Crest Ridge girl's basketball head coach Josh Payne has a lot to smile about as he has found much success in his first two years at the high school. (Photo by Anne Carlson)

CENTERVIEW, Mo. -- Josh Payne, second year girl's basketball head coach at Crest Ridge High School, and his Cougars won their first 28 games of the season before falling to Osceola in Sectionals.

Payne, a Concordia native, was a three-sport athlete while in high school. He played football, basketball and baseball. Payne attended college at William Jewell, where he played baseball and got his degree in communication.

Payne said that his sister had a lot to with him getting into coaching.

"I call her my little athletic project," said Payne.

She is a senior at Concordia and plays basketball and softball.

"She is a really good softball player," said Payne. "She will play at the college level next year."

Crest Ridge and Concordia play each other during the year. Payne said that last year the games were close, but this season Crest Ridge won big.

"We both enjoy playing each other," Payne said about coaching against his sister's team. "It's good to have a sister who really supports me."

Payne said that he also receives a lot of support during the basketball season from his wife, Larin. Payne explains her as his "perfect opposite; she balances me out."

Payne, who also teaches English at the high school, said he has always wanted to be a teacher. His mom is a teacher and his grandma worked at a school.

Payne, who also coaches the Cougars' baseball team, said that he enjoys coaching basketball because he really loves breaking down fundamentals.

"I like getting the kids to do the small thing right," said Payne. "I like baseball but I enjoy the strategy and fast pace of basketball."

Payne said that one of his strengths as a coach is his ability to get his players to buy into what he wants them to do.

"The best feeling as a coach is when I can tell my team is giving everything they have," said Payne. "When they do that I don't care whether they win or lose."

Payne said that his greatest memory as a coach took place earlier this season when the Cougars beat Smithton. The Cougars were 22-0 while Smithton was 21-1. Crest Ridge won the game by six points.

"We just played really really well," said Payne. "We had a good game plan to stop their best girl and it worked. The fans were really into it too. It was just a really fun game."

Crest Ridge won all 25 of their regular season games. As for the undefeated season, Payne said it just kind of happened. He said they just took the season one game at a time.

"I don't think that any team sits down at the beginning of a season and says they want to go undefeated; it just slowly happens," Payne said.

As for coaching such a good team so early on in his coaching career, Payne said that he never really thought about it.

"I want all my teams to be good," Payne said.

Payne said the team is just trying to live in the moment. He said they are basing their season off of a quote from the book, "Peaceful Warrior": "What time is it, now. Where are you, here. What are you doing, this."

Crest Ridge won the District 14 championship by beating Lee's Summit Christian 53-38 and then winning in overtime to Orrick 53-49.

I was very happy to win a big game and especially how they won it," Payne said. "The girls keep their composure all game."

Payne said this season has been the funnest season he has ever been apart of, as a coach and as a player.