In the end, Wes Dreamer wanted to be challenged. More, challenged more. You know what I mean.

After all, the kid had nothing much left to prove at the Class C-2 level. After two seasons of all-state level basketball, helping his Elmwood-Murdock team to the state final his sophomore season, Wes decided to change horses, transferring to tradition-rich Class A Lincoln East for his senior year of school. And basketball season. You know what I mean.

At 6-foot-6 and 185 pounds Dreamer dominated about every game he played over the past couple of seasons. His three years as a varsity starter at Elmwood-Murdock was a great experience, he points out, and getting to play in a state final was a great thrill. Moving to East he would have to learn the ropes but he also believed the experience would be to his advantage.

“I had played for Coach (Jeff) Campbell one summer and knew a couple of guys on the (East) team. I watched them play a couple of times last year and it just felt like a good fit for me, plus it was close to home,” says Wes, who lives near the tiny town of Alvo, about a 20 minute drive from Lincoln East H.S. “I also knew playing Class A basketball was more intense and would help me both on and off the court.”

Good enough. People around the game have for some time figured Wes could make things work at the Class A level but, still, he was joining a program that finished 24-2. No problem says Coach Campbell, no problem at all.

“Wes has done a nice job buying into what we value in our program, team basketball. He is a very supportive teammate and everyone enjoys having him around,” says Coach Campbell, whose team is off to a perfect 6-0 start. “On the court, Wes has been a nice addition because of his size and skill level. He also has a high basketball IQ which has allowed him to adjust easier to what we emphasize on the court. I’ve been impressed with his court vision and passing ability - he sees the court well.”

Dreamer is also seeing the ball well, averaging 17.8 points per game, including 41 total during last weekend’s wins over Grand Island and Omaha Westside. He also leads the team with 10 rebounds per game.

“It took me a while to make the adjustment to the Class A game, the pace is faster, but I prefer to play that way and I am getting more comfortable every time we play,” says Wes, sending a chill down the spine of future opponents.

Dreamer got involved in basketball way back when, duking it out in the family driveway, going one-on-one against older brother Brady, who was also a starter on that 2017 Elmwood-Murdock state finals team. “Those were great times and I learned a lot, actually, playing against my older brother but I didn’t really take the game seriously until probably junior high when people told me I could be somewhat good,” says Wes. Those people, they were somewhat right. “That kind of encouragement also motivated me to make the most of my ability, which I still am trying to do.”

Born in Lincoln, Wes likes to play golf when he gets the chance and takes the game pretty seriously. He’s also a good student, getting As and Bs in the classroom. As for college Wes will be playing college basketball at Northwest Missouri State.

“I really connected with the coaches there, they didn’t promise me anything besides having the chance to come in and earn my playing time. I appreciated that kind of honesty.”

As Coach Campbell points out, Lincoln East started the season with only one Class A varsity letterman on the Spartans roster. Even with a 6-0 start additional game-long consistency is something he seeks from his team. As for Wes, he’s up for the challenge the new couple of months will provide both himself and his team.

“Every game you are going to play a good team and I like that. I feel like we can compete right to the very end.”