Paxton are embracing the “Underdog” role in the State Tournament

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) -The Paxton Tigers are getting themselves ready for the state tournament in Lincoln this coming Thursday. The Tigers are coming off back-to-back years where they failed to make it to the state tournament by falling short in the district finals. This year they were able to defeat Stewart 56–47 in Broken Bow’s gym.

They head into Lincoln with the longest odds as the eighth seed, but the players and coaches are actually embracing being the underdogs.

“When you get down to the state, you throw the seed number out the window because it’s a one-game tournament every day, so if you win, you move on, and once you throw the ball up in the air, the seed does not matter. It’s all about getting things executed that you want to get done,” Head Coach Justin Hardin said.

“I’d rather be the eighth seed than the first seed going into the state tournament because everyone expects you to win, which puts more pressure on you, whereas with the eighth seed, you can stay calm, cool, and relaxed and just play your game. Upsetting people feels better,” Tigers senior guard Rylin Johns mentioned.

Their first game will be against the team that knocked them out at the district finals last year, top-seeded Wynot High School, and tip-off is at 9 a.m. Thursday morning.

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