Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Nederland. The Nederland Panther boys high school basketball team has been playing hard all season. There are eight players on the team this year and they do not give up until that last buzzer goes off. Despite usually being outnumbered they play fight on with good sportsmanship throughout the game. 

The team is led by two excellent players, seniors Jack Baugh and Cooper Neilson. When a team is small each player is highly valued and plays an important role every second of the game. The team also includes junior Quinn Boutot, sophomore Charlie Rawlins, and freshmen Austin Chareunsouk, Presley Boyle, Max Godsil and Beshal Malla. They are a young team who are constantly growing in skill and strength. 

Coach Nic Stader is new to Nederland High School and sees his team improving quickly. Coach Stader says, “Each game and each practice allows us to build our team chemistry and to improve our skills.” Confidence in their shooting abilities is growing as the season continues. Coach adds, “The Panthers are on the prowl and we are ready to challenge any opponent.” 

As the season comes to an end at the end of the month. I hope these players know that they have done their best and to quote the late basketball great Kobe Bryant “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise”.

Nederland Elementary and Middle-High School students come together. On Friday, January 31, 2020, elementary, middle and high school students sang the National Anthem at the Panthers home basketball games. It is beautiful to see and hear the youth of the community come together in song.

(Originally published in the February 6, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)