I’m a sucker for history. That’s just me.

These awards columns go way back to the days of Steve Rottinghaus, former prep guru who now is special sections editor for the Journal-World.

Since Rottinghaus has a desk just around the corner from mine, I won’t even change the name of the annual Lawrence High awards, called the Rottsies in years past, to play off of my own last name.

It wouldn’t be nice to tamper with history in that way. Besides, with my last name, it’d be flirting with inappropriateness, something that’s frowned upon in a family newspaper.

So, without further ado, the Rottsies …

• Team of the Year: Girls basketball. The Lions finished with a 9-2 Sunflower League record, good enough for second place, and were one victory short of a berth in the Class 6A state tournament. A strong senior class of Erin Knight, Cherrale Ricks and Jodie Cochrane will make duplicating the success hard, but the seed has been planted.
• Coach of the Year: Dirk Wedd. With Lawrence High football always shooting for the state title, Wedd and his Lions weren’t completely satisfied with their 2003 season. Still, the Lions arguably were the toughest team in the Sunflower League. They finished 7-3, won sub-state and played host to a first-round state playoff game despite being undersized.
• Outstanding Senior (boy): Carl Lisher. A repeat selection in his class. As a football player, Lisher propelled Lawrence’s famed running game from the line by opening hole after hole, week after week. He also was a linebacker on the team’s smothering defense, and earned all-league honors on both sides of the ball. In baseball, he was just as good — a potent slugger and a team leader while working behind the plate.
• Outstanding Senior (girl): Erin Knight. She was the unsung hero of the girls basketball team, the best player at getting the ball inside to Cherrale Ricks and Megan Klingler but also could score on her own, averaging 6.9 points a game. And she was a state medalist in the javelin, throwing a personal-best 119 feet, 6 inches.
• Outstanding Junior (boy): Ian Handshy. One of the best pure athletes in school, Handshy lettered in football, basketball and track. He was a stud fullback/linebacker for the football team, a skilled rebounder on a hoops squad lacking height, and was the Lions’ fastest sprinter. Handshy should draw the attention of college scouts next season.
• Outstanding Junior (girl): Whitney Juneau. She was one of the reasons for Lawrence’s mid-season turnaround in softball, both in the circle and with the stick. Juneau also was Lawrence’s No. 2 golfer in the fall.
• Outstanding Sophomore (boy): Brendan Halpin. Another tough race between him, Nolan Kellerman and Scott Penny. Halpin, though, wins because of his success on the wrestling mat, where he was 39-7 and advanced farther in the state tournament than any other city wrestler. Being a state qualifier in the pole vault helps his cause as well.
• Outstanding Sophomore (girl): Sydney Wilson. A strong case could be made for Drew Huff, Megan Johnson and Meredith West, but Wilson wins by an eyelash. Her highlight was the state golf meet, where she placed second in a talented field of juniors and seniors. She also did the little things to help the girls basketball team off the bench and saw some action on the varsity volleyball court in the fall.
• Outstanding Freshman: Chelsea Dirks-Ham. She gives swim coach Ryan Adams a lot to smile about for the next three years. Dirks-Ham was a state qualifier in two individual events, and propelled LHS to a fourth-place finish at league and an 11th place finish at state.
• Scholar-Athlete of the Year: John Parker. A standout in the classroom who also had a solid season as one of Lawrence’s top pitchers. The lefty had a 3.08 ERA and a GPA a lot better than that his senior year. He’ll play ball at Washington and Lee University next year.
• Play of the Year: More like a leap of the year — senior Sylvester Birdsong made sure people around Lawrence don’t forget him for a while. After winning the state long jump as a sophomore, Birdsong admittedly had a less-than-desired senior year … until the state meet, that is. That was where Birdsong unleashed a leap of 23 feet, 1 inch, good for his second state title in the event. He also placed second in the high jump, leading the Lions to a sixth-place finish.
• Game of the Year: A no-brainer — Lawrence High 100, Topeka 85. One of the most memorable games at any level I have ever seen. The boys basketball team opened with an unconventional style of in-your-face basketball, where a smothering defense was complemented by long-range shooting. Lawrence hit 21-of-59 three-point attempts that night, both state records. Junior Larry Barber nailed the final trey, as the time expired, to give LHS its 100th point. Anyone who was at T-High’s “Dungeon” that December night saw a game they never will forget it.
• Dominating Performance: How about golfer Nathaniel Spencer, who on an April day won the Junction City Invitational by firing an amazing 7-under 65? He had seven birdies, 11 pars and no bogeys.
• Fan’s Sign of the Year: A new addition to the Rottsies, dedicated to the fans who make high school sports so glorious. This year’s winner was a sign held up at the annual city showdown football game with three telling words: “Fear the Mullet.” Beautiful.