Northern Valley Schools USD 212

Here is the 2024 Northern Valley Middle School Track Team. Good luck this year!!

On Thursday, February 29th, the 7th grade Northern Valley team finished our season strong with a first-place win at the Phillipsburg Scholars Bowl Meet. High scorers for the team were Annika McKinney with 140 points, followed by Bryson Wilder with 100 points. Schools that competed in this tournament were Phillipsburg, Norton, Smith Center, Stockton, TMP, Colby, Ellis, and Hoxie. The 7th grade team from L to R: Rowan Bremer, Tayah Seeders, Bryson Wilder, Cambrie Sproul, Annika McKinney, and Kaylee Miller. The 8th grade NV team did not place but enjoyed their last tournament as middle schoolers. Griffin McKinney led with 330 points, followed by Haedyn Cox with 40 points. 8th-grade team members from L to R: Andrea Parra Meraz, Rene’ Horacek, Haedyn Cox, Josephine Nech, Griffin McKinney, and Malikiah Hitt. A huge thank you to Mr. John Vincent for helping Mrs. Hueneke sponsor our teams this year.

On Thursday, February 22nd, the Northern Valley Middle School hosted its 3rd annual Scholars Bowl Meet. 7th & 8th-grade teams from Heartland Christian, Palco, Thunder Ridge, Logan, and Grinnell joined our teams for a fun afternoon of competition. The final results for the 7th grade were 1st place- Heartland Christian, 2nd place- Northern Valley, and 3rd place-Palco. From L to R the 7th grade NV team members were: Asher VanPatten, Bryson Wilder, Kaylee Miller, Jaden Johns, Rowan Bremer, and Annika McKinney. Annika led her team with 120 points followed by Rowan with 60 points. In the 8th grade contest, 1st place went to Heartland Christian, 2nd place- Northern Valley, and 3rd place-Thunder Ridge. From L to R the 8th grade NV team members were: Abby Samuelson, Josie Nech, Haedyn Cox, Malikiah Hitt, Lucas Hansen, and Griffin McKinney. Griffin led his team with 200 points, followed by Haedyn Cox with 30 points. Thank you to all the staff members and students who helped make the day a big success! The extra time and planning you gave to our meet is appreciated more than you know. Congratulations to all the teams!

On Wednesday, February 14th, the Northern Valley Middle School teams competed at TriPlains/Brewster for the WKLL Scholars Bowl. The 8th grade team dominated with a record of 5-0 in Pool Play and then captured wins for the semi and championship rounds. They took home 1st place for a second year in a row. Top Scorers that day were Griffin McKinney with 270 points for the day and Josie Nech with 80 points. Team Members from L to R: Levi Black, Josie Nech, Rene’ Horacek, Haedyn Cox, Tait Thalheim, and Griffin McKinney. The 7th grade team had a 3-2 record in Pool Play and then earned 2nd place overall. Top scorers for this team were Annika McKinney with 140 points and Rowan Bremer with 100 points. Team Members from L to R: Rowan Bremer, Tayah Seeders, Annika McKinney, Cambrie Sproul, Cash Compton, and Colt Rogers. The students are looking forward to hosting our 3rd annual meet on Thursday, February 22nd in Long Island at 3:00 p.m. Congratulations, Huskies!

The Northern Valley Junior High A-team boys placed 2nd in the WKLL tournament.

Northern Valley Junior High B-team Boys Basketball Western Kansas Liberty League Tournament February 8 & 10, 2024 Semi-Finals 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 2 6 0 0 8 Grinnell 12 8 10 12 42 Scoring Aaron Horacek – 4 Cash Compton – 2 Bryson Wilder – 2 Consolation Finals 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Finals Northern Valley 6 2 2 8 18 Triplains/Brewster 2 6 7 5 20 Scoring Colt Rogers – 5 Bryson Wilder – 4 Levi Black – 4 Cash Compton – 2 Max Wilder – 2 Aaron Horacek – 1 Coach Cole’s Comments – The NVJH B-team boys competed in the Western Kansas Liberty League B-team Tournament on Feb. 10 in Brewster. NV received a bye in the first round and then took on the Grinnell Thunderhawks in the semi-finals. The Huskies struggled to make shots, losing 8-42. Aaron Horacek had 4 points in the game to lead the Huskies in scoring. In the Consolation finals the Huskies lost a hard fought game to Triplains/Brewster 18-20. NV shot the ball better, but still struggled with turnovers. Six Huskies scored, led by Colt Rogers with 5 points. The NV B-team boys ended their season with a 4-7 record.

Northern Valley Junior High A-team Boys Basketball Western Kansas Liberty League Tournament February 8 & 10, 2024 First Round 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 18 15 13 10 56 Western Plains/Healy 2 2 0 1 5 Scoring Tait Thalheim – 23 Griffin McKinney – 10 Zane Brown – 8 Lucas Hansen – 7 Malikiah Hitt – 4 Ty Miller – 2 Keelan Dockendorf – 2 Semi-Finals 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 7 16 10 6 39 Logan/Palco 5 15 3 13 36 Scoring Tait Thalheim – 19 Lucas Hansen – 12 Griffin McKinney – 6 Malikiah Hitt – 2 Finals 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Northern Valley 5 5 4 4 18 Cheylin 18 14 22 4 58 Scoring Tait Thalheim – 7 Griffin McKinney – 7 Lucas Hansen – 4 Coach Cole’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High A-team Boys competed in the Western Kansas Liberty League tournament on Thursday and Saturday and brought home the second place plaque. In the first round, NV beat Western Plains/Healy 56-5. All seven Huskies suited up scored baskets to contribute to the win. In the semi-finals Northern Valley faced Logan/Palco for the third time this season. It was a close, hard fought game with the Huskies winning 39-36. Tait Thalheim and Lucas Hansen led the team in scoring with 19 and 12 points. In the finals the Huskies faced the Cheylin Cougars. Cheylin was red hot from the field and took down the Huskies 58-18. The NV A-team boys had a season to remember, finishing with a 14-1 record. Congratulations on an outstanding season!!

Northern Valley Middle School Girls Basketball Western KS Liberty League Tournament at Colby Event Center February 8, 2024 NV A-Team Girls (5 - 8) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 2 5 5 13 Western Plains/Healy 8 13 18 22 Scoring Haedyn Cox – 7 Andrea Meraz – 2 Rene’ Horacek – 2 Kaylee Miller – 2 NV B-Team Girls (1 - 8) 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr Final Score Northern Valley 3 5 11 11 Triplains/Brewster 2 2 8 12 Scoring Avreigh McCue – 2 Annika McKinney – 9 Coach Lowry’s Comments – The Northern Valley Junior High girls ended their season at the WKLL Tournament on February 8, 2024 in Colby. The A-team girls were seeded sixth and ready to compete but fell short with a 13-22 loss to Western Plains/Healy. Haedyn Cox led the team with 7 points. Their season ended earlier than they wanted with a 5-8 record, not making it to the final day of the tournament, but the girls progressed this season with their passing, their ability to see opportunities to shoot, and most importantly their teamwork. Assistant Coach McKinney’s Comments – The B-team girls ended their season with a close, hard-fought game against the Triplains/Brewster Titans. Both teams were filled with 6th grade girls that were excited to play. Our girls hustled and worked hard until the buzzer. We are so proud of the improvement they have made this season and look forward to next year. Annika McKinney had her best game with 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Northern Valley Junior High celebrated Coach Jim Cole and Brad Cox’s coaching their last home game for the Huskies.

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.