Northern Valley Schools USD 212

Northern Valley Junior High Boys Basketball vs Heartland Christian in Almena February 5, 2024 NVJH A-team Boys (12 – 0) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 14 19 15 7 55 Heartland Christian 3 2 7 5 17 Scoring Tait Thalheim – 20 Griffin McKinney – 11 Malikiah Hitt – 8 Lucas Hansen – 7 Keelan Dockendorf – 3 Zane Brown – 2 Aaron Horacek – 2 Levi Black – 2 Coach Cole’s Comments – The Northern Valley Jr. High A-team Boys basketball team improved their record to 12-0 with a 55-17 win over Heartland Christian in Almena. Eight Huskies scored baskets to contribute to the victory. Tait Thalheim shot the ball well scoring 20 points and Griffin McKinney added 11 to lead the Huskies. Before the game the Huskies celebrated Coach Jim Cole and Assistant Brad Cox who coached their last home for Northern Valley. The Huskies will play in the Western Kansas Liberty League tournament on Thursday and Saturday in Colby and Brewster.

On Monday, January 29th, the 7th & 8th grade Scholars Bowl teams traveled to Smith Center to compete in their first meet of the season. Our 7th grade team gained some much needed experience and after working through their nerves had some close and competitive rounds. Everyone enjoyed the trip and felt confident that they would make gains in their next contest. 7th grade team members from L to R: top scorers Annika McKinney and Rowan Bremer, Asher VanPatten, Bryson Wilder, Kaylee Miller, and Cash Compton. In the 8th grade competition, our scholars came out with an impressive performance. They won all but one round against Phillipsburg and earned 1st place in the meet. Griffin McKinney led his team with 360 points followed by Haedyn Cox and Josie Nech. The team is looking forward to their League competition on February 14th in Winona. The 8th grade team from L to R: Lucas Hansen, Griffin McKinney, Rene’ Horacek, Haedyn Cox, Josie Nech, and Christina Nichols.

Northern Valley Middle School Girls Basketball Vs. Heartland Christian at Almena February 5, 2024 NV A-Team Girls (5 - 7) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 3 11 17 21 Heartland Christian 2 3 11 17 Scoring Haedyn Cox – 13 Andrea Meraz – 2 Josie Nech – 2 Rene’ Horacek – 4 Coach Lowry’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High hosted Heartland Christian to end their regular season. The Lady Huskies struggled to find intensity and rhythm but kept working to earn their fifth win of the season. Haedyn Cox had a good game with 13 points. Abby Samuelson and Rene’ Horacek helped with 7 rebounds each. We will begin tournament play on Thursday with a record of 5-7.

WKLL junior high basketball tournament bracket.

Northern Valley Middle School Girls Basketball Vs. Cheylin at Almena February 1, 2024 NV A-Team Girls (4 - 7) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 4 5 13 18 Cheylin 4 15 29 40 Scoring Haedyn Cox – 14 Josie Nech – 2 Rene’ Horacek – 2 NV B-Team Girls (1 - 7) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 2 4 6 6 Cheylin 5 14 19 24 Scoring Kaylee Miller – 6 Coach Lowry’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High hosted the Cheylin Cougars. The Lady Huskies knew they were up against a tough team and we definitely saw the weak areas we need to work on before the WKLL Tournament next week. The girls had more ball movement this game with better passing. Haedyn Cox had a good game with 14 points. The B-team girls continue to develop their skills as a team. We are passing the ball better, anticipating more than reacting, and looking to score. The B-team girls will go into the tournament with a 1-7 record on Thursday

Northern Valley Junior High Boys Basketball vs Cheylin in Almena February 1, 2024 NVJH A-team Boys (11 – 0) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 15 6 8 7 36 Cheylin 9 8 10 8 35 Scoring Tait Thalheim – 22 Griffin McKinney – 12 Lucas Hansen – 2 NVJH B-team Boys (4 – 5) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 1 2 x x 3 Cheylin 8 8 x x 16 Scoring Aaron Horacek – 2 Colt Rogers – 1 Coach Cole’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team boys and the Cheylin boys were both undefeated on the season and had an exciting game in Almena on February 1. 8th grader Tait Thalheim hit a three pointer with six seconds on the clock to give the Huskies a 36-35 win over the Cougars. NV played good defense and rebounded well the whole game. Thalheim led the Huskies with 22 points, followed by Griffin McKinney with 12. The NV A-team boys record is now 11-0. The NV B-team boys lost 3-16 in two quarters of play. The B-team record now stands at 4-5.

