Remember these Titans: Former Marion High School graduate Mike Helmer has found success in the last place he ever thought
Sports reporter
Talk to anyone who knows him and they'll tell you it's no surprise Mike Helmer became a coach.
"I knew he'd coach since he was little," his mom, Sally Hannaford said.
They'll tell you he was born to stand on the court in a suit and tie, and lead a basketball team.
"He was the leader on the floor and it takes that kind of personality to coach," his former basketball coach Marion Ogden said.
They'll tell you it was obvious from the beginning.
"[Coaching] has always been an interest of his ever since I've known him," former football coach Grant Thierolf said.
What they might not tell you is the 1990 Marion High School graduate would be coaching girls.
And coaching them well.
"Never, ever in my wildest dreams did I think he would coach girls," Hannaford said. "But it's worked out and it's been a learning experience."
The 1990 runner-up for Kansas basketball player of the year, Helmer was a star on two Warriors state-qualifying teams alongside players such as Bill Davis, Chris Smith, and Andy Hett. As the point guard, Helmer was the general on the court.
"He was dedicated to basketball. He knows the game," Ogden said. "When I was coaching him he would always watch game film. He was a good person and his teammates liked him and they would gather around his house and watch game film."
Now Helmer has taken his knowledge and leadership to a new level — the 6A state championship tournament.
The switch
While living with his wife in Lawrence four years ago and running a health club, Helmer got a call from a friend. He was being offered the head freshmen boys' coaching job at Wichita South High School. Helmer was already working at Roy Williams' basketball camps, becoming friends with the former Kansas Jayhawk head man. He also had coached AAU ball in Kansas City. The experience was there, it was whether he wanted to leave Lawrence for Wichita.
"I finally decided if I'm going to get back into it, I better go now," Helmer said.
After one year at the helm of the freshmen boys' team, Helmer was offered the sophomore head coaching job. The next season he moved up to junior varsity boys' coach. After his third year at the school another job opened. Yet this one was different. Not only was it a head varsity position, it was the head varsity position on the girls' team.
"I had no idea I was even interested in coaching girls," Helmer said. "I never even thought about it."
Still he interviewed just for experience, and the next thing he knew he was told the job was his if he wanted it. He decided to take it, but not without consulting some people from his past.
He called former MHS football coaches Grant Thierolf and Jerry Smith. He called Odgen, and consulted with a few families of boys he had coached in the past.
"Every answer I got from the people I trusted was you have to take the chance," Helmer said.
He had heard once a coach went to the girls' side it was hard to go back to coaching boys. After talking to his former coaches he found that not to be true.
"Nowadays it's about whether you win or lose," Helmer said. "If you're successful you'll be able to choose where you want to go."
Funny thing is, one year later it may not matter anymore.
"To be honest with you, I'll probably never go back to boys," he said.
First round
As the seconds began to tick toward tip-off March 8 at White City Auditorium in Emporia, Helmer became anxious waiting for his team's opportunity. His Wichita South Titans were seeded number three in the 2006 6A Kansas state high school girls' basketball tournament. Their opponent: sixth seeded Lawrence Free State High School, a young, but talented team.
"I felt pretty confident about that first game because Free State is guard heavy," Helmer said. "And in my heart I truly feel the four guards I play a lot are the four best in the state."
It's easy to feel that way when you have sophomore Megan Lassley.
The 5-3 guard was named to the Wichita Eagle's all-metro first team and third-team all-state. She averaged 13.5 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 steals, and 3.0 rebounds. The other three guards, senior Krista Engelbrecht, junior Haylie Bolan, and sophomore Sarah Eldridge all contributed in the state tournament. Still, Helmer never sat back and assumed anything.
"To be honest with you I don't think I was ever relaxed," he said.
That's because he was trying to guide South to its first state tournament victory since the 1970s when it won its only girls' state championship.
Helmer would have some help from the student body.
More than 75 students showed up, many decked out in Titan-blue jerseys and bright red afro-wigs. Others showed their enthusiasm by cheering the entire game. And don't think even one of them thought about sitting down.
"They were like that all weekend, and that was one of the greatest feelings I've had," Helmer said.
The Firebird fans were loud as well, and their team didn't go down early. Free State hung tough with the stronger Titans, and forced the game to an 11-11 tie after one quarter. South turned it on in the second period outscoring Free State 17-11. The Titans never looked back after halftime, clobbering the Firebirds, 56-39.
