Great Bend High School senior Jace Bowman received an early Christmas gift on Thursday.
It came in the form of getting a medical release to resume playing basketball for the Panthers.
Bowman, Great Bend’s top returning scorer from 2010-11, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee in the fall during football season — a couple days after the Sept. 13 Garden City game — and was lost for the season. Bowman caught the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Mitch Kottas in a 14-7 win over Garden.
A 6-foot-3 shooting guard, Bowman was a second-team All-Western Athletic Conference selection for the Panthers, who finished 12-10 overall. He averaged 8.7 points in all games, and shot a balmy 90 percent from the free-throw line.
The Class 5A Panthers (1-4) return to action on Jan. 3, playing host to defending 5A state champion McPherson in their home opener. McPherson has dropped down to 4A this season.