This is a special time of the year for basketball fans. This March, there will be plenty of hardwood action here in Iowa as high school teams vie for state titles at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

But very few high school athletes (and coaches) get to experience the thrill of reaching the state tourney and playing for a championship, as it’s a privilege reserved for only the top teams who survive a gauntlet of playoff games. However, those who do make it will tell you it’s something very special — and even better if you win.

Mitch Osborn, a long-time Farm Bureau member and head boys basketball coach at Harlan High School is one of those people who can speak, at length, about the joys and disappointments of tourney time.  

In fact, he lives in rarefied air...