North Platte Community College hosted the eighth annual Mid-Plains Area All-Star Games on Friday at McDonald-Belton Gymnasium and former North Platte High athlete Kade Erickson led the way for Team Gold in the boys game.

Erickson was part of the second unit for the Gold Team, but that didn’t stop him from stealing the show in Friday’s boys All-Star game. Erickson led all scorers with 20 points as he led his team to a 95-91 win over Team Black. Erickson knocked down four three-pointers in the game and also hit two clutch free throws late to help secure the win. He didn’t start the game but his coach Dave Jacobs, from Brady High School, went with the five players who had the hot hand for the final five minutes and Erickson’s 12 second-half points led the way.

The North Platte Bulldogs were well represented in the game for the Black Team as well. Drew Callaghan led Black with 18 points and was the second-highest scoring player in the game. Callaghan also won the three-point contest that took place at halftime. He beat out his teammate Hayden Cahoy, from Overton High School, for the three-point title.

There were multiple players from area schools that competed in the game. For the Gold Team Landon Swedberg from Wallace High School scored six points and Mark Mayfield from North Platte St. Patrick’s added four points to go along with Erickson’s 20. The Black Team was led by Callaghan’s 18 and followed up by Tyler Fear from Sutherland High School, who had nine points. Hershey High School’s Landan Maassen scored five points and Alex Harms from North Platte St. Patrick’s added two points.

The girls All-Star game was the first game of the night and Team Black won it going away, 67-43. The score was much closer at halftime as Black led the Gold Team 36-29 before pulling away early in the second half.

Tailor Lee from Wauneta-Palisade led all scorers with 12 points for Team Black. The Black Team had four players in double-figures. Former North Platte Lady Bulldog Allison Sawyer scored 11 points, future North Platte Lady Knight from Hershey High School Maddie Seamann scored 11 points and Creek Valley’s Summer Mueller scored 10. The Gold team was led by another future Lady Knight, Sarah Mahr from Sydney High School scored 11 points.

The girls game featured even more players from area schools. For Team Gold Brady High School’s Madison Elliott scored eight points, her high school teammate and future Lady Knight volleyball player Valerie Most scored seven points, Hershey’s Maegan Hiatt scored four points, Madalynn Doughty from North Platte High scored two points and her high school teammate Sally Hengen also played for Team Gold.

The Black Team had Seamann’s and Sawyer’s 11 points apiece along with nine points from Sam Staggs from Sutherland High School. Staggs’ high school teammate, Jalyne Schuster scored three points and from North Platte St. Patrick’s Bree Saner also played in the game.

The girls game featured a trick play from the Gold Team. Hengen went down on all fours underneath the basket as Hiatt drove, jumped off of Hengen’s back and very nearly dunked it. The ball went in the hoop as her hand touched the rim.

Staggs won the three-point contest during halftime of the girls game. She beat Hiatt in the finals.

A list of area players for both the boys and girls teams that competed and will be playing a sport in college next season are listed below.

Boys

Drew Callaghan, North Platte High School – Basketball at Hastings College
Alex Harms, North Platte St. Patrick’s High School – Football at University of Nebraska Kearney

Girls

Maddie Seamann, Hershey High School – Basketball at North Platte Community College
Madalynn Doughty, North Platte High School – Soccer at University of Nebraska Kearney
Valerie Most, Brady High School – Volleyball at North Platte Community College