It should come as no surprise that the Great Bend Panthers football team repeated its 4-0 Western Athletic Conference championship run in 2025. After all, most of the Panthers’ top players from 2024 were returning as seniors with a track record that is the envy of many programs in Kansas. The 2025 Panthers not only won all four WAC contests, but they were the buzz-saw champions winning by convincing margins against Dodge City (41-0), Liberal (55-6), Hays (43-19) and Garden City (41-14).  They breezed through the four non-conference games on their schedule with wins over McPherson (42-7), Olathe South (40-21), Buhler (38-14) and Wichita North (75-8). Their 8-0 regular season mark was followed by the Week 9 triumph over Newton (49-14) that put them into the regional round of the Class 5A KSHSAA playoffs. The Panthers clocked Wichita-Bishop Carroll (49-7) before having a return battle with WAC rival Hays, and in a wild finish, won 29-22. That ended three years of regional playoff frustration for Coach Erin Beck and his squad.  But the goal of advancing to the state championship game with an opportunity to claim the title was ended by Salina Central in the sub-state championship on Nov. 21 by a 30-28 setback to the Mustangs. “We didn’t achieve the final goal of this year’s team, but this group had a great season and one that will be remembered here for many years,” 10th-year head coach Erin Beck said. “I think one of the biggest things about this year’s team improvement came in how the kids matured and wanted to get better. We called it ‘Climbing the Ladder.’ This started with our big group of seniors, but carried down to our juniors, sophomores and a couple freshmen.” Still, the 11-1 record set a school mark for most wins in a season. Beck is now 61-39 (.610 winning percentage). His graduating seniors completed their four-year run with an impressive 33-9 record. Headlining the group of seniors was Mr. Do Everything, Ian Premer, the Panthers’ 6-foot-6-inch, 235-pound tight end, running back, linebacker. All the Notre Dame-bound Premer did was to be named both Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year by the remaining four WAC coaches (See story below). He was the WAC’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 and was a first-team all-state tight end. While Premer grabbed most of the headlines with his two-way performances on offense and defense, the Panthers had plenty of other weapons. Senior quarterback Daxton Minton provided both a passing and running threat while speedster junior Cooper Ohnmacht was another major receiving target for Minton. The prolific Panther offense was evidenced by its 44.2 scoring average while the defense was equally stingy on its side, yielding only 13.5 points per game. The juggernaut offense produced an average of 167.4 yards passing and 200.9 yards rushing while totaling 4,420 yards. They took care of the ball, turning it over only 5 times in 12 games. Minton, who threw for 1,848 yards off 115-of-173 passes and 28 touchdowns, was intercepted only 3 times. The Panthers had just two lost fumbles while the defense accounted for 27 turnovers (17 interceptions and 10 fumble recoveries), a plus-22 in that stat category. “We knew one thing we needed to do was to get Ian more touches,” Beck said. “But to make that happen, we had to have the other threats, and I think we were able to accomplish that in most of our games.” Minton had two favorite receivers in Premer and Ohnmacht (6-1, 180, Jr.). Premer hauled in 40 passes for 752 yards and 14 touchdowns (18.8 avg.) while Ohnmacht, a  top-rated junior athlete for the class of 2027, caught 52 passes for 755 yards and 8 TDs. Ohnmacht, a state 5A triple jump champion, also returned a kickoff and punt for TDs during the season. Minton proved himself to be the consummate dual-threat QB by leading the team in rushing with 871 yards on just 84 carries (10.4 avg.) and 11 TDs. Conner Holladay, a newcomer to the starting lineup, accounted for 743 yards on 89 carries (8.35 avg.) and 10 scores while Premer, who had his best season rushing the ball, accounted for 620 yards on 56 attempts (11.07 avg.) with 14 touchdowns. “We knew there would be teams trying to take Ian away, so we were able to design plays for Daxton to run, and then throw to Cooper over the top,” Beck said. “Conner (Holladay) came up big for us in the running game, too.” One area that was uncertain before the season started was the Panthers’ offensive line, Beck noted, which needed to replace several graduated starters. “Our coaches did a great job developing some younger players, and they came in and did a great job,” Beck said. “They gave up one sack all season which is amazing considering how much we put the ball in the air.” Defensively, the Panthers relied on the Kern brothers at linebacker – senior Trent and junior Kale – as Trent recorded 128 tackles (45 solos) and Kale leading the way with 137 stops (54 solos). Premer, playing free safety and an occasional linebacker edge, had 69 tackles (35 solos) with 5 tackles for loss and 6 interceptions, two of which were Pick-6 TDs. “Our D-line was another area of concern before the season, but again they (coaches) got our kids excited, and those