Muddy River Showcase: Palmyra’s Loman uses emotional edge to help establish Panthers’ culture

The inaugural Muddy River Showcase is taking place June 18 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The Illinois vs. Missouri format for senior prep basketball players will feature a girls game at 3 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 5 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door and all seating is general admission.

PALMYRA, Mo. — Alex Loman’s search for what he wants to do and who he wants to be took him no further than a walk down the hall.

He wants to be like his dad.

Having spent the better part of the last three decades coaching baseball and football, Mark Loman developed a style that created the right culture for success. He stayed even-keel for the most part and never resorted to outlandish antics to deliver a point.

It’s why he won more than 300 games and 13 district titles in 20 seasons as Palmyra’s head baseball career.

“He’s not a super loud guy, not a guy who is going to get mad a lot,” said Alex, a recent Palmyra graduate who was the starting catcher for his father’s final team. “I’m a little different than that. I get a little flustered easier than he does. But I definitely learned from him how to keep things in check.”

It should pay off when his playing career is done.

Loman, a Class 3 first-team all-state catcher, is headed to John Wood Community College to play baseball. He plans to pursue a degree in elementary education and become a coach.

“Just like dad,” he said.

It seems fitting then his father’s final game before retirement was Loman’s final prep game as well.

“It was awesome getting to play for him for the last 15 years,” Loman said. “Ups and downs, obviously, with your dad being your coach, but I had a lot of fun with him and he always made the game very fun.

“Obviously, it’s very emotional going out like that. … I enjoyed finishing it on the same note that he did.”

Loman’s prep career isn’t quite over yet. Saturday, he will play his final basketball game as he represents Palmyra on the Missouri squad in the Muddy River Showcase, taking place at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center.

The boys game will begin at 5 p.m. The girls game kicks off the Showcase at 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 and all seating is general admission.

It’s the type of game where his energy and enthusiasm should shine.

“As a kid, I was an emotional wreck playing baseball,” Loman said. “I’d be up one inning and the next inning I’d be down on myself. It was being able to play through the emotions and not let the emotions get the best of you. In baseball, you have to move on from mistakes. Short memory.

“Basketball is a little different because you can play a little mad I guess you’d say. It’s about having an edge but being able to keep your cool.”

His ability to balance that helped him push the Panthers to a 14-12 record in Brian Rea’s first season at the helm.

“The players we were surrounded by were awesome,” Loman said. “Everybody came into practices, came into games wanting to be there. You don’t always get that. You get the guys who are like, ‘I don’t really want to be here today. I don’t want to come to this practice.’ The fact we got guys who wanted to be involved and wanted to help ius out.

“That’s what made us an above-average team this year, and I think a lot of people thought we’d be a below-average team. That’s what gave us the edge there.”

Bigger things await the Panthers because they found their edge.

“The senior class is always going to have an impact — positively or negatively — on the teams to come,” Loman said. “We had to set the culture, and Coach Rea wanted it to be hard workers who always wanted to be there.”

It all goes back to the best piece of advice Coach Loman ever gave his son.,

“Do everything with a purpose and to serve the Lord,” Alex said. “Do everything as you are working for the Lord. That’s exactly it. Work hard and do it for the right reasons.”