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.
Lewis’ departure from baseball is noteworthy. He’d been the Bears’ coach for 12 years after a standout career with them (playing under Dennis Drumm and graduating in 1991).
“Definitely, it will be tough and I’ll miss baseball,” Lewis said Friday. “I still will be around to watch, though. They probably could con me into throwing some batting practice.
“Those 12 years sure were fun,” Lewis said. “We had a lot of great kids, some good players and developed some lasting relationships. We won a few games, too.
“From my perspective, Sarcoxie is a great place to coach,” Lewis said. “For sure, it’s been great for me.”
The right-handed Lewis, who pitched for Missouri Southern, did his student teaching at Diamond under Bill Presley.
Lewis, who said his career as a basketball official is finished after some 15 years, has degrees from Missouri Southern and Missouri State.
