By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
John Schaefer is entering rare air heading into his eighth season at Logan-Rogersville.
The Cats have won district championships in six of his seven seasons with a pair of Final Four runs including last year’s 28-4 campaign that saw Rogersville finish third at state.
Six of his seven seasons have finished with at least 20 wins, four of those have seen no less than 24 wins, helping Schaefer win his 500th game last season.
“I started at LR with a group of seniors and juniors who bought in quickly, over-achieved, and wanted to win,” said Schaefer. “They set the bar high by going to the state quarterfinals the first year, then the Final Four the next. This makes life as a coach less tough to motivate your players when the expectations have already been set.
“I believe our strength of schedule always helps us to perform at a high level and prepares us for the postseason. I know I’m biased, but we have had great players who are even better people come through our program who have left their mark and added to our basketball fraternity’s success. I have been at LR longer than any other school that I have coached at. We have a supportive community and parents that have made LR feel like home, hence the being able to build a solid program people are proud of.”
Even with all of that recent success, this winter has a chance to be a historic one as Rogersville looks for its eighth Final Four appearance behind three returning starters.
The name to know in Rogersville and across the state is Chase Branham.
As a freshman, he was an All-State selection and the Big 8 Player of the Year, averaging 17.9 points, 3.8 assists and 2.8 steals. He shot 62 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range.
Already holding offers from Mizzou and Austin Peay, Branham is one of the top 2027 prospects in the state.
“Chase is special in the fact of his work ethic and the time he puts in to better his skills, athleticism, and personal growth,” said Schaefer. “He is the type of player that every time he shoots it, you think it’s going in. Chase has the ability to take over a game. His talents for a freshman last year were some of the best I have ever seen.
“I have only started two freshmen in my 20+ years of coaching Class 1 through 5. He is the second, and Dorial Green-Beckham was the first. It will be exciting to see how he continues to develop and the opportunities he will have.”
Joining Branham are Jase Petifurd and Dane Smith.
Both Jase and Dane are two experienced players that can score from all over the court, with Petifurd having the ability to go get a bucket while Smith is one of the best catch-and-shoot guards in the Ozarks.
Several newcomers will figure into the equation this year.
Marcus Moore (6-6) is a big man that saw valuable minutes last year off the bench. Sutton Shook (6-4) and Titus Moore (6-5) are big guards that can score from all three levels.
Ben Roche and Jack Sutherland are a pair of skilled guards with great feel and IQ. They are also capable of knocking down shots.
Schaefer also mentioned Beau Watts and Ben Bisher being two players that could see significant roles.
This isn’t a championship or bust season for Rogersville, but this group is more than hungry to get back to the Final Four.
Schaefer has accomplished everything there is to do as a coach, but teams like this are what keep him going year after year.
“I like seeing our guys develop physically and mentally and have success while doing so,” said. Schaefer. “The big games are always motivating. When you can win a game no one thinks you can has always fueled the fire. We are not thought of as the “underdog” much anymore so that can add pressure for sure, but I know a guy who always says “Pressure is a Privilege.” I just know I hate losing more than I enjoy winning.
“Our team goal every year is to win the conference and district titles. Those goals will never change. We will prepare just as we have for the past seven years and try to put another plaque up on the wall.”
Rogersville will host Republic and Glendale in a jamboree before opening the 2024-25 regular season on Dec. 2 at the Eagle Invitational in Kansas City.
