Hanover celebrates sending both basketball teams to state tournament

HANOVER, Kan. - One of the most successful small schools in the state of Kansas is shaping up to ship both of its basketball teams off to the state tournament this week.

The Hanover gym was filled to the brim Tuesday afternoon as both Wildcat teams made their final public appearances on their home floor before heading off to compete in the Kansas state tournament this week.

Both teams competed in a game of knockout and a half-court shooting contest to showcase the teams' abilities, with the final sendoff event an annual tradition - every athlete launching a red, white or blue balloon into the air to officially launch the teams into the final round of the postseason.

"I want to thank all of you, you’ve all been very supportive of both the boys and girls teams," Cory Jensen, Hanover's boys head coach and the school's activities director, said in his address to a packed crowd of Wildcat families of all ages. "I don’t think a lot of people realize how blessed we are to be sending two teams to state. We’re one of a few teams in the whole state that’s sending both teams, and that’s a testament to this whole community."

Remarkably, Hanover is one of 18 schools across the state of Kansas that is sending both its boys and girls teams to their respective fields of eight final teams this year.

"It takes everybody, from the little kids to the players to parents to coaches and teachers, everybody. Really proud of this community, and I’m thankful that both of these teams get to represent this wonderful community at state basketball this weekend," Jensen said.

And these two teams are certainly well deserving of that inclusion.

The Hanover girls are 23-3 and finished first in Twin Valley League play with a 9-1 mark. The winners of the last three girls basketball state titles in Kansas' smallest classification - 1A DII - are the #4-seed this time around. They first play #5-seed Marais Des Cygnes Valley (22-4) on Wednesday at 6 PM at Kansas Wesleyan; it might be unlikely due to the seeding, but the Wildcats could well face off with league and local rivals Linn in the state championship game once again.

Meanwhile, the Wildcat boys are the #2 seed in the 1A DII bracket this year, entering the state tournament with a sterling record of 24-1, with their lone loss coming against longtime area rivals Axtell in February - Hanover handed Axtell, the bracket's #1 seed, their only loss about two weeks prior to that. Hanover first faces #7-seed Deerfield (16-9) in the quarterfinal at 6 PM on Tuesday in Salina, and chances are high that they would face Axtell for a third time this season on Saturday, this time with a state championship at stake.

The KSHSAA modified its postseason setup for 2026, which meant none of the schools that won their sub-state brackets at the end of last week knew who they would be playing - or where - until Sunday afternoon. There are protections in place to minimize travel where possible, but state championship sites are still spread out all across the state. It so happens that both Hanover teams were selected to play in Salina for the quarterfinals, and then, should they advance, both teams will play in the semifinals and finals at White Auditorium in Emporia. Both state championship games are scheduled for Saturday afternoon, with third place games earlier that day.

"I need every one of you little kids to go home tonight and tell your parents you’re going to the games. They’re going to say, no, it’s a lot of travel, and you’ll say, Coach Beikmann told me I had to be there!" Hanover girls coach Chris Beikmann joked with the crowd Tuesday. "It’s going to take all of us to go out there and bring two of them home, but I believe we can do it - with that group of boys and this group of girls, I think we can bring the hardware home. It ain’t going to be that easy, and we’re going to need your help. If they get mad, tell them to call me, I’ll talk to them! Go home, pack your bags, we’re going to win a couple state championships, alright?"

Hanover's path to winning those state championships starts this week.