LITTLE RIVER, Kan. – In this week’s edition of the Little River High School athletics roundup, the Little River Boys & Girls Basketball teams fight their way to the Sub-State Championship games, a Little River Baseball player officially signs to play college ball, and the school honors their Volleyball team who won the state championship last fall.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
The best ranked team in 1A-DI continues their quest to return to the State Championship game following an undefeated regular season. The perfect 17-0 record in the season clinched them a first-round bye in the Canton-Galva Sub-State bracket.
Little River opened up their postseason play Saturday, March 1 against the No. 8 seed Burden-Central. The team dominated at home, defeating Burden-Central 77-12, thanks to a 38-point performance from Fort Hays State commit Arika Feldman.
The team will face Madison Friday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Canton-Galva High School. The team will look for their first State Championship since winning four in a row from 1995-98.
BOYS BASKETBALL
The Little River Boys closed off their regular season 12-6, including 8-1 against Wheat State League opponents, finishing just one game behind Elyria Christian for the league title. The regular season record forced them to a No. 6 seed in the Canton-Galva Sub-State bracket, making it one game more difficult to reach the Sub-State championship. Their postseason started in the Sub-State Quarterfinal game against No. 11 Goessel at home, but Little River was able to sweep past them winning 65-29.
Logan Renken helps put the Bluebirds away last night with the 4th quarter Slam!! #RollTribe🏀🏀 @lrenken17 @sportsinkansas pic.twitter.com/hGGpQNDrl9
— Little River Hoops (@RollTribeHoops) February 26, 2025
The win gave them the underdog role into the Sub-State Semifinal game as they were on the road against Colony-Crest, who came into the tournament as the No. 3 seed. The game finished close, but Little River prevailed winning 48-39.
GATA BELT WINNER – Jhet Ewertt
Sub-State Semi @ Colony CrestJag passed it on to Jhet tonight. Saying Jhet earned it with his GRIT & TOUGHNESS he displayed tonight! Redskins pick up the 48-39 win tonight and move to the Sub-State Championship on Saturday!#GATA #RollTribe🏀🏀 pic.twitter.com/ho28tt1ggK
— Little River Hoops (@RollTribeHoops) March 4, 2025
Little River will now compete for a chance to reach the State Tournament with the Sub-State Championship game Saturday, March 8 against No. 2 Oxford. The game will tip off at Canton-Galva High School at 6:30 p.m.
BASEBALL
Star Little River Pitcher and Infielder Spencer Strecker officially signed the dotted line to play baseball at the NAIA level in Atchison at Benedictine College.
Strecker has had a successful career at Little River thus far, coming off of a year where he won All-Wheat State League honors as both a pitcher and infielder. The baseball team officially began practice Monday, March 3. Their preseason Jamboree will be at Inman on March 22 before opening their season vs. Ell-Saline on March 25.
VOLLEYBALL
Following the Boys Basketball Sub-State game, the Little River Volleyball team was honored in front of friends, family, staff, and alumni. The team were also given their state championship rings.
The team finished with a 40-6 record in the 2024 fall season, sweeping Centralia in two sets in the State Championship game, giving them their third straight 1A-DI State Title and their 4th in the Volleyball program’s history.
