After a delicious meal of pulled pork sandwiches, cheesy potatoes, salad and desserts prepared by the senior parents, NCHS head coach Ryan Nelson and assistants Andie Hubbard and Taten Gaukel handed out team and post season awards. The Tigers finished 9-14, while the JV compiled an 11-8 record and the C squad went 4-4.

Seniors Ryan Gilkey, Jake Heil and Dylan Miller each received their third varsity letter while classmate Cole Hart earned his second. Juniors Alec Penfield and Teagan Tschacher and soph James Stone also earned their second. Five first timers rounded out the varsity squad and won their first letter. Junior Declan Jensen, sophs Tanner Carpenter, Kade Clark and Wyatt Stauffer along with freshman Ryan Bruegger will be counted on to make valuable contributions next season.

Team Captains (as voted by the players): Dylan Miller (2x) and Jake Heil.  Ironman awards went to Heil (4x), Miller (3x), Hart (2x) and Tschacher. Free throw ladder winners were Jayden Matthews (jr), Bruegger, Hart and Carpenter.

Gilkey was named to the SEWAC and 2A SE All Conference teams, while Heil was included on the 2A SE team. Gilkey led the team with 12.1 ppg-good for 12th in the East Conference. Heil finished ninth in offensive rebounds with 54 (2.6 per game), just ahead of Miller’s 48. Yet Miller led the team with five more total rebounds (140-135).  Bruegger was third in the conference with nearly 1.5 blocks per game.

58th Gilkey (504 pts) and 99th Heil (305) will find their names in the All Time Tiger Basketball scoring list, while Gilkey tied his head coach with 652 career field goal attempts (25th place). Heil got on that list as well with 353 (73rd). Miller ended his career as the 42nd highest rebounder in school history with 320.

Hubbard and Gaukel handed out JV awards to Clark for Most Improved, Stauffer for Coaches Award, Tiger Pride award to Carpenter and Tschacher for the Hustle Award. JV certificates went to Matthews, Ben Eiden, Jacob Miller, Aric Eaton and Gavin Adams.