Better late than never for Jackson

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- As veterans of the late, late show at the Missouri High School Basketball Championships, the Jackson girls team knew exactly what to expect.

Playing in the eighth and final game of the day on Saturday, the Indians, before a largely vacant Hearnes Center, wrapped up their season early Sunday morning with a 50-44 victory over Lee's Summit in the Class 5 third-place contest.

Despite the fact that coffee could have been a more fitting beverage in the teams' water coolers, the Indians looked refreshed after the game. Or at least a lot happier than they did after seeing their title hopes coming crashing down in the semifinals against nationally-ranked Springfield Kickapoo a day earlier -- two days earlier to be technically correct.

Third place again

It was the second time in three years Jackson (22-9) took third place at state in the late game. Senior members Jenna Leet, Whitney Werner, Kristen Howard and Jessie Koeper were members of that previous late-night crew.

Scheduled for a 9:30 p.m. start, the game didn't begin until 11 p.m.

It didn't have any ill effects. Leet scored a game-high 17 points, Werner had 13 and Ashley Bartels added 12.

"All we did this whole time was watch games, eat, shoot and sleep," Leet said. "Last time our game was at night so we kind of knew what was going on, so it wasn't a shock."

The time-killing included two trips back to the hotel.

"We watched the Mizzou game -- big win," Koeper added of the Big 12 Tournament airing that afternoon.

But there was little doubt the biggest win was turned in by Jackson right there on the Tigers' home floor.

The victory was the 446th for coach Ron Cook at Jackson, and his final. A 22-year era came quietly and successfully to an end.

"We all wanted it more than anything else in the world to win this game, just because for coach and all of us to end on a win," Leet said.

Cook's final game started off rather unceremoniously.

Big crowd leaves

The delirious crowds from earlier in the day were gone. A largely Springfield crowd, which had roared and cheered on its two Kickapoo teams to Class 5 state titles in the two previous games, had made a mass exodus. Also gone were the television cameras. The four state championship trophies had already been handed out.

Lee's Summit (26-5) didn't do anything to commemorate the occasion either, jumping out to a 12-2 lead in the first quarter.

"We didn't come out very good and it forced us to decide, we better get going or this is going to get ugly early," Leet added.

Cook-led teams never go to state to roll over and die. While the Indians never won a state title in seven trips, they rarely go there and lose both games. In only happened once in six previous trips and it didn't happen this time either.

The remainder of the evening turned into a tribute to Cook and the girls basketball program that he'd built.

The Indians came storming back to take a 14-13 lead in the opening minute of the second quarter and the fight was on.

Diving for every loose balls, hitting the boards for rebounds and taking charges, the Indians played with spirit, passion and pride.

They ended up outrebounding a taller Lee's Summit squad 38-31 on the game, Werner leading the way with nine rebounds.

Jackson took a 24-23 lead into halftime and a 35-32 lead into the fourth quarter. Lee's Summit moved ahead 36-35 before Bartels put Jackson ahead for good with a pair of free throws with 4:43 left.

And a faithful Indian following, formed by a winning tradition over the years, roared its approval every step of the way.

"We're thankful for the fans we've got that come," Werner said.

"Jackson is an awesome supportive town and we love our fans dearly," Leet said.

"They're always involved," Howard added.

Fans like Allison Penzel, Brooke Sanders and Kylie Seyer, three 10-year-olds from Jackson who were on their feet high-fiving each other after Leet free throws in the closing minute of the game -- after midnight.

The three girls had attended Friday's game, played in a soccer tournament in St. Louis earlier on Saturday, and returned to Columbia. Like a lot of young girls in Jackson, they also play basketball, sparked in a large part by the tradition of the Indians.

"We have a lot of favorites," Kylie said.

Added Brooke, "We like Jenna Leet, Whitney, Kristen, Ashley, Jessie..."

The three cheered away with the rest of the Jackson faithful as the players names were called out and medals hung around their necks after the game. Cook was all smiles as he hugged players and fans. It turned out be quite a ceremonious ending after all.

"I'm happy for them, to end their last game with a win, and I'm happy for myself, too," Cook said with a laugh, also drawing laughter from his players.

He accepted his 446th win at Jackson and 473rd win overall with humbleness.

"A lot of people said to go for 500, but I'm just happy with that," Cook said. "It's a lot of wins with a lot of good players.

"That's what's great about coaching is the relationship you develop with the young people. They mature and become adults and you've always got that lasting relationship for the rest of your life."

Cook's assistant of 12 seasons, Sam Sides, is in line to take over the program, pending school board approval.

But Cook leaves a perennial 20-win program in good shape.

And there's more good news for the future.

Allison, Brooke, Kylie and friends also like late nights in Columbia.