There were plenty of sequels at the 60th annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Basketball Banquet on Wednesday night.
Sikeston's Fred Thatch and Dexter's Chaylea Mosby repeated as the most outstanding players of the SEMO Conference while the team champions defended their titles.
It was the first time in the 35-year history that the top player awards were presented to the same player for a second time.
"To me probably one of the most talented conferences in Missouri and to win it two years in a row, that's big time," said Thatch who became the seventh player to claim the John Gibbs Award twice.
Mosby, a junior, has a chance to be the first player to win the Bob Gray Award three times next season. Tyler Hansbrough is the only three-time Gibbs Award winner.
"It's where hard work gets you," Mosby said of the honor. "You work hard it will pay off."
Earlier in the day both players were named to the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association's all-state teams, with Thatch earning the Class 4 Player of the Year Award for a second time.
Thatch averaged 21.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 80 percent from the free-throw line and 41 percent from 3-point range.
Teammate Kevin Jones edged Thatch for the Free Throw Award at 83 percent while Charleston's Marderyon Clark averaged 23.4 points to claim the conference Scoring Award.
Mosby was the top scorer in the conference with 217 points and also averaged 26.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 steals during the entire season. She sank 46 percent of her 3-point shots, setting a team record with eight in a game, and set a record with a 49-point game this season while also breaking Dexter's career scoring mark.
"She's definitely a special player, to be able to win it back-to-back, just special off the court as she is on the court," said Dexter coach Chad Allen, who shared the conference Girls Coach of the Year Award with Saxony Lutheran's Sam Sides.
"She's got a great heart, great attitude."
And another year.
The Bearcats finished 23-6, losing to Miller Career in the MSHSAA Class 4 quarterfinal, and finished second in the regular season conference race behind Saxony Lutheran after winning the tournament title.
Guest speaker Southeast Missouri State University women's basketball coach Rekha Patterson's message hit home for Mosby.
"I think we'll all come back hungry next year," she said.
Of the 10-player All-Conference team, Mosby, Jackson's Kalli Mayfield and Mikala Liley, sophomores Taydrianna Barnett of Sikeston and Poplar Bluff's Kiley Bess can return.
Notre Dame senior Lexi Welter took home the Free Throw Award after shooting 78 percent from the line.
Charleston scorekeeper John Haas was presented with the Tom Hoover Award for lifetime service after 43 years and eight state championships on the book.
Poplar Bluff boys basketball coach William Durden was named Coach of the Year. Durden and Allen were presented with their plaques by their former coach Gene Bess of Three Rivers College.
Thatch said he may have caught the coaching bug after having to watch from the sideline early in the season with a foot injury. He said it likely helped in the long run as the Bulldogs advanced to the MSHSAA Class 4 Show-Me Showdown for the second time in three years.
"My team picked it up, they stepped up their game, played together as a team and I thought overall that helped us," Thatch said. "It just made everybody's confidence get a little better.'
A four-time all-conference selection, Thatch, who is committed to play at Saint Louis University next season, rewrote the record book at Sikeston. He set records with 2,382 points, 1,198 rebounds, 488 assists and was second all-time with 307 steals.
The Bulldogs won three conference championships and three conference tournament titles with Thatch.
Clark and Charleston teammate Demarcus Sharp were also named to the Coaches All-State team in Class 3 as the Bluejays finished second at state.
Poplar Bluff junior Dominique Hardimon was named to the Class 5 Coaches All-State team while Saxony Lutheran senior Addison Beussink was a Class 3 All-State selection.