These pictures were taken after the sub-state championship game.The Raiders defeated the Riley County Falcons to advance to the state playoffs.

Varsity/JV Roster

Beating the Odds
By Brad Rettele

The day started like any other, going to classes and the same routine as every other day except that today was the first game of the season for the Raider basketball team. That night was the Raiders' first test against the Red Raiders of Wamego, a team ranked in 4A. The Raiders started as a team that had never played together before, and that exactly what they were. NV lost to the Red Raiders by 18. After beginning the season with only a handful of players returning, no one looked at the Raiders to have anything this season.

"I was very disappointed after losing to Wamego by that much. I knew how much hard work the seniors had put in and how much we wanted to excel," Andy Strathman, sr., said.

That's exactly what the Raiders had done, gradually progressing and using each game as a learning experience to help them reach their top goal, 3A State. The Raiders ended the regular season as League and Raider Classic champs and a first seed in the sub-state tournament at Nemaha Valley.

The Raiders won their first game at Hutchison over a smaller Lakin team, giving Coach Jon Thomas his first twenty win season and a chance to win the State title. At the semi-finals, the Raiders faced the talented Thomas More-Prep team and lost by sixteen. In a consolation game, both teams were hungry, but the Raider's talented bunch proved too much and handed Valley Falls a 34 point defeat.

This was the first Raider team to place at the State Tournament in twelve years, and no more than a handful of people would have picked them to be there. No matter how much hype a team receives, belief and hard work can achieve goals that are set.

Freshmen