I’ve always been fascinated by facts and figures.
That’s why I have kept records for The Examiner since I came to work here many years ago.
And some interesting facts emerged from the fall sports season.
Let’s begin with the Blue Springs softball team.
The Wildcats finished 23-5 for their 26th consecutive winning season, counting the once spring and now fall seasons.
Coach Roger Lower has been the coach for 14 years, compiling an impressive 314 victories with eight conference and district championships, four sectional titles, a third-place state finish and state crowns in 1996, 1999 and 2008.
The Blue Springs Board of Education honored Lower this week for his 300-plus wins. The Wildcats are 102-16 over the last four seasons.
Other notable facts emerging from the season:
• A 30-4-2 record lifted Lee’s Summit West volleyball to a 161-17-5 mark over the last five seasons, including one state championship and a runner-up finish.
St. Mary’s improved from 18-10-2 to 24-4-2 in volleyball, Truman went from 18-15-2 to 22-12-2, Lee’s Summit North improved from 21-10-3 to 31-7-1 (setting a school single-season win record in the process and ending Blue Springs amazing 48-match conference winning streak), Grain Valley 14-17-3 to 21-8-3, Lee’s Summit 13-20-2 to 18-15-1, Van Horn 10-15 to 15-8 and Blue Springs South 6-23-1 to 15-18-0.
Blue Springs went 35-5-1, claimed a fifth consecutive conference title, placed second in the Class 4 state tournament and set a single-season win record. The Wildcats are 127-19-5 over the last four seasons. The 35 victories are the third single-season best in area history.
• Blue Springs posted its 23rd consecutive non-losing football record.
• Lee’s Summit North enjoyed a 15th consecutive non-losing soccer season and is one victory away from the final four and Lee’s Summit posted its 10th consecutive non-losing season.
• Lee’s Summit has had 13th consecutive non-losing softball seasons.
• Lee’s Summit West qualified for the football playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. The Titans are 51-13 over that stretch.
• As for unfortunate facts, Blue Springs South finished 4-6 for only its second losing football season first since 1992. In other words, the Jaguars ended an impressive streak of 16 consecutive non-losing seasons.
The start of soccer and injuries resulted in Oak Grove experiencing perhaps its worst football record at 0-10, ending seven consecutive non-losing seasons in the process.
Van Horn also was 0-10 for its second consecutive winless season. But I predict victories for the Falcons next season. They join the Crossroads Conference and likely will tackle an easier schedule.
The Falcons aren’t close to the longest losing streak in area history. William Chrisman had three consecutive 0-10 seasons in the 1980s.
• Finally, for those who may care, here is how I predicted the area football teams would fare record-wise for the regular season with the final mark in parentheses:
Blue Springs 9-1 (9-1); Blue Springs South 6-4 (4-6); Fort Osage 8-2 (10-0); Grain Valley 8-2 (8-2); Lee’s Summit 5-5 (4-6); Lee’s Summit North 4-6 (3-7); Lee’s Summit West 8-2 (7-3); Oak Grove 6-4 (ugh 0-10): Raytown 3-7 (3-7); Raytown South 7-3 (7-3); St. Mary’s 7-3 (5-5); Truman 6-4 (2-8); Van Horn 3-7 (0-10) and William Chrisman 2-8 (4-6).
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I’ve always been fascinated by facts and figures.
That’s why I have kept records for The Examiner since I came to work here many years ago.
And some interesting facts emerged from the fall sports season.
Let’s begin with the Blue Springs softball team.
The Wildcats finished 23-5 for their 26th consecutive winning season, counting the once spring and now fall seasons.
Coach Roger Lower has been the coach for 14 years, compiling an impressive 314 victories with eight conference and district championships, four sectional titles, a third-place state finish and state crowns in 1996, 1999 and 2008.
The Blue Springs Board of Education honored Lower this week for his 300-plus wins. The Wildcats are 102-16 over the last four seasons.
Other notable facts emerging from the season:
• A 30-4-2 record lifted Lee’s Summit West volleyball to a 161-17-5 mark over the last five seasons, including one state championship and a runner-up finish.
St. Mary’s improved from 18-10-2 to 24-4-2 in volleyball, Truman went from 18-15-2 to 22-12-2, Lee’s Summit North improved from 21-10-3 to 31-7-1 (setting a school single-season win record in the process and ending Blue Springs amazing 48-match conference winning streak), Grain Valley 14-17-3 to 21-8-3, Lee’s Summit 13-20-2 to 18-15-1, Van Horn 10-15 to 15-8 and Blue Springs South 6-23-1 to 15-18-0.
Blue Springs went 35-5-1, claimed a fifth consecutive conference title, placed second in the Class 4 state tournament and set a single-season win record. The Wildcats are 127-19-5 over the last four seasons. The 35 victories are the third single-season best in area history.
• Blue Springs posted its 23rd consecutive non-losing football record.
• Lee’s Summit North enjoyed a 15th consecutive non-losing soccer season and is one victory away from the final four and Lee’s Summit posted its 10th consecutive non-losing season.
• Lee’s Summit has had 13th consecutive non-losing softball seasons.
• Lee’s Summit West qualified for the football playoffs for the fifth consecutive year. The Titans are 51-13 over that stretch.
• As for unfortunate facts, Blue Springs South finished 4-6 for only its second losing football season first since 1992. In other words, the Jaguars ended an impressive streak of 16 consecutive non-losing seasons.
The start of soccer and injuries resulted in Oak Grove experiencing perhaps its worst football record at 0-10, ending seven consecutive non-losing seasons in the process.
Van Horn also was 0-10 for its second consecutive winless season. But I predict victories for the Falcons next season. They join the Crossroads Conference and likely will tackle an easier schedule.
The Falcons aren’t close to the longest losing streak in area history. William Chrisman had three consecutive 0-10 seasons in the 1980s.
• Finally, for those who may care, here is how I predicted the area football teams would fare record-wise for the regular season with the final mark in parentheses:
Blue Springs 9-1 (9-1); Blue Springs South 6-4 (4-6); Fort Osage 8-2 (10-0); Grain Valley 8-2 (8-2); Lee’s Summit 5-5 (4-6); Lee’s Summit North 4-6 (3-7); Lee’s Summit West 8-2 (7-3); Oak Grove 6-4 (ugh 0-10): Raytown 3-7 (3-7); Raytown South 7-3 (7-3); St. Mary’s 7-3 (5-5); Truman 6-4 (2-8); Van Horn 3-7 (0-10) and William Chrisman 2-8 (4-6).
