Hours after his Park Tudor boys basketball team claimed its second Class 2A state title in a row Saturday, none of the pride had drained from Kyle Cox’s voice.
Last year was in some ways a breakthrough for the former Blue River star with a title in the first season after succeeding Ed Schilling. This year was a different challenge, a different roster, but the outcome was the same.
And the chance to see his kids again close their season in this fashion, it remains special.
“Winning’s never old,” Cox said by phone. “It’s just special these kids can go out like that and win their last game. Only four teams get to do that.”
The title came courtesy of a 73-46 victory against Frankton in the state finals, capping a run where no tournament opponent came within 14 points of the Panthers. Western Michigan signee Bryce Moore scored 31, and Park Tudor held a powerful Eagles offense to 24.5 percent shooting.
But it wasn’t completely smooth sailing. After leading by double digits for much of the second quarter, Park Tudor saw its advantage trimmed to six halfway through the third. Then the Panthers went into a gear only they have.
“We’ve been there before,” Cox said. “We got off to a big lead against Westview in the state finals last year.
“I said, ‘Just remember, hey, this is all part of the process. They’re a good basketball team. They’re not just going to go quietly. We’ve been here. We’ve been in this situation.”
Cox came close to a title as a member of the Vikings, leading the 2001 squad to the title game. But a 14-point lead evaporated and the team took a two-point loss to Attica.
Now he’s led his team its fourth title in five seasons, though this group had its own hill to climb.
Last year’s team was powered by the transcendent talent of Trevon Bluiett, who went on to start as a freshman at Xavier. Cox lost him and three other seniors, two who were top scorers.
But this year’s squad showed few ill effects. It only lost two games, both against 4A teams ranked in the top eight of the state.
Cox said it was a group that didn’t talk too much, didn’t provide bulletin board material (never a given with the success the team has had of late). He called it a smart group that bought in, listened, followed the game plan.
Next year Cox and his team will get a new challenge moving up the 3A level.
He admitted the full weight of the accomplishment, everything his team has done this season, hasn’t really quite hit him yet. But so soon after pulling off the win, you could still hear the pride in his voice.
“I don’t think the magnitude of what has happened, four titles in five years, back-to-back and all that stuff, I don’t think that will sink in until we have our banquet and really look back and see what we accomplished,” Cox said. “You put it all out there on paper and say, ‘Man, this team was really, really good.’ “