Sports

The South Loup wrestling team kicked off the 2025-26 season on Friday, Dec. 5, as they travelled to Elwood to compete in the Hi-Line Invitational. It was a good start for the Bobcats, as Josiah Coleman wrestled his way to a silver medal and Paxton Bierman earned a bronze medal on the day.

After a standout 18-5 season in 2024-25, the South Loup Bobcat boys basketball squad heads into the 2025-26 campaign with high expectations and a roster ready to prove itself once again. While the team has 18 players out this year, the Bobcats face the challenge of replacing five key contributors from last season’s squad, including Harper Johnson, AJ Starr, Ethan Furne, Carter Wood, and Caleb McFate.

After finishing last season with a 2-20 record, the South Loup Bobcats girls basketball team enters the 2025-2026 season with energy, determination, and a strong commitment to growth. The team has 20 players out this year, bringing enthusiasm and motivation to practices and games.

Regarding challenging opponents, Goodenow emphasized a confident outlook: “There is not a single team in Nebraska that is unbeatable. Every team has off nights, and our record will depend on how the girls choose to show up this season.”

As the South Loup Bobcats wrestling team gears up for the 2025-26 season, Head Coach Todd Phelps enters his eighth year with the program and seventh as head coach, bringing experience and steady leadership to the mat. Assisting him this year are Gavin Robertson and Zac Sweet, who will help guide both the varsity squad and younger wrestlers.

Years ago, a friend of mine and I set out to walk across the Sandhills from Highway 30 west of Gothenburg to Highway 2 at Halsey National Forest. We took off just after sunup and shortly thereafter came over a hill and there was a male antelope, more appropriately called a pronghorn.

The season didn’t go quite as planned for the South Loup Bobcats this year, but that didn’t stop them from putting out their best effort and continuing to battle through to the end. In a disappointing 2-6 season, that in itself is a win for the Bobcat team.

The Lady Bobcats wrapped up their season on Oct. 27 in the first-round sub-district loss against the Brady Eagles, taking them out of the running for further post-season play. It was a bittersweet ending to a year full of ups and downs for the Bobcat squad.

Volleyball season is officially over for the South Loup Bobcats as they finished their subdistrict challenges last Monday, Oct. 27 with a 3-0 loss to the Brady Eagles in first round action as previously reported. The first two sets found the Eagles leading start to finish, putting away the Bobcats 25-22 and 25-8. In the third set, South Loup battled hard, running the tally into bonus scoring before dropping the set 24-26 in favor of Brady.

It was a cool, overcast day last Friday, Oct. 24 as the men’s Bobcat Cross Country team hit the course at the Class D NSAA State Championships, but that didn’t keep them from putting a bright finish on their successful season.