Last month, we looked at Tongue River girls basketball coach Dianne Moser’s chasing of an interesting, and unknown, milestone — the state record for victories as a Wyoming high school basketball coach.
That title belongs to Okie Blanchard, who won 706 games in his coaching career, but then came out of retirement for one season to coach Hillsdale in 1969. No one knew Hillsdale’s record in 1969, though, leaving the state’s total victories chase a mystery.
However, thanks to some helpers in Laramie County, we have the answer.
And Moser still has work to do.
Jeremiah Johnke at the Wyoming Tribune Eagle in Cheyenne, working with Barry Ward at Burns High School, found that Hillsdale’s boys won 12 games with Blanchard as head coach in 1969. That puts Blanchard’s state-best victory total at 718.
Moser enters this weekend with 710 career victories. The Eagles (13-5) have four regular-season games remaining — against Sundance on Friday, against Lovell on Saturday, at Wright on Feb. 20 and against Big Horn on Feb. 21. Tongue River has already beaten Sundance, Wright and Big Horn this season but has not yet played Lovell.
The Eagles would need at least two victories, and maybe three, at the East Regional tournament to qualify for state, where another three games are possible.
If Tongue River wins out, Moser, who told the Casper Star-Tribune this year is her last, will finish her career with 720 victories — two more than Blanchard.
And now we know, for better or for worse.
–patrick