It was a memorable championship week to cap off an outstanding season for our Kearney Junior High Boys Basketball program!

"All three teams delivered remarkable performances and achieved significant milestones," Head Coach Kelly Gentry said. "I am very proud of our players, student assistants, coaches, staff, school, community, parents and fans."

KJH A Team

The A Team brought home the hardware in a major way, winning three games in three days to capture the Greater Kansas City Championship title in the top (Gold) bracket and finish as the overall GKC Champions. 

In the championship game, the Bulldogs defeated Paul Kinder (Blue Springs) 40–26, led by scoring from Jackson Paalhar (12), Brady Willis (10), Jonas Palmer (10), Ben Bolek (5) and Ethan Linneman (3), with strong contributions from Chase Raimo, Maddox Pierce and Davis Spiking. 

The A Team finished 14–1 overall (best record in the GKC Metro), earning both the Regular Season and Postseason Tournament Championships. They also posted an 11–1 regular season record, secured the Suburban North Conference title, earned the #2 seed in the top GKC bracket (out of 40 A teams), and were the last undefeated team in GKC regular season play.

KJH B Team

The B Team also qualified for the top (Gold) bracket, placing them among the top eight B teams in the region. 

Despite battling injuries and illness, they finished the championship week strong with a 43–33 win over Congress to close out the season 11–4 overall. In that final win, Brayson Cox (11) and Beckham Lindeman (8) led the way, with points added by Colt Collins, Cooper Wernimont, Roy Thomas, Bayne Whiford and Asher Beiring. 

The B Team also went 10–2 in the regular season, won the Suburban North Conference title, and earned a spot in the top GKC bracket with one of the best records among 40 B teams.

KJH C Team

In their inaugural season, the KJH C Team made a statement by winning their first two tournament games to reach the championship, then falling to Summit Lakes in overtime by just two points. Top scorers in the title game included Dylan Ferrell (10), Bryce Campbell (7), Lucas Chenoweth (5), and August Frates (4). 

The C Team wrapped up their first season together with an 8–6 overall record, including a 6–5 regular season mark. This was an impressive accomplishment for a brand-new group.

Mr. Gentry is supported by KJH Boys Basketball Assistant Coaches Derek Dixon, Sydney Williamson and Aaron Jury.

The future of Bulldog basketball looks bright indeed after seeing these players in action this season! Congrats to everyone involved in a fantastic season, and thank you again for supporting KJH Boys Basketball. Best of luck to our other winter sports teams as they finish strong!