Did You Know This About Panther Basketball?

For the second time in school history, the Independent School Panthers are vying for a spot in the State Basketball Tournament. In honor of their accomplishment, I thought I would mention a few things that some probably did not know about the basketball program at TIS:

• The first team in 1994 was composed of eighth- and ninth-graders, some of whom had never played basketball before;
• In 1997-98 the School was able to field a varsity and junior varsity team;
• The 1998 game in the 1A semi-final regionals in Dexter, KS, was a triple-overtime loss to Flint Hills that landed both teams in the Kansas State High School Basketball record book for setting at least two state records, which as of 2010, still stood;
• Until this year, the only time the school made it to the regional championships was in 2003/04, when Danny Hawkins was the coach and the boys lost by one basket . . . crushing. The girls also made it to the championship, but they, too, lost the game;
• One year when we did not have a pep band, a rock band, Slinger, composed of Mike Wood, Andrew McCracken, and Lee Thompson played during the games.

I hope this year's team can be the first to make it to the State tournament. It would be an awesome time for The Independent School!

To learn more about The Independent School and its history, including the growth of basketball and other sports, my book A School Like No Other can be ordered at www.kknpub.com.