TEAM: Royal Valley Panthers/Lady Panthers

CLASSIFICATION: 3A

LEAGUE: Big East

COLORS: Purple & Silver

SOCIAL MEDIA: @RV337 on Twitter

2024-25 SCHEDULE:

12/6 vs Jackson Heights
12/10 vs Maur Hill-Mount Academy
12/13 vs Valley Falls
12/17 at Jeff West
12/20 at Sabetha
1/7 at Hiawatha
1/10 vs Pleasant Ridge
1/14 at Nemaha Central
1/17 vs St. Marys
1/23-25 Panther Classic
1/31 at Riley County
2/4 at Holton
2/7 vs Perry-Lecompton
2/11 at Rossville
2/14 vs Silver Lake
2/18 vs Jeff West
2/21 at Perry-Lecompton
2/25 vs Holton

Big East League game

GIRLS

HEAD COACH: David Boucher (6th year, 36-70)

2023-24 RECORD: 5-16 overall, 4-10 in Big 7

2023-24 IN REVIEW: Royals Valley girls basketball didn’t finish the 2023-24 season with the record it had hoped for, and a losing streak to end the year sent the Lady Panthers to a five-win campaign. However, Royal Valley did show flashes of impressive and improving play with a three-game winning streak in the middle of the year, plus three other toss-up games that were decided by single digits. Those strong efforts provide the blueprint for what the program can be headed forward. What’s more, it was a developmental year for a bevy of younger talents that got to experience the grind of a challenging conference schedule and what it takes to win on some of those cold winter nights.

2024-25 OUTLOOK: The Lady Panthers are bringing back a ton of talent and veteran contributors to this year’s roster. That starters with senior post Athena Broaddus, an all-league honorable mention last season after averaging 8.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Royal Valley’s top returning rebounder is fellow senior Samantha Klotz, who grabbed 10.7 boards a night while adding 5.2 points per contest. Guards Averie Stithem and Stormy Lake round out the highly touted senior class; Stithem returns to the floor after posting 7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 2023-24, while Lake is a well-rounded weapon on both ends of the floor. Guards Ki-Bo Throssell and Arianna Faulkner hold down the fort for the returning juniors. Throssell is a skilled rebounder who pulled down nearly four boards a game last year, while Faulkner was a key bench piece for coach David Boucher. And standout sophomore Panno Wahwassuck will return to the starting lineup after averaging 8.3 points per game last season along with four rebounds.

FROM THE COACH’S CLIPBOARD: “The mix of athleticism, love for each other and positive energy from all of our players will help us throughout the year. This team truly enjoys being around each other. It was a great joy to coach them even through our limited wins. There were a lot of indicators that showed our work and energy paying off. Our success in the winter will be determined by our focused hard work in the summer season and also our development through playing other sports.” – David Boucher

BOYS

HEAD COACH: Chris Brown (5th year, 58-34)

2023-24 RECORD: 4-17 overall, 3-10 in Big 7

2023-24 IN REVIEW: A largely inexperienced group of Panthers had to withstand some growing pains last season. After a pair of wins in December, they battled valiantly through a grueling through a final Big 7 League schedule and ended the year on a high note, including a road win at Hiawatha near the end of the regular season. The benefit of playing so many young players then is obvious now: That youth now has the experience of playing a full, competitive varsity schedule, something that will be even more important in the new Big East League.

2024-25 OUTLOOK: What a difference one season makes. Royal Valley goes from a program looking for newer players to become contributors to one of the most experienced teams in its league. All five starters return for the Panthers in 2024-25, led by all-league honorable mention Jaxson Stevens. He racked up 8.5 points and 3.8 assists per game last season. Two other senior starters are back, one on the perimeter and one in the post. Guard Carson Beam averaged 5.1 points per game a year ago, while forward Matthew Buskirk is the program’s leading returning scorer after pouring in 10.2 points per game last season. Forward Trystyn Murata leads a trio of returning juniors, a group that also includes Nolan Bausch and Griffin Cumpton. And sophomore center Landon Gilbert looks to build on a tremendous freshman campaign, in which he racked up 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. Look for a smattering of other promising players to battle for playing time, too, including senior Junior Wahwassuck, junior Bowen Bryan, sophomores Alex Johnson and Rowan Warton, and freshman Conner Noland.

FROM THE COACH’S CLIPBOARD: “In 2024-25, we are coming off a great summer where the whole team improved and gained chemistry. We were successful in the summer and learned a lot about how we will need to play to win games. We will have 5 guys who have started and should be able to lead us to more wins and be able to set great examples for the underclassmen who will take over in the coming years.” – Chris Brown

–Brendan Dzwierzynski

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