By Blake Chadwick
After winning a state championship in his first year as a head coach with his two sons, Kreighton and Kaizer, Moundridge boys basketball coach Dustan Kanitz fits right into the winning history that the Wildcats had before him.
“I knew when I accepted the position that we had a chance to be a pretty talented team,” Kanitz said. “Our team had a great year, but our chemistry came together at the end of the regular season. We went into the state tournament with so much confidence. The timing and the way it all came together made it so special. Additionally, sharing it with my two sons as players was like a storybook ending to my first season in Moundridge.”
Kanitz has been coaching for over 20 years, with nearly all of that time spent in McPherson. He began as a Middle School Boys’ coach, then moved up to coach Freshman Girls, Freshman Boys, and eventually JV Boys before earning his start as a head coach.
The Wildcats now have a chance to have a three-peat and will have a massive target on their back coming into this year.
“We will have to replace the leadership and production of our departed first-team all-state senior Kreighton Kanitz who is currently at Barton Community College,” Kanitz said. “Everyone else is returning from last year’s team with lots of experience and a back-to-back champion mindset. The guys are hungry to return to the state tournament but must stay sharp every night of the regular season. With the recent success that we have had, our opponents will have extra motivation to play well against us. The Heart of America league will be very tough again this year.”
