off the bench last year. 

The SABETHA BLUEJAYS are in a rebuilding mode, which isn’t something Coach Scott Burger has experienced much in 31 years and 500+ wins at Sabetha. Returning only one starter, the Jays suffered their first losing basketball season in more than a decade and this year again return only one starter in Kaleb Evans. The other returner Drew Schmelzle opted not to play basketball his senior year after signing a D1 football scholarship with North Dakota.  Sabetha will have a new backcourt and may end up playing some talented freshman as the JV team only went 3-16 last season.