guys did a good job,” Beck said. “The Kern brothers were the strength of the middle of our defense, and they came in prepared every week, and played with a high football IQ.” With such a veteran team back for its final shot at the state title, Beck said the goal of the team was to play one game at a time and not focus on any specific goals – like winning WAC. “If we accomplished our season goals, we knew we would have a good record in WAC,” Beck said. “The WAC has gotten so much respect around the state in recent years with Hays, us and Liberal having excellent teams. The four WAC games were just four rungs of our season ‘Climbing the Ladder.’” For the Panthers, their goal may have just slipped away in the loss to Salina Central in the sub-state championship, but the memory of one of the best seasons in school history will not soon be forgotten. “I think when we have the chance to sit back and reflect, we’ll realize just how special the season was,” Beck said. Premer primed himself for special senior season Great Bend’s Do-it-All sweeps WAC Player of Year honors When the summer of 2025 rolled around with football camps and workouts, Great Bend senior-to-be Ian Premer told himself he wanted his final high school campaign to be something special. The 6-foot-6-inch tight end/running back/wide receiver/free safety made true on his goals as the Panther standout led his team to a program history best 11-1 record, an appearance in the Class 5A sub-state title game and helped his team to a repeat 4-0 mark in winning the Western Athletic Conference crown.  In the process, the WAC football coaches voted unanimously to recognize Premer as the WAC’s Player of the Year – on both offense and defense! This is the first time a player has received the honor on both sides of the line-of-scrimmage. “It’s pretty cool to be recognized by the other coaches,” Premer said in a telephone interview. “To be honored on both sides of the ball means a lot to me. I really worked hard this year to improve my defensive play. ne thing that describes Premer is that he is a multi-talented, multi-position player both on offense and defense. Offensively, the Panthers utilized him at tight end, wide receiver, H-back, running back. That allowed him to get the ball in a variety of ways to enhance the Great Bend balanced offense. Premer responded on the offensive side with his best season ever by catching 40 passes for 752 yards (18.8 average) and hauled in 14 touchdowns. His rushing stats included 56 attempts for 620 yards (11.07 avg.) and another 14 touchdowns. To put these stats in perspective, he scored 28 touchdowns on 96 touches, or a TD once every 3.4 touches. “I have to give a lot of credit to the coaches for designing plays that were different ways to get me the ball,” Premer said. “The offensive staff did a great job.” Premer said while tight end is his most natural position (this is where he will play at Notre Dame), he liked being moved around. “I think I might have been best in the slot because it gave me more freedom to move around once I got out on a pattern,” Premer said.  Premer will sign his national letter with the Irish on Dec. 3 as one of the most highly touted players in Kansas in recent memory. “I think in years to come, people will recognize Ian as not only one of the best all-around athletes in western Kansas, but in the entire state,” said Beck, noting that Premer also is one of the top basketball players in the state and was a solid first baseman for the Panthers’ baseball team last spring. It was on defense where Premer made his biggest advancement from his sophomore and junior campaigns. He finished with 69 tackles, 35 of those solos, had six tackles for loss and intercepted six passes, two of which were pick-6 TDs. He forced one fumble, recovered another two and had 164 yards on those returns. “It was fun to play different positions depending on what the opponents were doing on offense,” Premer said. “I enjoyed free safety, but it was good to also get some time at linebacker and on the edge. We mixed it up to give teams different looks. I think this made me a better well-rounded player for the next level. Premer is excited to see what the future holds for him when he arrives this next summer in South Bend, Ind., to begin his next phase with Notre Dame. “I went on a summer visit and then attended a couple of games, and it’s a great place with great coaches and people,” Premer said. “They believe in me, and I believe in them. I’ll have a chance to get stronger with their strength and conditioning coaches. I should gain weight but add muscle and speed. It will be exciting to see what they can do with all the nutrition experts they have.” Premer said he prides himself on coming to practice every day and giving his best effort. “I think our entire team had a great work ethic, and we showed up every day and went to work on the field,” Premer said. “We will look back and realize we had a great team. We handled business on Friday nights, and it will something I won’t forget.” Premer said he will play basketball for the Panthers this winter as one last opportunity to be with his senior class and teammates. He was not sure what spring would bring for baseball.