By Jayden Mies
Freelance reporter
Special to the Tribune
The Pratt High School boys’ basketball team recently concluded their historic 2024-25 season at the 4A State Tournament this past Wednesday. The team, which was led by Head Coach Chris Battin, competed hard against some of the best competition in the state of Kansas, but unfortunately just fell short in the opening round. A two-point loss was hard to take as the Greenbacks lost this game by a heartbreaking final score of 43-45 to Andale.
The state tournament was held in Salina this year, and the Greenbacks were scheduled to play on Wednesday, March 12. With a 17-5 record, Pratt claimed the #6 seed out of 8 in the tournament. This meant that they would be matched up against the #3 seed Andale, who only had three losses thus far.
When these two teams faced off, it was a back and forth battle until the final buzzer sounded. With seconds remaining, Pratt found themselves down by two points with a chance to score the game-tying/winning bucket, but it unfortunately missed.
Although the team didn’t want to end their season this way, the good of their 2024-25 campaign far outweighed the bad. This was a team that had twelve guys willing to fill any roles needed, and they always worked to be a little better each day. To be able to get over the sub-state hump and make the final tournament is something that this team will be very proud of.
The Greenbacks will also be seeing several seniors go this year, and they have all made great contributions. A couple of them, Grant McAtee and Kollyn Strong, were willing to share their thoughts on this season. First, McAtee talked about what the state tournament environment was like.
“I think the biggest difference was the building. It was the first time in my high school career that I’ve ever played somewhere so big or been escorted to a locker room the way we were. The lower level stands were packed, and it was very loud,” he said.
McAtee also said that he thinks this environment also sparked determination in the team, as he said that they remained very focused and intense throughout the entirety of the game.
He said, “When we walked in, I felt in awe because it was something I had dreamed about as a little kid. You could just tell it was going to be a great experience.”
Grant then talked about what it meant for him to be a part of a PHS team that got to have this unique experience.
He said, “It means everything to have been a part of it. It was extra special because the three years prior, we were so close and were finally able to get over the barrier this time. It not only fulfilled the childhood dream, but it brought such a great life and excitement to the town of Pratt. I think, as a player, seeing the support we got reminded me that it’s more than a game. I can honestly say that we played for the city of Pratt, not us individually.”
McAtee’s last comments were on some of his favorite memories that he was able to experience through PHS basketball.
“My favorite memories really came from a lot of places. The bus rides were an especially fun time to bond with teammates and just to have fun. Each mid-season tournament was also fun, because it allowed for a lot of time spent together as a team,” he said.
Grant also mentioned the sub-state tournament that Pratt was able to host, especially the championship game against Hugoton.
He said, “It was the craziest environment that I’ve ever played in, thanks to the fans and great student section. Being able to win the last game at home is something I’ll never forget. It was incredible to see the joy all around the gymnasium.”
Strong also provided some great insight on the state tournament environment.
“The best word I can use for the environment of the state tournament is ‘surreal’”. It’s a fantastic experience to be able to play in front of such a large crowd in a stadium like Tony’s Pizza Event Center in Salina. What also made it so different was the energy of the fans that came to support and cheer loud for us,” he said.
Kollyn then expanded on what it meant to be on this year’s team.
He said, “It was an honor to be a part of a team that made it to the state tournament, because we all knew we had the potential to make it there. Just being able to prove that we could achieve that goal felt amazing.”
Lastly, Strong spoke on some of his favorite memories as a Greenback on the basketball team.
He said, “Some of my greatest memories from basketball mostly came from all the bus rides coming back from away games. These moments just let the entire team have a great bonding experience, whether that was cracking jokes, talking to each other, or just trading food with one another. These memories are definitely ones that I will cherish forever.”
