This year’s 28-8 campaign came after last year’s 24-12 campaign, which was an encore to an 18-16 mark in 2001. That was Tiffany Parker’s first year in Tonganoxie, where she and her teams have posted three winning seasons.

In 2003, the Chieftains, led by seniors Rebekah Mages, Mollie McCaffrey, Michelle McWilliams, Katie Jeannin and Kelly Breuer, won two tournaments and finished third in the Kaw Valley League behind state qualifiers Mill Valley and Lansing.

The Chieftains lost to both of those teams, which couldn’t advance past pool play at state.

But Tonganoxie did register its biggest victory of the Tiffany Parker era with a two-game win against Baldwin in the De Soto Spikefest on Oct. 11. THS defeated the Bulldogs, making Tonganoxie one of three teams to beat BHS this season. The Bulldogs lost to Eudora earlier in the season, while Goodland handed Baldwin its third defeat in the 4A state finals.

Tonganoxie lost to the Bulldogs early in the season, but the Chieftains bounced back in the tournament for the emotional win.

THS also experienced a second-place finish in its own Tonganoxie invitational, which featured Manhattan, Olathe East and Great Bend.

Tonganoxie lost to eventual 6A champ Manhattan in two games, and then defeated Great Bend before losing to Olathe East in the tournament finals.

The Chieftains advanced to the substate tournament finals for the third consecutive year, but Lansing, which was the defending state champion, finished off the Chieftains for third straight season.