Lassley finished the game with 21 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Helmer's four-guard tandem scored 35 points, dished out eight assists, grabbed 13 rebounds, and that was with Bolan playing just 11 minutes.
Helmer had passed his first test in the tournament, and after second seeded Olathe South fell to number seven Blue Valley North in the first round, the Titans were matched-up against the 16-7 Mustangs.
At 18-5 it may have looked like the Titans were the heavy favorite, but despite being the number seven seed, BVN was going to do all it could to defend its 2005 state championship.
Support group
Although Sally Hannaford was a little surprised when her son took the girls' job, she couldn't be more proud.
"They are a good bunch of girls," she said. "He's found a family with that unit."
But Hannaford, and Helmer's step-father Roger Hannaford III, not only have watched their son grow as a coach and a person in the past year, they've become attached to the team as well.
"We've grown to love these girls," Sally said.
Helmer jokes with Sally telling her she supports the girls more than him. But in the end, Helmer appreciates everything she has done.
"I've got the greatest mom in the world," he said. "She's been supportive since day one. She does everything to support her kids and her family."
She missed just five games all year, and the only big game was the sub-state championship in Garden City.
"I'm telling you the only reason she wasn't there was because it was an early game," Helmer said. "If it was at eight she would have been there."
But Helmer knows he has more support in Marion that just his mom. He said Roger and the Hannaford family have been great to him over the years.
He also can't believe the support from other Marion residents.
"My mom said at one game [during state] there were 25 people from Marion there," Helmer said. "One of the most moving things to me all weekend was the support I got from the Marion people."
Ogden missed the final two games of the tournament because he already had tickets for the Big XII Championship tournament in Dallas. But that didn't stop him from watching the first round game, arriving home around midnight, and then waking up at 3 a.m. to drive to Texas.
There wasn't a question in Ogden's mind of whether or not to go to the game.
"We are great friends and we can talk basketball forever," he said. "The only interruptions are when we interrupt each other."
Aaron Hett, the brother of Helmer's former teammate Andy and a Marion resident, attended the semifinal game with his daughter Lindsay.
Other residents such as Marlon Burkholz, Casey Case, and more family members attended as well.
"You're first reaction is, 'What are you doing here?'" Then all of a sudden they say we're here to support you," Helmer said. "That was probably the most moving thing to me."
Living in Wichita, Helmer sometimes misses the small-town atmosphere, but he never forgets.
"It's one thing I tell these girls all the time: what it was like to go to state in Marion, and how they closed the town down," he said. "You remember those things and you remember the support from the community and how great it was."
Semi finals
Ann Fritz can be an intimidating force to coach against. The Blue Valley North coach has three state titles to her name, and a never-say-die attitude that rubs off on her players.
"I knew that coming in," Helmer said. "I'll be honest with you, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself thinking, 'You're coaching against one of the top coaches in the state that's been there year in and year out and knows every little thing. She's not going to miss anything.'"
Helmer knew the Mustangs were bigger than his Titans, but ever since the bus ride to Emporia he felt confident in his team.
The teams battled back and forth in a physical game that included elbows, shoves, and 100 percent effort any true basketball fan would enjoy.
South led by five at the half, but a run by the Mustangs put them ahead by a basket.
Lassley and the Titans then turned on the burners and out-hustled the Mustangs the rest of the way to claim a 53-45 victory.
Now just 32 minutes away from claiming a title that eluded him twice as a player, Helmer was ready for the ride.
His players
Even though she is just a sophomore Megan Lassley has the confidence of a fifth-year senior. The first-team all-metro guard must have come from the same mold as Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson.
Usually one of the smallest players on the court, Lassley gives the biggest effort of all.
Her brother had played for Helmer when he was a boys' assistant, and when she heard the news he might coach her, she was excited.
Sarah Eldridge, the other sophomore guard on the team, knew Helmer because her brother played for him as well.
"I don't think the first time he heard about the girls' job he took it seriously," Eldridge said. "Then we kind of convinced him."
Lassley was ready for him to be the coach, but she knew it might take a while for him to adjust.
"Girls are just different than boys," she said. "But our competitive level is probably the same as his."
That was one thing Helmer worried about.
"My mom thought my intensity would be too much for the girls," he said.
