On a night when Iola High School celebrated a storied team from its past, the 2025-26 basketball teams showed there’s plenty to cheer in present day as well.
Members of the IHS girls 2006 state champion basketball team were in town Friday, as they were enshrined into the Don Bain Hall of Fame.
On top of a special luncheon with the current IHS and Iola Middle School girls teams earlier in the day, the 2006 champs were feted at a pep rally in the afternoon before Friday evening’s emotional induction ceremony.
The players, managers and Coach Becky Carlson were given a hero’s welcome, each introduced with a spotlight, before Judge Chuck Apt — father of Tyner Apt-Hill, one of the 2006 mainstays — addressed the players and the crowd.
Heather Rourk, from left, Sabrina (Strickler) Callahan and Molly Stanley are greeted by a line of fans as they are inducted along with the other 2006 state champion Fillies into the Don Bain Hall of Fame Friday. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Becky Carlson, who coached the 2006 Iola High girls basketball team to a state championship, holds aloft a plaque for the team’s induction into the Don Bain Hall of Fame Friday. Also in the photo are, Emily Middleton, from left, Marissa Scott, Mark Larson and Tyner Apt-Hill. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Marissa Scott flexes as she’s introduced, alongside her 2006 Iola High Fillies teammates, during induction ceremonies as the team was enshrined in the Don Bain Hall of Fame Friday. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Longtime Iola High School educator Don Bain — for whom the IHS Hall of Fame is named — is all smiles Friday as he makes a special appearance during during induction ceremonies for the 2006 state champion IHS Fillies basketball team. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Chuck Apt addresses the crowd during the induction ceremony for Iola High School’s 2006 state champion girls basketball team into the Don Bain Hall of Fame Friday. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Iola High’s Brooklyn Holloway, left, and Mahala Burris, right, fight for a loose ball sandwiched around Osawatomie’s Rayona Nash Friday. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Iola High’s Cameron Wille (10) fights for position against Osawatomie’s Sydney Powell (34) Friday. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Iola High’s Mosiah Fawson, right, goes up for a shot in front of Osawatomie’s Devin Spigno Friday. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Iola High’s Nick Bauer, center, puts up a shot against Osawatomie’s Jasper Sallee (13) and Baline Flanagan (35) Friday. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register Iola High’s Reed Clift (20) lunges for a loose ball against Osawatomie Friday. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register
The event was given an added layer of emotion when Don Bain, a long-time Iola educator and namesake for the Hall of Fame, was introduced as well.
Throngs of family members, former teachers, classmates and other well-wishers visited with the inductees afterward with hugs, photos and plenty of tears..
OH, and there was some dandy basketball to keep the crowd entertained.
The IHS girls controlled things from the opening tip against Osawatomie, rolling to a 47-20 victory.
In boys action, the Mustangs fought tooth-and-nail against a much larger Osawatomie front line. The game was knotted at 53-53 with 2 ½ minutes remaining before Iola fell out of gas in a 64-55 setback.
