It’s that time of year in the basketball season when coaches’ hair turns a little more gray, or more likely, a little less of it as the stress of tournament play begins for our high school teams. 

Smaller division schools are currently involved in regional play. Substate action, for everyone, begins next week. 

The goal? 

Make it to the State Tournament. Beyond that, it’s all gravy!

Great Bend’s boys, with a late-season winning streak, improved their West substate standings to a tie for 14th place. That puts them into a play-in game against Goddard. It will be an uphill climb for the Black Panthers to make it to the 5A state tournament. 

Ditto for the girls as they are forced into a play-in game at Salina South.

The Hoisington boys have clinched a first-round home game against Russell which could be a springboard to the state tournament for the Cardinals, who host the semifinal and final rounds of the 3A substate. 

Only Phillipsburg (17-2) sports a better than .500 record. Thomas More Prep comes in at 10-10. Hoisington’s girls are going to hit the road to Hays-Thomas More Prep Monday. They are probably doomed as there are a number of strong teams in their sub-state.

Ellinwood is involved in the Sterling substate. Their girls will be on the road in the first round against Canton-Galva. The boys find themselves in a substate with two strong teams — Salina Sacred Heart and Inman. Ellinwood will host a first-round game. So, though they might advance, trouble awaits in the semifinals.

Both the Larned boys and girls earned first round home games for the 3A Southwestern Heights substate. 

Larned’s girls will take on Hugoton Monday and the No. 1 seeded Larned boys will host Goodland Tuesday. The Larned boys have been on a late-season surge and just might make the state tournament for the first time in nearly three decades.

Then there is the nearly ridiculous and terrific situation at Central Plains. 

Both their boys and girls are the odds-on favorites to win another state title. 

For the girls it would be six in a row. Two in a row for the boys. 

The Oiler girls won it all in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Yes, Pat Stiles has, indeed, created a dynasty. Combine these five titles with two won when it was just Claflin and coach Stiles has proved his mettle. 

Another area powerhouse has been St. John. The Tiger girls won it all in 2009. The St. John boys won three in a row in 2013, 2014 and 2015 after a title in 2007. They previously had hauled home the first-place trophy in 1974 and 1982. 

Larned’s girls won it all in 1991, after finishing runner-up in 1989 with a 75-74 double overtime loss to Kansas City Ward. 

The Larned boys won it all one time in 1950. They were an invited team to the state tournament after being upset in the regional finals by Hays — a team they had defeated twice during the regular season. 

Great Bend’s girls won their only championship trophy in 1980. The Great Bend boys won back-to-back 5A titles in 2005 and 2006. 

Hoisington owns one state championship won by the Cardinal boys in 1946 in Class A, held in Salina.

The Macksville boys won state basketball championships in 2006 and 2011.

Rozel, west of Larned, and now a part of Pawnee Heights — won back-to-back titles in 1959 and 1960. Burdett, also a part of Pawnee Heights, won the 1954 state title.

Though the Kansas State High School Activities Association has made it somewhat easier to win a state tournament today due to the increase in the number of classifications, it’s still one of the most difficult assignments in high school sports. 

So fans, cherish the action. 

Root, root, root for the home team, because those state tournament appearances don’t come around all that often — UNLESS you are from Central Plains!

Buddy Tabler is a guest columnist for the Great Bend Tribune and his views don’t necessarily reflect those of the paper. He can be reached at budtabler@gmail.com.