By: Hayden Coker, Sports Director
The Winter Pre-Season Sports Tour kicks off with North Platte High School. The tour is set to focus on boys' and girls' wrestling and boys' and girls' basketball. Each week, leading up to the start of each season, multiple schools will be visited, and the head coach of each respective sport will sit down to preview their season.
NPHS Girls Basketball
Kicking off the first stop of the Winter Pre-Season Tour is Tyson Hammond, Head Coach of the North Platte High School girls basketball team.
Head Coach Tyson Hammond is eager to start the season. His team is young, but they are ready to apply pressure. "We have a really young team, a little bit of returning experience, but not a lot." Mentioned Hammond, "We have a lot of new pieces to fit in". Coach Hammond also expressed excitement about seeing this younger group of girls play. "The great part (About having a younger team) is the excitement and enthusiasm coming into the season".
The Lady Dawgs, who finished last season with a 6-19 record, are ready to establish themselves this year. "The goal is that by the end of the season, we'll be playing our best basketball and hope we're in a good spot," Said Hammond.
Coach Hammond has a couple of goals entering the season for his girls. One being starting the season with the right mindset. "Our mindset is to try to be as prepared as we can," Said Hammond. "Our biggest goals always start with how we approach things. We want to play the right way."
Coach Hammond mentioned defense as their biggest emphasis. "We want to be aggressive; we want to try to pressure people a little bit". He then went on, "Everything will start with defense, and hopefully defense will lead to offense."
Coach Hammond has an identity he wants his team to follow. Now, it's time for the Lady Dawgs to put it together on the court. The Lady Dawgs will begin the season on the 24th with the I-80 Basketball Jamboree starting at 5:00CT at Hershey High School. You can find the full schedule for the North Platte Lady Dawgs here.
NPHS Boys Basketball
Next up is the NPHS boys basketball team led by Head Coach Jimmie Pack.
Head Coach Jimmie Pack is ready for the Dawgs to bounce back this season after a tough 5-19 finish. Pack is ready to get rolling and is confident in his guys. Pack discussed the offseason transition into the new year with his. "This has been some of these guys' fourth year in the program, so it hasn't been difficult; it's actually been kind of nice." mentioned Pack. "You say something and they know what to do."
Coach Pack discussed what he wants to do early in the season with his squad. "We're going to try to get in our press a little earlier this year; last year we were around Christmas break". We've got some athletic guys with some speed so we're going to try to do that sooner."
Coach Pack is eager to get everything rolling this season, especially with a veteran core. "Our seniors have been invaluable over the years; Reid O'Brien really came out of nowhere last year," Pack mentioned.
Jonny Rinke, Jake Kinkaid, Jared Smeltzer, and Logan Hayes, all seniors as well, are ready to make an impact. "Those five seniors are going to be the spear tip that leads the charge this year," Said Pack.
The Dawgs tip off the 2026-2027 season on the 24th with the I80 Basketball Jamboree at 7:00CT at Hershey High School. You can find the full schedule for the Dawgs here.
NPHS Girls Wrestling
Next up, we have the NPHS girls' wrestling team led by Head Coach Rob Pitner, who couldn't be more excited. Pitner gets to live out his lifelong dream and coach the North Platte girls as a first-year head coach.
Pitner mentioned his excitement, but also dove into the leadership of some of his veteran girls. "We've got great senior leadership with five girls in that senior class." Pitner also mentioned the depth that his squad has. "We've got a great incoming freshman class, and we've got a strong junior class. I think I have more juniors than I have anybody," said Pitner. "Our program isn't going anywhere aside from up."
Coach Pitner also talked about the importance of conditioning and preparation. "We talk about it all the time. It's not how you start, but how you finish, and that's in our preparation too."
"We have to get to the girls to prepare," Said Pitner. "Some of them do other sports, which we encourage."
Pitner was very clear when it came to getting his girls ready for action on the mat. He understands that the competition will be fierce wherever they go, and that having his girls in "wrestling shape" is one of the biggest parts of the preseason.
Pitner is grateful for the opportunity to live out one of his dreams of coaching, and now has his opportunity to lead his girls to success.
You can catch the Lady Dawgs on the mat on December 5th at 10:00 AM CT for their first tournament of the season at the Kearney Sportsplex.
Here, you can find the full schedule to support the Lady Dawgs in person.
NPHS Boys Wrestling
Last but certainly not least, we have the NPHS Boys wrestling team led by Head Coach Cameron Riggs.
Coach Riggs, like other coaches we have spoken to, is excited about the season, as he is jumping into his second year at the helm.
Coach Riggs mentioned the importance of staying ready in the offseason and keeping active. "Throughout the summer, kids were able to attend open mats, and I've had some kids go to some tournaments and get some extra mat time." "Time on the mat is most important in wrestling," Riggs said. "You can run as much as you want and lift as much as you want, but really getting in those positions is what's most important."
Coach Riggs talked about some of the older kids who are coming back into the program this year. Even though he had five seniors graduate last year, he is confident in his team this season. "We have five returning state qualifiers from last season. Carson Foote, Carter Still, Keeghan Clouse, Reece Perry, and Jaxon Ayres."
You can hear the confidence in Riggs' voice. Riggs has his kids determined to succeed. Riggs, entering his second year, knows how to prepare his team for trials and tribulations, but mental preparation is the hardest part, he exclaimed. "That may be the hardest part, because a coach can believe in you as much as he wants, but I gotta get the kid to believe in himself."
Riggs left with a powerful statement that not only applies to athletes but can apply to anybody at any level of life.
The North Platte High School Boys Wrestling Team will first hit the mat on December 5th at 10:00 AM at the Kearney Sportsplex. For a full schedule to see the Dawgs in person, click here.