NEMO VISTA — Kyle Payne is humble. For a coach who has guided Nemo Vista to three consecutive Class 1A state titles and been named the River Valley & Ozark Edition Coach of the Year for the second year in a row, all before the age of 30, he’s quick to heap praise on his players.
“It all comes back to these girls and what they’re able to accomplish,” Payne said. “I don’t care how good of a coach you are at this level. If you don’t have the girls that can go out there and execute and knock down shots, you won’t win ballgames.”
Always able to look back on his first season at Nemo Vista, Payne hasn’t let himself become spoiled by the success.
“During that first year, it was tough,” he said. “Even though that particular team didn’t win many games, I owe a lot of thanks to their hard work and dedication that year.”
During that first season, the Lady Red Hawks finished 8-19. Even though Payne knew help was on the way, no one could have expected what came next. And in the meantime, Payne wanted to keep the focus on enjoying the game of basketball.
“My focus every day for the team was to have fun and work hard,” he said. “We wanted to continue to get better every day while having fun to keep the passion burning for basketball.”
That passion turned into a burning fire, and the team followed up that first season by going 33-6 the next year. In fitting fashion, the Lady Red Hawks claimed the 1A state title by beating their biggest rival, Wonderview, in the championship game. Payne seems to relish the rivalry and knows that anything can happen once you step on the floor.
“It’s one of those epic rivalries. It doesn’t matter how you’re playing going in; it’s anybody’s ballgame,” the coach said.
He credits familiarity for how evenly matched the two teams are.
“They know us so well; we know them so well,” he said. “I think we’ve played each other 14 times in three years. We just know what they’re going to do; they know what we’re going to do. It just comes down to who can get on a little roll and hit a few big shots, and that’s going to be the difference in the game.”
The Lady Red Hawks defeated Wonderview again the very next year to claim Payne’s second consecutive 1A state title. When asked to credit what led to the two straight titles, he doesn’t hesitate to focus on the dedication of his players.
“They’re very hard workers,” he said. “A bunch of them are gym rats who live in the gym 365 days a year. You almost have to kick them out.”
Payne also took notice of the bond between his players, both on the court and off, and credits that as a major factor in their unprecedented success.
“With this group, it doesn’t matter if it’s Monday night, Friday night — you’re going to find them together at somebody’s house,” he said. “They enjoy each other’s company.
“They’re so different individually, but when they get on the floor, the way they play as a unit is unbelievable.”
After that second championship season, the Lady Red Hawks lost one senior, Kassidy Thompson. Nemo Vista would still go on to win its third consecutive 1A state title by taking down Kirby 47-36 in the championship game.
The Lady Red Hawks could find it tough to claim their fourth title in a row, however, with the loss of starting guards Jacie Andrews and Chase Paladino. Payne readily admits it will be an uphill battle losing those players.
“They’re going to be hard to replace, no doubt” he said. “They’re the backbone of the team and have been since they were in 10th grade. They carried us that first [championship] year,” he said. “They had to fight every minute, 32 minutes a night, for everything they got.”
Despite players moving on, Payne is optimistic about the upcoming season.
“Amber Davenport, who will be a senior next year, is a great shooter,” he said. “I’ve got to get her more mentally ready on the defensive side of the ball.”
Returning seniors Maggie Mahan, Sade Harrison and Adrianna Munoz will also play large roles.
Whatever happens, Payne fully realizes how special these past three years have been, and he’s not taking anything for granted.
“It’s lucky,” he said. “I’m enjoying every minute of it because who knows if it’s going to happen again?”