Sparta coach Deric Link was able to go to his high school coach for a scouting report on Bolivar last week at the Blue & Gold Tournament.
One night later, protocol called for Link and Republic coach Tim Brown to do everything they could to beat each other in the Blue Division championship game.
Brown, who coached Link at Fair Grove, got the best of his prodigy, as Republic downed Sparta 51-46.
Falling to his high school coach didn't make the loss any easier to take for Link.
"Either way, we were going to be happy for each other. But it still hurts. I still want to beat him," Link said. "We're both very competitive. We were very competitive when he coached me. He was hard on me and I embraced it because I knew he wanted the best out of me."
Likewise, Link's players report he is getting the best out of them.
Link is in his third season at Sparta and has the 10-3 Trojans well on their way to their second straight winning season. In Link's first two seasons, Sparta was 6-18 and 18-11.
"I'm definitely blessed he is here," said guard Walker Loveland, who was a freshman in Link’s first season at Sparta. "He does a fantastic job. He helps us out, keeping our spirits up, adjusting to what (the opponent) is doing and helping us be creative to throw off the defense."
Link's stock has risen this season as much as any young coach in southwest Missouri.
“I’m a big fan of what coach Link has got going on. He's a good young coach,” Ozark coach Mark Schweitzer said after the Trojans knocked off the Tigers at the Blue & Gold Tournament.
Link has developed a reputation as the proverbial player's coach. He happily stands in the background as his players celebrate a win and has made a point for him and his assistant to not be included in any team photo at the conclusion of a successful tournament run.
"It's all about them," Link said of his players.
Center Jacob Lafferty credits Link for a great balancing act. Lafferty says Link can be both compassionate as a confidant to his players and demanding as their drill sergeant.
"On a personal level, he knows how to be a friend. But when it's time to coach, he knows how to coach," Lafferty said. "He's all for us. He's really changed how we play. We wouldn't be here if we didn't have him."
