Pittsburg wins fifth consecutive Rohde Trophy; Fort Scott second

For a record fifth consecutive school year, Pittsburg has won the Southeast Kansas League's Martin Rohde All-Sports Trophy, which is awarded to the school that performs the best overall in all league sports.

Fort Scott High School finished second, becoming the first school to finish that high without winning a championship in any sport. However, Fort Scott finished second in six sports -- soccer, football, wrestling, boys' golf, softball and boys' track -- which was four more than any other school.

The award is named for Martin Rhode, a coach and educator at Pittsburg High School. He was the Purple Dragons' head football coach from 1947-60, compiling a record of 79-37-6. Among known Southeast Kansas League records, he is the eighth-winningest coach all-time by percentage (.672) and his 79 victories are 10th all-time.

The trophy standings are determined by awarding points based on where a school finished in each sport, with the champion receiving the most and the last-place team receiving one. If a school does not offer a sport or was unable to field a full team for the championship of a sport, the school received no points (For example, Parsons, Chanute, Labette County and Iola don't have soccer teams, so they get zeroes; Fort Scott has cross country but wasn't able to field the minimum four runners for either the boys or girls at the league meet and received zeroes for each gender.)

Pittsburg won league titles in volleyball, football, wrestling and girls' track and shared the baseball title with Iola and Independence. It received 86.5 points while Fort Scott scored 83, Independence 74, Chanute 73.5, Parsons 68.5, Labette County 62, Iola 55.5, Coffeyville 40 and Columbus 31.

Independence won soccer, tied with Parsons in boys' basketball and was involved in the baseball tie. Chanute won both cross country titles and boys' track. Parsons won both tennis titles, girls' basketball and tied in boys' basketball. LCHS won the softball championship. Iola won boys' golf and shared in baseball. Coffeyville and Columbus did not win any league titles.

Pittsburg broke a record it had set itself and shared with Fort Scott in winning for the fifth consecutive year. Pittsburg won four in a row from 1981-84 and Fort Scott won four straight from 1994 to 1997. This is the 10th Rohde Trophy overall for Pittsburg, breaking a tie with Fort Scott, which has won nine. Independence follows with seven. Labette County has won six trophies, Parsons and Coffeyville two each and Chanute one.

Columbus and Iola will leave the Southeast Kansas League at the end of the school year having never won the trophy. Columbus will join the Crawford-Neosho-Cherokee League while Iola will move to the Pioneer League.

The list of previous award winners:

1976-77: Coffeyville

1977-78: Coffeyville

1978-79: Independence

1979-80: Independence

1980-81: Pittsburg

1981-82: Pittsburg

1982-83: Pittsburg

1983-84: Pittsburg

1984-85: Independence

1986-86: Parsons

1986-87: Parsons

1987-88: Labette County

1988-89: Labette County

1989-90: Pittsburg

1990-91: Labette County

1991-92: Independence

1992-93: Independence

1993-94: Fort Scott

1994-95: Fort Scott

1995-96: Fort Scott

1996-97: Fort Scott

1997-98: Labette County

1998-99: Fort Scott

1999-2000: Fort Scott

2000-01: Independence

2001-02: Independence

2002-03: Fort Scott

2003-04: Fort Scott

2004-05: Fort Scott

2005-06: Labette County

2006-07: Chanute

2007-08: Pittsburg

2008-09: Pittsburg

2009-10: Pittsburg

2010-11: Pittsburg