Calendar year of 2013 started with the basketball season continuing from the 2012-13 academic year and the basketball season was a great one with one area team capturing a State championship that being the Axtell Eagle boys who won the Class 1A-DII title finishing the season 19-8. Many other teams enjoyed great basketball seasons as Nemaha Valley boys (3A) for the sixth straight year captured a fourth place or better at State, while JCN girls followed up a State title season in 2A with a runner-up performance in 2013. While in Class 1A-DI Centralia boys notched a third place performance at State.

Basketball wasn’t the only top notch performance in winter sports in 2013 in area high school sports as the Holton Wildcats grappled their way to a 4A team State title in wrestling, as Hunter Price won his weight class as an individual State champion. Jeff West Tiger, Justin Scott also grabbed an individual State title on the mats in Class 4A.

In spring sports it was track and field highlighting the scene as 143 medals were earned at the State competition in Wichita this year and 21 State Champions were crowned lead. Centralia Panther Lukas Koch lead the way from the area winning three state titles claiming the 3200m, 1600m and 800m runs in Class 1A and set the state record in the 3200m in the process. Valley Heights Mustang, Brandi Jo Roepke also had three state titles in Class 1A competition as she won the 100m, 200m and 400m dashes. Many other performed well to highlight the State track scene for the Kanzaland area.

While on the golf course the Sabetha Bluejay boys’ team was searching for something that was close to their grasps the last couple of years and this year that goal was reached as they won the Class 3A state title. Marysville and Oskaloosa softball teams each had strong seasons on the field as the Bulldogs took home third place in the Class 3A tournament and Oskaloosa took fourth at 2-1A.

Over the summer Legion baseball dominated the scene as the Sabetha legion squad made the State tournament and wrapped up a strong season finishing third at State.

School started back in the fall and that meant fall sports season with football and volleyball dominating the headlines as four teams between the two sports captured State titles.

On the football field it was B&B and Centralia doing what they do best and that is win football games. The B&B Falcons wrapped up their football season 12-1 and won the 8-Man DII State title going out on top in their final year as a school as the school will consolidate with Nemaha Valley next year. The Centralia Panthers dominated their opponents all the way through the 2-1A State title cruising past LaCrosse for the title and a perfect 13-0 record, too. Many other teams made nice runs in the playoffs and had strong seasons.

On the volleyball court it was B&B and Centralia too capturing State titles in Class 1A-DII and 1A-DI, respectively. B&B put one final notch on a great volleyball program as they three-peated as the State champs and established a new school record for single season wins finishing 40-5. For Centralia they won the school’s 11^th volleyball state title capping off the year with a 40-5 record. The JCN Lady Chargers finished runner-up in Class 2A, while Marysville took third in 3A and Santa Fe Trail won the Class 4A-DII State title.

Cross Country was yet again this year another strong sport for the listening area as four teams captured top four finishes or better in their classifications and 26 area runners placed in the Top 30 of their respective classes. Hiawatha boys and girls each finished in the Top five as teams with the girls taking third and boys fourth. While in Class 1A it was the Frankfort boys and Wetmore boys notching Top five finishes, taking second and fourth, respectively.

Two other sports in the fall had top flight performances those were girl’s golf and girl’s tennis. In girl’s golf, Holton Lady Wildcats qualified for State and senior, Kyrstie Miller finished her high school golf career with a fourth place performance at the Class 4A State tourney. In girl’s tennis it was the Lady Bluejays of Sabetha that enjoyed a great season capping it off with a fourth place team performance at the 3-2-1A State competition.

The 2013 year proved to be another dominate year for Northeast Kansas sports and many area teams and individuals put their stamps on 2013.