A relatively young Powell Panther boys’ junior varsity basketball team finished with an 11-8 record despite some cancellations throughout the season.

This year’s team included a number of sophomores as eight were on the roster for the junior varsity squad, accompanied by four juniors and one freshman.

The Panthers started the year strong defeating Pinedale 52-40, Rawlins 59-27 and Lovell 52-47 at a tournament in Lander.

Powell lost to Lander 61-50 before reeling off five straight wins, defeating Burns 65-24, Douglas 62-60, Rocky Mountain 60-35, Burlington 59-30 and Glenrock 66-55 to move to 8-1.

The Panthers lost to Cody 66-53 and 67-63 before bouncing back with wins over Worland 55-27 and Lovell 42-40.

The Panthers lost to Buffalo 70-59 before games against Lyman and Mountain View were canceled.

Powell then lost to Worland 45-22 and Lander 58-34 before defeating Pinedale 36-18 in a game shortened to one half, before ending the season with a 49-36 loss to Lovell and a 61-52 loss to Cody.

“Each game showcased a different player who stepped up to contribute in various ways, whether it was playing outstanding defense, grabbing a much needed rebound or making a big shot,” coach Waleryan Wisniewski said. “Overall, we were led by our junior class, including Taeson Schultz, Landon Hyde and Abel Teten who were all heavy contributors to our team’s success.”

Throughout the year the Panthers showed improvement in a number of ways, with Wisniewski noting that each player found a way to grow no matter what the circumstances.

“It’s impossible to name just one individual who showed the most improvement,” Wisniewski said. “I could go through a list of every individual on how each of them showed growth from start to finish. The thing that I’m most pleased about is that we as a team improved each week, and I’m looking forward to the future of Powell Panther basketball.”

He said that one of the main weaknesses of this team was its size, but that the Panthers made up for it through their ability to shoot the ball along with an intense effort on both ends of the floor.

Looking forward Wisniewski stressed the importance of the summer coming up for the Panthers to continue growing, as the large sophomore group this year will help bring along another group of sophomores next year whether at the varsity or junior varsity level.

“I can’t stress enough how offseason/summer preparation, both individually and as a team will be key to our success,” Wisniewski said. “Next year’s juniors will obviously have a much greater role in helping the incoming sophomores to adapt to playing at a faster pace and a higher level of competition. It’s always a transition for everyone to come together to play with different teammates and higher expectations in order to prepare them for varsity play.”

Adding to the importance of this upcoming summer, Wisniewski added that playing together will contribute to the growth of the team next season.

“Playing games together as a team is so important to helping the Panthers take the next step,” Wisniewski said. “This helps with understanding each others’ strengths and just being able to know what they are going to do in different situations. All of this contributes to overall team chemistry. Plus a lot of individual skill and drill work to help with personal growth and confidence in their own abilities.”

The Panthers will need to replace several starters due to graduation next season for a team that went to the state tournament for a fourth successive year.