"It doesn't take a summa cum laude to figure out the first question people are going to ask: Did they run up the score?" -- Coach Anderson
In the many blowout wins for the 1990 team, one of Coach Anderson's toughest decisions would become when to substitute.
“If you’ve ever sat on the bench and had it (100 points) happen to you, it’s no fun.” -- Coach Anderson
“If I didn’t have to coach against them, I’d enjoy watching them play.” -- Arlington Coach Rod Rhodes

Introduction -- a lot to talk about
Running It Up
All conversations concerning the powerful Warrior basketball attack weren’t glowing praise and celebration of excellence. Whenever a team experiences so many lopsided victories (18 of Wahoo’s wins were by 30 points or more), the question is bound to be raised -- did the Warriors “run up” the score, perhaps in an effort to promote their all-class ranking and / or in efforts to secure the many records they were accumulating? The answer from the Wahoo faithful was an emphatic “no!” But in other communities, and even eventually in letters, both private and public, the sentiment was expressed. Coach Anderson and Wahoo High School received letters during these years questioning the sportsmanship and intent of Wahoo. When the team was eventually accused of abusing its opponents unnecessarily in letters to the editor (the “Voice”) in the World Herald, Wahoo supporters responded. In a reply letter signed by Ray and Bev Johnson, “and 20 other signers,” the team was defended. A reader, Scott Brown, had previously made the “running up the score” accusation. The Johnsons wrote, “we have to admire the patience of our starters who sit out nearly half of every game -- to avoid comments like those of Mr. Brown.” The record supports this defense as the newspapers reported game after game that the Wahoo “regulars” went to the bench in the third quarter. And it should be pointed out that those “regulars” were usually the top eight players as games were frequently finished by freshmen and sophomores. When Wahoo committed the ultimate “run up the score” in the 130 - 19 defeat of Fort Calhoun, the newspapers seized the opportunity to air the issue. In response, both the Fort Calhoun coach and school administration voiced support and admiration for Wahoo, categorically denying that there was any “running up.” They pointed out that Wahoo subbed freely. Fort Calhoun Principal, Kent Miller, commented on the first lopsided Wahoo - Fort Calhoun game, “Kids want to score at whatever level they are. If he (Anderson) has freshmen in, he can’t tell them to play catch. I wouldn’t want them to do that.” Fort Calhoun coach, Don Dalton, declared, “Flat out, they didn’t run the score up. ..... People have to remember their 12th and 13th players are pretty good.” Coach Anderson recognized the issue, but often pointed to the other side of the coin, the sentiment expressed by the Johnsons, that the starters had a right to play at least significant time. But no matter how reasonable, the issue would not go away. And one must admit that it would be reasonable to conclude that Wahoo took advantage of weaker opponents when one just looked at the box score. Especially when often times the 20 - 30 point leads were actually extended in the fourth quarter. In spite of Mr. Miller’s and Coach Dalton’s defense, one parent of a Fort Calhoun player was overheard complaining at half time of the first contest that it was “unfair” because Wahoo had already played 16 players and the Fort Calhoun boys were tired. Such sentiments pointed to a truth that the Wahoo community would have to face -- the statewide perception of Wahoo basketball had changed. They would no longer be the underdog, small town surprise team working hard to make its mark. As Coach Anderson expressed it prior to the State Tournament, “We’ve assumed a different mask, we’ve replaced Pius as the team to beat.” It was more than that. In a 2007 World Herald article about the past Wahoo success, Spencer-Naper coach, Jim Carlson, was reported to have referred to the Wahoo teams of that era as the “evil empire.” No matter how you rationalized it, coaches, players, fans and parents from the teams that were left in the wake of the Wahoo assault couldn’t help but feel some resentment. When the streak and the championships ended, a great cheer would be heard.

THE LEGACY
WAHOO NEWSPAPER BOX SCORE
The accusations of running up the score on opponents can be disspelled by a look at the box scores. In one of the more extreme examples, the 105 - 22 defeat of Fort Calhoun, the box score shows that Wahoo had 13 of its players score. Sixteen players played in the game. Jason Glock played so little that he had his lowest scoring output of the season (14) and substitute freshman, Joel Weyand (13) was nearly the leading scorer.
Jason Glock would score 732 points for the season, but two of his lowest scoring games (14) would come against Fort Calhoun ..... because he would play so little so as to not "run up the score."
12/26/09