But after just one year, he found out that wouldn't be a problem.
"They work 10 times harder than boys," he said. "There are no egos. They will give you everything they have, and to me that's the thing I'm looking for because that's how I was as a player and that's how I want to be as a coach."
Helmer doesn't really have to tell that to anyone. All they have to do is attend a game, and keep their eyes on him. He never sits still. In fact he hardly sits at all.
At one point during the state tournament, he was 10 feet out on the court, arguing a call. But anyone who knows him would say he wasn't arguing, he was fighting for his team.
"His energy builds throughout the team," Eldridge said. "We don't like to lose, we expect to win."
Championship
With the crowd bigger and louder than ever before, Helmer and his 12 girls entered the court March 11 for the final time in 2006, hoping to walk away with a trophy and memories to last a lifetime.
It wasn't going to be easy.
Rival Wichita Heights was the roadblock between South and the ultimate goal, and it was a big road block.
At 23-1, and 2-0 against South this season, Helmer knew Heights would come in confident.
But it was South that started out confident. The Lassley-led Titans fed off the energy from the crowd and jumped ahead 19-12 after Engelbrecht nailed a jumper at the first quarter buzzer.
Heights wasn't going to go away so easily. The team came out hot in the second and cut the lead to 25-21 with 3 minutes, 20 seconds to play. More importantly, Lassley picked up her second foul. She would have to go to the bench for the rest of the quarter.
Heights then tied the game at 25, but Eldridge nailed a three with 35 seconds before halftime to give South a 28-25 lead, and the momentum.
With the game up for grabs, Heights came out in the second half playing with a vengeance. It scored the first nine points of the quarter to take a 34-28 lead. Sara Kelly's three-pointer cut the lead to three, but it was as close as the Titans would get.
South would never give up, but Heights kept the game at a distance the rest of the way, eventually winning, 60-47.
With less than a minute to play, and the game out of reach, Helmer's body language said it all. He stood on the court, hands above his head as if to say, "It's over, but what a ride it's been."
Losing to a rival like Heights is tough on his team, but Helmer would rather play them and try to win, then say they are afraid to play them.
"It's a huge rival," he said. "Right now they have the upper-hand on us."
He told the girls of how the NBA's Chicago Bulls could never get past the Detroit Pistons in the 1980s. Once Michael Jordan and the Bulls finally defeated Detroit on the way to six championships in the '90s, no one even remembered the losing days.
"We're going to try to get by them, and when we get by them we aren't looking back," he said.
Sharing the love
For the third time in his basketball career Helmer reached the state tournament and lost. Some people never reach state as a player or coach, and at just 34, most would say Helmer already has accomplished a lot.
And he believes he has. But his philosophy is to never be satisfied, and he isn't settling for average.
"Believe it or not, and this may be my stubbornness, but I still look back and think it was a fun ride, but I'm still disappointed," he said of his state losses as a player. "I still feel like we were the better team. I still think about some things that happened."
That never-say-die philosophy came from a football coach everyone in Marion simply knows as Thierolf.
Eighteen years ago former University of Kansas football player and Beloit native Grant Thierolf came to Marion to be head football coach.
"Coach T came in and boy, I would have to attribute a lot of things I do today to him," Helmer said. "He had a refuse to lose attitude and I don't care what happens. He is probably the greatest motivational speaker I've ever been around. What he did for us in football really took us to the next level in sports."
As much as Helmer attributes his success to Thierolf, he knows it also comes from countless other people in his life.
From Thierolf to Ogden, to his family to other Marion residents, Helmer never hogs the credit. Especially after the final game of the season.
After walking out of the locker room 6A state runners-up, Helmer hugged his wife. He then looked up to a scene he couldn't believe.
All the fans who found rides themselves to make it to the game were huddled outside the locker room.
"It's an emotional situation, when you have 500 people chanting your name, and I'm thinking who am I in this whole equation? I'm just the coach. The girls did it all," he said. "[The fans] supported me, they supported their team, they supported their school."
As the years pass by Helmer will do all he can to win that elusive championship and make up for not winning at MHS. But as Ogden said "I wouldn't say he never got it done as a player." Most people would say he's done a lot since becoming a coach, and will do even more as time goes on.
"There is no doubt in my mind he can do everything he wants to do," Sally said. "For now, he's just enjoying the moment."
