High keeps winning

For the second straight year, Brainerd High basketball coach Robert High reached a momentous achievement while his team competed in a holiday tournament in the Bahamas.

With the Panthers' first win in last weekend's tournament in Freeport, High took over the No. 2 spot on Tennessee's all-time wins list among prep coaches. High entered the season tied with Dickie Warren with 922 career wins, but claimed second place all to himself with Brainerd's five-point win over Tennessee High.

Brainerd has since added two more wins, giving High a career record of 925-268 going into tonight's home game against rival Howard. Tickets for that game, which is typically a sell-out, go on sale at Brainerd's gym beginning at 1 p.m.

The state's all-time leader is former Hampton and Dobyns-Bennett coach Walter "Buck" Van Huss, who has 1,201 career wins from 1953 to '89.

"When you start coaching, you're not shooting for records," High said. "I was aware of it, but I didn't even start this year thinking about the record, I just wanted to get off to a good start to the season for the kids.

"You can't help but feel proud of what we've accomplished. I say 'we' because so many people have been a part of this record."

Last season, High surpassed the 900-win mark while in the Bahamas.

Just as impressive as his standing among the state's all-time coaches, High, 66, also is the nation's wins leader among active coaches. He is one of only 15 coaches in the nation to have won more than 900 games.

"The one that really gets me is being the nation's leader among active coaches," High said. "That kind of blows your mind when you think about that kind of standing among coaches in the nation.

"Not in my wildest dreams would I have though something like this would ever happen."

In 35 years at Brainerd, High has won 17 state-tournament games and three state championships, finishing runner-up twice. He has coached 11 All-Americans and 31 all-state players, winning 19 district and 17 region titles. He has had just one losing season and has won at least 20 games 28 times.

Brainerd's gym is named in honor of High and girls' coach Carolyn Jackson, who is nearing 900 wins at the school as well.

"When anybody mentions Brainerd High School, most people across the state immediately think of Robert or Carolyn," former TSSAA executive director Ronnie Carter said. "The school has been very fortunate to have two people who became fixtures there and you just knew they always did things the right way."

In 2006 High announced he would retire after the following season. However several players convinced him to stay and he has won more than 80 games in the three-plus seasons since. He now says he has no plans to retire, but will know when it's time.