LINCOLN — The end. The last chapter of the story of a season was Saturday during the state final basketball games at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The memories, now, though, have just begun. And, it’s those memories that fuel great people and great leaders.
It is different for some more than others. In the bigger classes — if you are a champion from Creighton Prep or Elkhorn South, heck even Hastings St. Cecilia — you celebrate with your school, your classmates, your parents and your friends.
But, when you play edge of your seat finals like High Plains and Exeter-Milligan did in Class D1 and D2 to open each session on Saturday there is a different type of celebration. It’s all you had above, but it’s more: the community (or communities), the alumni who come back to cheer on their alma mater, maybe even an entire county.
That’s how it is in the Crossroads Conference, where they beat each other up for months. Where, in York, they stage the best little conference tournament in the state. And, when in March, they all pull for each other.
“It’s not just basketball,” High Plains coach Cameron Hudson said. “It’s continually football, state championship teams. It’s volleyball — every year — state tournament teams. You have state track and field champions that come out of the Crossroads Conference every year.”
Since the league was formed in the early 1950s, there have been 28 small-school championship game appearances by schools or towns that have been or are currently in the conference; 18 of them won the championship. Saturday, however, was new ground. It made the numbers 30 and 20.
For the first time, they put two teams in the finals. Both were victorious in thrillers. High Plains coming from 10 points down in the fourth quarter for a 64-61 win over Humphrey St. Francis, and Exeter-Milligan won a double overtime brawl with Bancroft-Rosalie, 67-62. The CRC has now been in the D2 final five of the past six seasons.
“It’s a tough conference,” Exeter-Milligan coach Dean Filipi said. “The area is basketball strong. It’s great recognition for our conference this year. And, we got a third place, too. But, it seems like it is that way every year.”
The third place trophy came for BDS when they knocked off Heartland in the D1 consolation game 55-47.
High Plains guard Cole Klingsporn, who was named an all-conference selection earlier in the week, says that the CRC prepared them for the grind of district and state tournament play as they made four consecutive state tournament appearances.
“There are so many good teams,” Klingsporn said. “It’s a huge tradition. There is a big crowd every night at our tournament and we have teams down here — even good girls teams, too. It gives us good competition throughout the year.”
Hudson said it’s a testament to the talent in the area and the coaches who are willing to build programs instead of moving to bigger schools.
“You see quality athletes but the main thing you really see is quality coaches. Coaches that have been there a long time that have invested in their teams and their programs,” Hudson said. “And, honestly, you walk out of a lot of nights in the CRC saying these are games that are going to prepare us for later on. What an awesome showing by our conference at state basketball this year.”
The Heroes from the Reservation
The Class C1 champions from Winnebago captured the hearts and minds of nearly the entire state en route to one of the most dominating championship runs in recent memory.
Omaha World-Herald writer Dirk Chatelain did a remarkable job telling their story in columns on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and today. Very few do it better when the story is about community and the sharing of a bond.
Watching them play the final was special. My guess is there has never been a team in state history who outdrew a Class A or B team. The way they play for each other and for their town and tribe is beyond what words can possibly describe. At halftime of the finals Saturday, a group of tribal dancers shared a stirring performance for the crowd. We could all learn a little from them, I’m sure.
They also introduced us to what they call ‘Rez Ball.’ They can call it that if they want, but it’s just really, really good offense. I bet some coaches were taking notes on Jeff Berridge’s system. Nothing intricate or fancy other than good players, floor spacing and freedom of movement. It creates winning basketball.
And, special champions. One in C1, that we’ll likely never, ever forget.
Final Thoughts
We can argue long and hard about a shot clock coming to the high school game. It’s not happening anytime soon. Yesterday, however, we had super basketball played in the final games.
Every champion hit 60 points except Omaha Creighton Prep who won a 46-41 game with Omaha South. Even that one, though, was played with good pace. And, we could all hope coaches read a quote from Prep coach Josh Luedtze from after the game.
“I have to let them be them. Early in my career, I probably tried to control it a little bit too much,” Luedtke told the Lincoln Journal-Star. “Basketball is about playing and reacting. It’s not about thinking.
“We had to be the aggressor. We were kind of sitting back. I told the guys this is not how we play. This is the old Prep. The new Prep is go be yourselves, run and have fun, and that’s what they did.”
Amen, coach. Amen.
