3-2-1A Assistant Coach of the Year - 2004

DEYTON HAGER
DOUG RAY
Norton High School

Coach Deyton Hager and Doug Ray have been awarded the co-321A Assistant Coach of the Year honor after helping lead the Norton Blue Jays to an exciting season which ended with a 321A state title.

The squad placed first at Hoxie, Clay Center, Goodland Duals, Norton, and Mid-Continent League; while placing second at regionals and fourth at Newton. The team then finished out the season with the state championship trophy in hand.

The Jays had a dual record of 16-0 and placed nine out of ten wrestlers in the state tournament helping lead them to the title.

Coach Ray began in the Norton Kids Club in 1995, coaching with the club until 2000. He began as an assistant at the high school level in 2001. In the four years Ray has been an assistant, the Blue Jays have finished third, fourth, second, and first at state.

Ray is a graduate of Fort Hays State University where he was a football and baseball letterman. He currently is Vice President of the bank in Norton.

Hager was the Norton Kids Club head coach for six years. For the past six years he has been the head junior high head coach as well as a high school assistant. He also coaches cross country for Norton High School as well.

He works at New Age Industrial Corp in Norton. He wrestled at Norton for coach Jake Durham and for Coach Marty McCurdy. He was a three-time state qualifier and on the state runner-up football team. He was a MCL pole vault champion and state runner-up in the pole vault as a senior. He attended Garden City Community College on a track scholarship.