Northern Valley Middle School Girls Basketball Vs. Triplains/Brewster at Winona January 26, 2024 NV A-Team Girls (4 - 6) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 4 6 13 15 Triplains/Brewster 6 6 10 12 Scoring Haedyn Cox – 3 Abby Samuelson – 2 Josie Nech – 2 Rene’ Horacek – 8 NV B-Team Girls (1 - 6) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 2 4 4 4 Triplains/Brewster 1 1 9 18 Scoring Cambrie Sproul – 2 Kaylee Miller – 2 Coach Lowry’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High traveled to Winona to compete against the Triplains/Brewster Titans. The A-team girls got their fourth win of the season with Rene’ Horacek scoring 8 points and getting 6 rebounds. Three other Lady Huskies contributed to the score. This was a good win for us but definitely proved that we need to be stronger with the ball and play with more confidence. We have two regular games before we compete in the WKLL tournament. Assistant Coach McKinney’s Comments – The B-team girls played well the first half with purposeful ball movement and strong defense, however, the pressure the Titans applied in the second half was too much for our girls to overcome. Two girls scored and Annika McKinney led the team in rebounding with 9.

Northern Valley Junior High Boys Basketball vs Tri-Plains/Brewster in Winona January 25, 2024 NVJH A-team Boys (10 – 0) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 23 7 17 4 51 Triplains/Brewster 11 2 2 8 23 Scoring Griffin McKinney – 22 Tait Thalheim – 20 Lucas Hansen – 5 Zane Brown – 4 NVJH B-team Boys (4 – 4) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 0 2 10 6 18 Triplains/Brewster 2 2 2 4 10 Scoring Aaron Horacek – 6 Malikiah Hitt – 4 Bryson Wilder – 4 Levi Black – 2 Keelan Dockendorf – 2 Coach Cole’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team boys remained undefeated on the season with a 51-23 win over the Triplains/Brewster Titans. The Huskies got off to a hot start scoring 23 points in the first quarter. Classmates Griffin McKinney and Tait Thalheim led the team scoring 22 and 20 points respectively. The NV B-team evened their record to 4-4 on the season with an 18-10 win over the Titans. Aaron Horacek led the b-team with 6 points. The Huskies will take on the undefeated Cheylin Cougars next Thursday in Almena.

Huge shout out to Solutions North Bank, loan officers Doug Ray and Ryan McCullick presented a check for Give back of CD's Special that they ran in the fall of 2023!

Northern Valley Junior High Boys Basketball vs Paradise in Natoma January 18, 2024 NVJH A-team Boys (9 – 0) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 14 14 22 0 50 Paradise 4 1 4 4 13 Scoring Tait Thalheim – 19 Griffin McKinney – 14 Zane Brown – 8 Lucas Hansen – 7 Malikiah Hitt – 2 NVJH B-team Boys (3 – 4) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 8 6 x x 14 Paradise 2 6 x x 8 Scoring Malikiah Hitt – 4 Colt Rogers – 4 Bryson Wilder – 2 Levi Black – 2 Aaron Horacek – 2 Coach Cole’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team boys remained undefeated on the season with a 50-13 win over Paradise in Natoma on January 18. All five starters scored points, led by Tait Thaleim with 19 and Griffin McKinney with 14. The Huskies ran their offensive plays really well leading to good shots. The NV B-team won their third game of the season beating the Wildcats 14-8 in two quarters of play. Colt Rogers and Malikiah Hitt each scored 4 points to lead the Husky b-team.

Northern Valley Middle School Girls Basketball Vs. Paradise at Natoma January 18, 2024 NV A-Team Girls (3 - 6) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 8 18 32 40 Paradise 3 3 5 10 Scoring Haedyn Cox – 21 Andrea Meraz – 3 Annika McKinney – 2 Josie Nech – 6 Rene’ Horacek – 6 Kaylee Miller – 2 NV B-Team Girls (1 - 5) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley - - 6 8 Paradise - - 0 2 Scoring Annika McKinney – 2 Kaylee Miller – 6 Coach Lowry’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team traveled through wind and snow to compete against the Paradise Wildcats at Natoma. It was a clean sweep for both boys and girls. The A-team girls came out aggressive, willing to move the ball, and ready to shoot. Their teamwork on offensive and anticipation on defense led to their highest scoring game and third win of the season. Haedyn Cox led the team with her best game of 21 points and 7 rebounds. Assistant Coach McKinney’s Comments – The B-team girls played two quarters and were able to catch their first win of the season. They sharpened up their ball movement which increased opportunities for smart shots. I am proud of their victory. Kaylee Miller had her best game with 6 points.

