Sports

PHOTOS COURTESY KATIE WEINMAN Fourth Grade Volleyball Team South Loup Junior High Volleyball Team Third Grade Volleyball Team .

The South Loup football team may have suffered a season-ending loss by a score of 12-40 on Friday to Howells-Dodge, the top ranked team in D2 football in the state; but they did it in true Bobcat fashion - with strong defense, top-notch running, and that unbreakable spirit fans have helped foster this season.

It was a heartbreaking evening last Tuesday in Bartley as the South Loup Lady Bobcats volleyball season came to an end in the C2-11 Subdistrict Final game, falling to Southwest 1-3. The Lady Bobcats played with vigor and heart both nights of subdistricts, beating Southern Valley on Monday night 3-0 to move on to the finals.

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It was the softer side of the Lady Bobcats (20-7) that came out last Tuesday during the final regular season game against Ainsworth. Fans that were used to the fast and hard hits at the net, and the tough blocking they’ve seen all season, were met with a more gentle field from the bobcats, as they defeated Ainsworth 3 to 1.

Confidence in themselves and their teammates, a strong defense, and the unwavering legs of Trey Connell was the key to propeling the South Loup Bobcat football team (6-3) past last year‘s defending state champs, the Kenesaw blue Devils, in round one of playoff football last Thursday. The final score was 40 to 6.

Well, they did it again! The South Loup Lady Bobcats volleyball team (19-7) once again dominated the court and claimed the crown as champions of the Mid-Nebraska Athletic Conference (MNAC). This is the second consecutive year that the Bobcats have won the title.

For the first time in any of the players' high school careers, the South Loup Bobcat football team is headed to the playoffs. The last time the Bobcats qualified for playoff football was 2018, when this year's senior class we’re still in eighth grade.

Despite the cooler temperatures and the fierce winds, the South Loup Bobcat cross country team ran incredibly well at the District D5 tournament in Cambridge last Thursday, qualifying three runners for the state competition in Kearney.

The South Loup Bobcat football team continues to steamroll its competition on the field, defeating the Mullen Broncos 64-14 on Friday, Oct. 7 in Mullen.