St. John boys basketball sets record with 63 straight wins

The inevitable pressure increased as St. John’s boys basketball team continued winning games. Coach Clint Kinnamon urged his players to focus only on going 1-0.

St. John can now say, though, that it is 63-0. The Tigers set the state record for consecutive wins with a 12-point victory at Larned on Saturday.

Heights won 62 straight games over the 2009-12 seasons and four Class 6A titles. The previous winning streak belonged to Moundridge, which won 59 straight and held the record for 18 years.

“We tried not to even talk about it,” Kinnamon said. “I kept stressing to the kids that we have go go 1-0 and the other stuff will take care of itself.

“After the game when I was talking to them, I said, ‘I know this was great for you guys, great for former players, and I know you were starting to feel the pressure.’ One of my players said, ‘We didn’t want to be the ones to let down any of the former players.’ ”

St. John (4-0) is the two-time defending Class 2A champion and also won the 2013 1A-I title. The Tigers’ last loss was at Word of Life on Feb. 12, 2013.

Heights coach Joe Auer called to congratulate Kinnamon on Sunday.

“We salute and tip our cap to them,” Auer said. “We understand completely how hard it is to do something like that.… I’ve been asked, ‘Is this (record) the same as yours?’ But 63 is 63. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at.

“With the same token, our 62, playing in the Wichita City League, speaks for itself. We’re awfully proud of that and we’ll always celebrate that.”

St. John struggled offensively against Larned before pulling away because of its defense.

It’s gutty wins — and some good fortune — that are key to winning streaks.

“Without a doubt, there’s luck in winning any state championship,” Kinnamon said. “You have to have health and some luck to win. I can go back to multiple games and say, ‘Wow, if that didn’t happen or that didn’t happen, it might not have been.’ ”

Talent is also critical.

Moundridge had Jacy Holloway, a 1993 All-State selection, while Heights had four-time All-State selection Perry Ellis, a senior at Kansas, as well as 2011 All-Stater Evan Wessel, now at Wichita State.

St. John had Dean Wade, a two-time All-State selection, who is a freshman at Kansas State.

“I’ve got to give credit to our current players, former players, the coaches I’ve coached with… their work ethic every day,” Kinnamon said. “You know, our practices aren’t easy, and the kids have busted their tails.

“We have a lot of guys who come back, come to practice. There’s a sense of family that even as they graduate, they are still a part of it. That’s what’s so special, that camaraderie.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 12:27 PM with the headline "St. John boys basketball sets record with 63 straight wins."