Northern Valley Middle School Girls Basketball Vs. Golden Plains at Almena December 14, 2023 NV A-Team Girls (2 - 5) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 8 10 12 18 Golden Plains 10 23 36 40 Scoring Haedyn Cox – 2 Josie Nech – 4 Rene’ Horacek – 10 Kaylee Miller – 2 NV B-Team Girls (0 - 4) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 0 2 2 6 Golden Plains 12 22 24 24 Scoring Cambrie Sproul – 2 Kaylee Miller – 2 Josie Nech – 2 Coach Lowry’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team girls hosted the Golden Plains Bulldogs for their last game before break. The A-team girls has a great start competing hard but the Bulldogs pulled ahead in the second quarter. We saw a lot more ball movement and better shot attempts but defensively we struggled to keep them out of the lane and rebound. Rene’ Horacek had a good game with 10 points and 11 rebounds. The B-team girls continue to improve with their understanding of the game. Numerous girls are finding opportunities to shoot and ball movement offensively has improved. Three girls each scored 2 points. Annika McKinney had a good night with 13 rebounds. We will continue to work on skill development and prepare for Logan/Palco at Logan on January 4.

Northern Valley Junior High Boys Basketball vs Golden Plains in Almena December 14, 2023 NVJH A-team Boys (7 – 0) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 17 20 12 2 51 Golden Plains 4 9 3 7 23 Scoring Tait Thalheim – 24 Lucas Hansen – 14 Griffin McKinney – 9 Zane Brown – 4 NVJH B-team Boys (2 – 3) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 4 2 10 8 24 Golden Plains 1 7 0 6 14 Scoring Aaron Horacek – 8 Malikiah Hitt – 6 Levi Black – 4 Jaden Johns – 2 Colt Rogers – 2 Keelan Dockendorf – 2 Coach Cole’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team boys remained undefeated on the season winning over Golden Plains 51-23. The Huskies enter the Christmas break with a 7-0 record. NV shot well from the outside against the Bulldogs tight zone defense. Tait Thalheim and Lucas Hansen each made 4-three pointers. Tait tallied 24 points and Lucas 14 points. The NV B-team won their second game of the season with a 24-14 win over the Bulldogs. The Huskies used their height to their advantage. Aaron Horacek scored 8 points, followed by Malikiah Hitt with 6 points and Levi Black with 4 points. It was a fun night as the boys celebrated both victories along with Coach Cole’s 60th Birthday!

Northern Valley Middle School Girls Basketball Vs. Thunder Ridge at Agra December 7, 2023 NV A-Team Girls (2 - 4) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 0 0 4 10 Thunder Ridge 4 10 21 22 Scoring Haedyn Cox – 4 Josie Nech – 4 Rene’ Horacek – 2 NV B-Team Girls (0 - 4) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 0 0 3 3 Thunder Ridge 10 16 18 24 Scoring Cambrie Sproul – 3 Coach Lowry’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team girls traveled to Agra for a long night of basketball. Defensively the girls worked hard to communicate and keep the Longhorns out of the lane. Offensively we struggled to see opportunities and move the ball around. Haedyn Cox and Josie Nech ended the evening with 4 points each. Assistant Coach McKinney’s Comments – The B-team girls continue to work hard. The score tonight was not indicative of the improvements they made throughout the game. The girls made more intentional ball movement and are starting to be more aggressive. Cambrie Sproul led the team with her three points.

Northern Valley Middle School Girls Basketball Versus Logan/Palco at Almena November 30, 2023 NV A-Team Girls (1 - 2) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 5 9 19 23 Logan/Palco 2 8 10 12 Scoring Haedyn Cox – 9 Andrea Meraz – 1 Josie Nech – 1 Rene’ Horacek – 12 NV B-Team Girls (0 - 3) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 2 6 6 9 Logan/Palco 5 9 15 19 Scoring Annika McKinney – 2 Kaylee Miller – 7 Coach Lowry’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team girls got their first win of the season against the combined team of Logan/Palco. Our girls didn’t find their groove right away but as the game progressed, they handled the pressure, picked up the intensity, and worked better together offensively. Rene’ Horacek had a great game with 12 points and 8 rebounds followed by Haedyn Cox with 9 points. Assistant Coach McKinney’s Comments – The B-team girls improved their ball movement and anticipation on defense throughout the game. I am pleased with their effort and the skills they are consistently trying to figure out. Kaylee Miller led the team with 7 points.