Sports

After a couple of tough seasons in 2020-21 and 2021-22, South Loup boys’ basketball Head Coach Jeff Cole righted the ship once again in 2022-23, and the Bobcats have been nothing but consistent since. That season the team went 18-5, last year they finished 16-6, and in 2024-25 the season ended with a record of 18-5. Unfortunately, the team has fallen just short of making it all the way through the post-season and on to Lincoln each of those years as well.

The South Loup boy’s basketball team had high hopes going into post-season play. They hit the road to Stromsburg on Tuesday, Feb. 25, for a first-round subdistrict game against Sutton with a six-game winning streak behind them. Sadly, that streak came to an end that night - and so did the 2024-25 season for the Bobcats.

South Loup saw two athletes qualify for the Nebraska State High School Wrestling Championships in Omaha last week. Both are seniors, and both are returning state qualifiers.

The South Loup Bobcats competed in the Class D - District 1 wrestling tournament at Shelton on Feb. 14 and 15, with the top four wrestlers in each weight class punching their ticket to the state tournament in Omaha.

The Bobcats picked up their fifth consecutive win on Friday, Feb. 14, as they traveled to Eustis to take on the Hi-Line Bulls. However, this one proved extra exciting as it took an overtime period to seal the victory. It was a shoot-out for four quarters of basketball as the Bobcats and Bulls traded points back and forth. South Loup took a narrow lead, 15-13, at the end of the first period. The teams finished the second quarter with each adding 9 points to the board and the Bobcats took a 2-point lead into the halftime locker room. Hi-Line regrouped and came out with more intensity in the third quarter, increasing their score by 13 points while South Loup added another 10, giving the Bulls a 1-point advantage heading into the final quarter.

The Lady Bobcats were on the road to Eustis to face Hi-Line in their final game of the regular season on Friday, Feb. 14. Unfortunately, South Loup was not able to break free from their recent rough patch as they dropped their fourth consecutive game. The final score was 27-46. No other stats were available.

The South Loup boys brought home the bronze from the Mid-Nebraska Activities Conference (MNAC) basketball tournament this past weekend. The tournament started with a Bobcat win against the Arthur County Wolves in Arnold on Tuesday, Jan.

The Lady Bobcats began their busy week of conference basketball on Monday, Jan. 27, when they traveled to Mullen to meet the number two seed Lady Broncos in the first round. The Bobcats were never able to get rolling against the tough Mullen defense, managing to get only 10 points on the board.

The South Loup Bobcats put on an impressive performance at the Central Valley Tournament, with three wrestlers battling tough competition and making strong runs in their weight classes. The tournament's highlight was senior Dawson Mason's (34-3) victory in the 132-pound bracket, where he captured the 1st place spot and contributed 25.0 team points.