Carlson on verge of 500 wins

Former Iola girls head coach Becky Carlson is one win away from her 500th career victory. As fate would have it, Carlson, who now coaches at Marmaton Valley, will face her old team tonight at a tournament in Yates Center.

January 21, 2022 - 9:07 AM

Marmaton Valley High head girls basketball coach Becky Carlson celebrates with her players during a game in the 2020-21 season. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

YATES CENTER — Former Iola High School girls basketball coach Becky Carlson is on the verge of history.

Carlson, now coaching at Marmaton Valley, is chasing her 500th win, after picking up her 499th on Thursday against Crest.

Carlson will face her former team, Iola, today at 6:30 p.m.

Marmaton Valley High girls basketball coach Becky Carlson, left, visits with Iola head coach Kelsey Larson, who played under Carlson at IHS, prior to their game last season. Marmaton Valley and Iola will play again tonight, with Carlson in search of her 500th career victory.Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

Carlson’s 15-year tenure at Iola included winning the Class 4A state title in 2005-06, the only state championship in Iola girls history.

Both Iola and Marmaton Valley won their Thursday night games at Yates Center’s midseason tournament, to advance to tonight’s fifth-place game.

“I don’t care about the number. I just want to win. The kids just want to get a win,” Carlson said.

Becky Carlson coached Iola High’s Fillies for 15 years, including the team’s first and only state championship in the 2005-06 season.

Carlson, a Moran native, left Iola to coach her alma mater Marmaton Valley in 2020.

Marmaton Valley players have a surprise lined up for Carlson, with a bigger celebration planned for the Wildcats’ first home game after Carlson reaches 500.

Due to the publishing deadline, the game recap will be in Monday’s paper but will be online by Saturday morning.