By Anvil Welch

awelch@joplinglobe.com

The coaching carousel has left football coach Jeff Kabance in a unique position at Sarcoxie High School.

Kabance is the only head coach of the major sports returning.

Kabance also has been promoted with the additional duties of assistant principal and athletic director.

Phil Lewis, who officially began as principal on July 1, has left baseball. Dale Rice, assistant this past spring, is the new head coach and will be assisted by Dusty Feather.

Lewis — not to be confused with the former Carthage administrator of the same name — replaces John Ihm as principal.

John Ihm, whose son Aaron coaches at Harrisonville, has taken the duties of activities director at Independence Van Horn.

Steve Butterfield, whose lengthy career includes a stint at East Newton, will be the boys basketball coach in place of Bob Gillispie. Gillispie came out of retirement to guide the Bears for two years.

Raymond Freelend will continue to assist in boys assistant.

Mike Busselman, who’s been cross country and track coach for several years, has added the responsibility of girls basketball and will be assisted by Stephanie Coleman.

Chad Harris, who’d been head girls coach, moved to Jasper as boys coach.

Sylvia Evans has been promoted to head coach in volleyball and will be assisted by Jeanie Root. Both are Sarcoxie High School graduates and played for Betty Weaver.

Head volleyball coach Nikki Sipes wound up accepting a volleyball/basketball position in the Carthage system.

Lewis, incidentally, said that Kabance’s assistants will be Butterfield, Peter Murphy and Isaac Plumb.