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The Osawatomie boys’ and girls’ basketball and boys’ track and field team and boys’ cross country team each added another line to their respective banners hanging inside the school’s gymnasium in March: Pioneer League championships.
The journey for each team offered a different path.
For the girls’ basketball team, it was a complete turnaround.
Playing meaningful games in February was something the Lady Trojans didn’t get to experience in the 2006-07 season, their final one in the Frontier League. They went 0-12 in league play, finding themselves looking up in the standings.
Last season, the first in the newly-formed Pioneer League, saw Osawatomie move from the cellar to the top of the standings, going 8-2 in league play and 10-11 overall — and with a Pioneer League title to place among the many trophies and medals the program has won in the trophy case outside of the gym.
“This year, I saw our team get better every day in practice and became passionate about basketball,” coach Don Blanchat said. “We learned how to win close games and we had individuals step up when we needed it.”
Senior Alyssa Chisam was a big reason behind the Lady Trojans’ success. She was the team’s leading scorer with 16.5 points per game. She also recorded 52 assists, 66 steals and shot 37.8 percent from the field.
Kortney Bailey (5.7 rebounds), Brittney Booe (61 percent free-throw shooter), Jessie French and Tricia Yaegar also played significant roles in helping Osawatomie capture the league title.
For the boys’ basketball team, a strong senior class helped to lead Osawatomie to a share of the league crown, along with Anderson County.
Jordan Soucie (14.3 points), Mitch Kerr (13 points) and Jasper Needham (43 assists), who all graduated in May, played significant roles. D.J. Smith also played a big part in the team’s success.
Osawatomie set four team records: blocked shots in a game, blocked shots in a season, defensive scoring average, and fewest points given up in a game.
“The boys played hard all year, and always gave all they had,” coach Darren Soucie said.
Like the girls, the boys’ basketball team went 10-11 overall and 8-2 in league play. It proved to be a clean sweep for the boys’ program, as the junior varsity and freshman teams both won league titles.
The battle for the Pioneer League boys’ track and field team title came down to the final event: the 4x400-meter relay. Osawatomie led by one point heading into the relay. The combination of Mitch Kerr, Trever Cooley, Eli Waddle and Dustin Kueser secured the team title for the Trojans, winning in a time of 3 minutes, 38.1 seconds.
Osawatomie, with 168 points, edged Jayhawk-Linn, with 165 points, by three points.
“It was kind of one of those classics that went down to the end,” Osawatomie coach Rodney Madden said.
Kerr and Jameson Greenwood each won league titles in three events. Brandon Garcia won the 3,200-meter run. Brendan Soucie struck gold in the 800-meter run and one leg of the winning 4x800-meter relay.
Jayhawk-Linn walked away with the girls title.
There was a little bit more breathing room for the Osawatomie boys’ cross country team.
Behind five top-12 finishes, the Trojans won the Pioneer League title for the second straight season. Brendan Soucie (second), Cody Goff (fifth) and Dustin Kueser (ninth) all earned first-team league honors for placing in the top 10. Travis Marsh (11th) and Trever Cooley (12th) were named honorable mentions. Osawatomie, with 39 points, bested runner-up Anderson County, with 49 points, by 10 points.
“It feels great to be league champs two years in a row,” Osawatomie coach Amber Campbell said. “It’s a great accomplishment for this program.”
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