By Amanda Perkins (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
The Mountain Grove Panthers enter the new season following a 16-win campaign and a share of the conference title with Thayer. With eight lettermen returning and only one starter lost, the Panthers bring back plenty of experience as they look to defend their SCA championship and make a run at the postseason.
“In Mountain Grove, we share a lot of athletes throughout all sports,” said Nick Openshaw, who enters his fourth year leading the Panthers. “Our hope is always that football is able to make a great postseason run. While they are working to achieve their goals for districts and hopefully beyond, we will start practice with about 30% of our final rosters for all levels of basketball. Due to this circumstance, which I’m sure many others in the Ozarks can relate to, we are just going to be focused on getting kids in the gym and getting better throughout the season.”
“The version people see of us in late November and early December will not be the same as in 2026,” he added.
Last season, the Panthers were young and players were experiencing varsity roles for the first time, eventually finding success along the way. Following a loss, the team “decided they wanted more for themselves and their teammates and were able to go on a run,” per their coach. Now, continued growth will be expected.
Leading the way for the Panthers is Kale Gardner, a 6’3” junior guard who earned all-conference and all-district honors in his sophomore campaign, racking up 18.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 3.4 steals per game. “He is dynamic getting to the rim and has worked hard on his jump shot,” said Coach Openshaw.
Brody Emery is a 6’2” junior guard who earned all-conference honors last season with 10.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. “Brody does a great job of creating, both for himself and his teammates,” said Openshaw.
Best known for his accolades on the football field, Aden Estep “turned into a great point guard during his junior year,” said Openshaw. “He had an assist to turnover ratio of 37:8 during conference play to help us to our first conference championship since 2018.” The 5’11” senior put up 8.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last season.
Eli Golden, 6’3” junior forward, will see an increased role after a sophomore season that included 6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. “Eli is a dynamic athlete who is capable of scoring at all three levels,” said Openshaw.
After serving a deeper bench role last year, 6’3” senior Brady Anderson will likely “see an uptick in his minutes and productivity” this season.
Three lettermen who contributed in late minutes last season return: juniors Bret Gardner, Brady Harris, and Braydon Curtiss.
Gardner, twin brother of Kale (6’2”), “got to be the man on JV last year and has really expanded his scoring ability to help us at the varsity level,” said Openshaw. Harris (6’0”) was the JV point guard last year and developed a better understanding of the varsity system. “He has learned how to distribute and when to be aggressive,” per his coach. “Curtiss (6’0”) has played the post at the JV level for two years but is expanding his game to be more comfortable and versatile on the floor,” said Coach Openshaw.
Senior Peyton Metty (5’10”) is a newcomer to varsity. “He contributed on the JV level last year and sees the floor well for a big man,” said Openshaw.
Dalton Shannon, 5’10” sophomore, “will see some varsity minutes, mainly on the defensive end of the floor,” said Openshaw. “He is a hard worker that is working to expand his offensive game.”
The Panthers will face challenging games in the regular season in both conference and non-conference contests, but guard play is a team strength. In addition to experienced players returning to key roles, several younger guards are pushing for varsity minutes, giving the team depth and versatility in the backcourt.
“As we grow throughout the year, I hope we are able to take the boys to an even higher level of ability to focus on performing winning plays, so we are able to get the desired outcomes we want,” said Coach Openshaw. “Everyone wants to win, but not everyone is willing to do the things required of winners, and as we commit more and more to those things, the wins will come.”
Mountain Grove will host a jamboree November 18 with Eminence, Plato, and Houston. They open their season at home November 24 vs. Gainesville.
