Rawson ready to take over as MP b-ball coach

MT. PLEASANT - The Mt. Pleasant boys basketball team has its coach. Former Winfield-Mt. Union basketball standout and Mt. Pleasant assistant coach Eric Rawson will take the helm for the Panthers next winter.

Rawson was a part of a dominant run for W-MU boys basketball in the early 1990s. The Wolves went to state four years in a row and won the 1995 state championship. Rawson led the entire class in scoring during his senior year and then went on to play for the University of South Dakota, where he graduated in 2000.

Rawson says his time playing for a top-knotch program in high school has helped him in his preparation to coach the Panther.

'It takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” Rawson says. 'Those were special years in Winfield. It takes trust in each other and not being afraid to dream big.”

The 1995 team of course, won the state championship the same team that the Wolves' girls team won. W-MU was the first school in state history to win both the boys and girls state championships in the same year.

Rawson, who is currently the vice president and branch manager at Pilot Groves Savings Bank, has wanted to be a head basketball coach for quite some time. He had been an assistant at Mt. Pleasant for 12 years before stepping down for personal and professional reasons. Rawson says he's in a much better spot because of his short leave.

'Being an assistant for 12 years, and digging our heels into the community, I've gained a better understanding of ‘pride' and how special our community really is,” Rawson says. 'The ongoing support from families and leaders, not just towards me but to the program in general, is very humbling.”

During his time away from the Panthers, Rawson says has been enjoying extra time with the family and doing a lot of running.

'It was time well spent with my family, and finding new passions,” Rawson says. 'I got into running, which resulted in running 10 half-marathons and several pairs of hew shoes.”

Rawson wil take over for a Mt. Pleasant team that finished 12-11 overall last season, and 6-4 in the Southeast Conference. The team loses eight seniors but will return second-leading scorer Brevin Wilson and seventh-leading scorer Jack Johnson, among others.

'With not a lot of returning team and individual experience, we will have our set of challenges,” Rawson says. 'Playing as one unit will be critical. Our guys are looking forward to the challenge, and we are excited.”