After another title, Miege’s English is girls coach of the year

Terry English was definitely upset.

It was March 14, and the second quarter of the Kansas Class 5A girls state championship game was about to begin — with the score tied at 9-9.

English, the longtime girls basketball coach at Bishop Miege, thought his team was being lazy on defense, and he let them know about it.

“We talked about things in the huddle,” English said with a laugh. “Good thing there was a lot of crowd noise.”

It certainly was not the first time that English, The Star’s All-Metro girls basketball coach of the year, made his point this season. However, it often works, and this game was no exception.

The Stags tightened up their defense and blew out Great Bend 69-48, clinching their second state title in three years, and the 16th state title for English.

The victory capped a season in which the Stags went 23-2 and were undefeated in the always-physical East Kansas League.

English credits his staff and players for the team’s success, but senior forward Jessica Raplinger says English simply knows how to keep his team motivated.

“It’s his passion for the game,” Raplinger said. “It’s been such a privilege to play for him.”

submitted by TEREZ A. PAYLOR - 2009-04-24 00:06:03

Comments - leave comment