Powerful Tigers pounce on Raiders' state hopes

Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Medicine Valley senior Ryan Klintworth (12) scored 18 points Tuesday night despite working against the long arms of 6’9” Paxton sophomore center Blake Brewster. The Raiders still couldn’t topple 22-1 Paxton.
Steve Towery/McCook Gazette

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Were these Paxton Tigers or black panthers swooping across North Platte’s home court Tuesday evening?

The Tigers have been on a dominant mission since suffering their only defeat to Cambridge in their Jan. 27 RPAC title game at McCook.

Medicine Valley easily gave them their closest battle exactly one month later — but the Raiders still fell 61-44 as Paxton secured its D-1 state tournament spot.

Coach Jody Rhoades’ team also earned redemption for last year’s district finals heartbreak to another area team: Dundy County-Stratton.

“It was a big motivating factor. We’ve talked all year about why we didn’t get to the state tournament and how we can correct it,” Rhoades told the North Platte Telegraph. “And they did.”

Paxton really could be called the “pits” considering how many have looked up from under Blake Brewster’s arms this season.

Brewster has become a far better transfer than Tanner Lee to Lincoln. On Tuesday, the 6’9” sophomore swatted 10 shots while scoring 21 game-high points for his D1-5 champion team.

Tuesday’s tone was set when Brewster scored 10 points during the 19-9 opening quarter.

He quickly blocked two, three, four shots that Med Valley attempted near or inside the free-throw lane.

The Raiders’ “big three” of seniors Joseph Chancellor, Ryan Klintworth and Chase Newcomb were flying high from a 49-point combined effort last week against Arapahoe.

They didn’t do badly on Tuesday, scoring 35 points with Klintworth sending 18 through those North Platte nets.

Yet they couldn’t really any ground against the torrid Tigers.

Paxton’s previous six wins featured margins of 70, 52, 25, 22 and 21 twice.

The PHS boys shot 49 percent and prevented Med Valley from avenging its 64-53 season-opening defeat on Dec. 1.

Seniors Chancellor, Newcomb, Klintworth, Landon Lenz, Isaac Lenz and Sheldon Johnson complete their Raider basketball careers.

RAIDERS (44) — Ryan Klintworth 18 points, Joseph Chancellor 11, Chase Newcomb 8, Sam Heapy 3, Justin Bailey 2, Quade Potter 2.

TIGERS (61) — Blake Brewster 21 points, Dawson Helmer 9, Ryan Fox 9, Jordan Callihan 6, Jeff Storer 6, Treyton Hebblewaithe 4, Roper Chandler 2, Lane Blackwell 2, Kaden Schow 2.

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