Cooter hoop coach reflects on trying, successful season

As the final horn sounded Saturday on the 2022-23 MHSAA boy’s basketball season, veteran Cooter High School coach David Mathis voiced his willingness, though painful, to move from the historic season that his team had just finished a week prior in its controversial Class 2 quarterfinal overtime loss to eventual state runner-up, Principia.

“Now that I’ve come to terms with the season being over,” Mathis posted on social media, “I look back at what this group of seniors has done and been through since freshmen year.”

Mathis then cited all of the achievements that his program had earned over the past four seasons, led by a nine-member senior class of Lukas Barnes, Jace Flippo, Thomas Hays, Jude Lomas, Rhoads Lynn, Hayden Nazarenus, Carson Swan, Troy Tuberville, and Joseph Watkins.

The group was:

* 78-28 in four years

* Won six Tri-County Conference championships between the junior varsity and varsity tournaments

* Won a pair of MSHSAA District championships (one in Class 1 and one in Class 2)

* Won a Class 2 Sectional championship

* Had three 1,000-point scorers (Barnes, Lynn, and Swan)

* Barnes became the Wildcats’ all-time leading scorer

* Barnes was the league Player of the Year each of the past two seasons

* Multiple Wildcat players were recognized by the conference, District, and Barnes earned All-State honors

* Most wins in a season (26) in school history

“This group had so many (hardships),” Mathis continued. “They had to lose a season as a whole (baseball) and in part (basketball) due to Covid. They lost a teammate tragically, and they lost a game that they actually won (the aforementioned quarterfinal game with Principia).

“Just like the loss of a teammate, the pain only fades at times, but will never go away.”

The Cooter R-4 School District requested and received an emergency appeal hearing on Thursday with MSHSAA regarding its game with Principia, and even had supportive letters from Missouri state legislators Cameron Bunting Parker and Greg Razer to present to MSHSAA. However, the appeal was denied.

“I can’t thank (the players) enough for taking my confrontational and demanding coaching approach,” Mathis said. “It’s not for everyone, but I think with what all of these boys went through, they will be so much stronger in life.

“You learn more from losing than winning, anyway. These boys gave me everything. It wasn’t always easy for them, or their parents, and as in all things, there were issues, but I never took it personally. I’m in your face, and these boys (became) that way too. They became tough as nails. But no matter how hard you work, things are going to be tough, unfair, and unexplainable, but your reaction to that is what makes you who you are.”