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HARTINGTON - The Hartington-Newcastle Wildcat basketball team is reaching for new heights both literally and figuratively for the 2024-25 boys basketball season.
Head coach Tylor Fincher welcomed five players taller than 6-foot-4-inches to the first practice recently.
Three of the players saw some action last season led by junior Brayden Lammers who stands 6-5. Lammers averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds per game last year and should be a go-to target this season.
Mason Krause at 6-7 and Carter Kelly at 6-4, both also juniors, will spend some time in the paint for the Wildcats this season.
The taller guys will be important, but it is the smaller guys who will make the Wildcats go.
Seniors, Cole Heimes and Cole Rosener both return after starting every game for Fincher last season and will be instrumental in any success the team enjoys this year.
Ayden Rosener, Keatyn Arens, Austin Sudbeck and Lincoln Grutsch will be competing for playing time along with newcomers Ashton Wakeley, Will Feilmeier and Jason Heimes.
HNS will embark on the new season in a new conference after joining the Greater Northeast Activities Conference this year and will look to improve on last year’s 8-13 record.
The Wildcats will open the season Dec. 6 on the road at Ponca before welcoming in GNAC opponent, Summerland on Dec. 7.
A trip to Spencer to take on Boyd County (Dec. 10), a home date with Niobrara/Verdigre (Dec. 17) and a trip to Walthill (Dec. 20) will close out the pre-Christmas portion of the schedule.
The Wildcats will play in the GNAC Christmas Tournament at home on Dec. 27 and 28.
The first three games of 2025 will be played in Hartington before Hartington-Newcastle hits the road for a GNAC contest with Elkhorn Valley in Tilden on Jan. 10.
A trip to Laurel to take on the Bears and a home game with Crofton highlight the rest of the January slate.
