Last night, in the Lady Raiders basketball game against Shawnee Mission North, our very own head coach Mark Western got his 100th win. The epitome of the Raider spirit, it was a long road to get there. This season will be his 2nd season coaching at South, and his 7th year coaching.
“Coaching staff is closer [at South] the closest I’ve ever been in.” Western said regarding his time with the Raiders. In regards to this year, Western is proud of the leadership his team has shown. “This senior class has done a tremendous job at connecting everybody.” Western said, “We have Freshman, Sophomores, and Juniors playing a role, and a lot they were able to compromise as a group. Seniors gave up minutes to Freshman, and in other settings it might’ve been a fight or an argument.”
Girls basketball is currently sitting at 8-3, a strong record for a strong team. They are tied for second in the Sunflower League, trailing only Shawnee Mission Northwest, who is undefeated this year. However, South has put up 512 points for, an astonishing number for the team. For reference, only 2 other teams in the league have over 500 points on the season.
“Compared [to] last year there has been a culture shift,” Senior forward Trinity Clark said as to what Coach Western has brought to the team. “There is a stronger bond and it’s more noticeable.” According to Coach Western, however, he gives all the credit to the team. “I haven’t done anything different [at South], there’s no magic pep talk or anything, it’s the kids that do it,” Western said. Coach Western looks to continue his growing win count on Saturday as they take on Life Prep.