To hear Ryan Luke tell it, his job was easy this season.

After all, it was the six Eudora High seniors, and not Luke, who led the Cardinals to the Class 4A state tournament for the first time in years. It was their leadership, their talent and their determination that pushed EHS to a 16-8 record and a sub-state championship.

“I give all of the credit to the kids,” Luke said. “They’re a great group. This was the third straight sub-state championship game we’ve played in and they’ve all been playing since their sophomore year. I think our experience really helped.”

It was not just the Eudora High athletes who benefitted from the team’s experience.

Luke himself, who spent four years coaching boys basketball in his native Nebraska, said the 2008-09 season was one of the most rewarding seasons he’s ever been a part of — and not just because of the trip to state.

“I think I’ve grown as a coach during the four years I’ve been here coaching these girls,” he said. “Every year we just got better as a group.”

That included the coach.

Throughout his four seasons in Eudora, Luke always has put fun before anything else.

Never before was that easier to do than this season, when his players knew what was expected and therefore could contribute to making practices and games more fun than anything else.

“I think one of my biggest strengths is my ability to be a good teacher in practice,” Luke said. “I try to make it fun and make it so that everyone stays interested.”

To do so, Luke often incorporates stories or funny sayings that help his girls remember their assignments or that night’s gameplan.

John Wooden, Coach K, maybe even Bobby Knight or Vince Lombardi?

“No, they’re mostly Coach Luke sayings,” he said.

Unknown or not, the sayings and the skills led the Cardinals to one of the best seasons in school history. A big reason for it was Luke’s emphasis on defense.

Although the Cardinals more than held their own on offense, it was their defense that made them a state contender.

In fact, many times, the team’s defensive pressure led directly to offensive production.

“Our defense was the thing all year,” Luke said. “A lot of our offense came from our defense and our full-court pressure. Our defense was lights out the last three or four games of the season.”

Luke said the experience of getting this team to state was beyond what any of them could have imagined.

“I think the kids realized they were pretty close to getting to the next step,” he said. “And I think they knew how awesome it would be. But then when we got there, they really understood how incredible it was.”