West Central Conference holds winning traditions

By Eric Wade

Nevada Daily Mail

On Feb. 19, the news was revealed through a press conference hosted by Nevada R-5 officials that the district would become a member of the West Central Conference, beginning in the 2014-'15 school year.

That news took everyone, including Nevada R-5 superintendent Dr. David Stephens and Nevada High School athletic director Kevin McKinley, by surprise. The excitement over the news on all fronts was easy to see from the beginning and has never waned and it looks as though coaches and athletes at Nevada High School will not only get an opportunity to compete for conference championships, but will also be facing some stiff competition for those honors.

According to information obtained from the Missouri State High School Activities Association and provided to the Daily Mail by McKinley, West Central Conference teams have made a bit of a habit of winning in the "major sports" of football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and softball. Since the 2002-'03 school year, nine state champions in those sports -- eight in volleyball alone -- have come from the West Central Conference.

Of those eight state volleyball championships, Archbishop O'Hara has won seven -- four of which came in consecutive years from 2007 to 2010. The other went to St. Pius X in 2006, a school that has made at least the semifinals in volleyball three times since the 2002-'03 school year.

Over the last four seasons, Kansas City Center has a conference-best 26-18 record in football, but O'Hara has been in the state playoffs every year and even made the semifinals in the 2009 Class 3 State Championship bracket. In boys' basketball, Center also has a conference-best 62-30 record, while St. Pius X has posted a 74-38 mark in girls' basketball.

Despite being 11.5 games worse in that span overall than St. Pius, O'Hara is the only West Central team to have posted a top-four state tournament finish in girls' basketball. They took third in the 2009-10 season.

In baseball, the Cardinals of Clinton High School have been the team to beat within the conference, posting a 50-25 record with two playoff appearances in the last four seasons.

In softball, things look a little bit different. Conference newcomer Nevada has had a target on its back since head coach Tammy Holcomb's squad took everyone by surprise and won the Class 3 State Championship in 2010, in just the program's 10th year of existence.

Since the year before that landmark season, Nevada has posted a staggering 75-30 record with three consecutive district championships, including this past season's Class 3, District 13 title.

"(It) should be very fun competing in 2014-'15 when we start conference membership," McKinley said.