Opposing coaches would be perplexed when going over any scouting reports they had on the 1990 Wahoo team. The numbers from the inside game would leap off the page -- you had to collapse inside. But then they were told they couldn’t leave the 3 point shot open. When his team lost to Wahoo in February, Fremont Bergan coach Randy Eikmeier talked about his approach to playing Wahoo: “We decided to take away the inside game, and we hoped they would struggle from the perimeter. They certainly didn’t struggle.” Ryan Eddie scored seven three’s in the game. And the coaches knew they had to spend a great deal of practice time trying to find a way to keep from turning the ball over against the tenaciious Warrior defense. For most teams, there wasn’t enough time or enough talent. But there was even more to contend with when it became game time.,
When asked about the success of the Wahoo team at the end of the season, one of the things Coach Anderson pointed to was the community support: “I don’t think we played a road game all year.” Even when playing at home, Wahoo’s opponents would have to deal with a boisterous Wahoo crowd. And there was the win streak and the eye-popping scores that would get into the opponents’ heads. Raymond Central coach Dale Rasmussen referred to it when the Mustangs lost to Wahoo in the holiday tournament: “We got intimidated by the mystique about who these people were.” Some coaches found a way to relieve the pressure -- Valley was able to hang with the Warriors for a half in a game played at Valley after breaking their pre tip-off huddle with a chorus of “heaven help us.”
All of this contributed to a 1990 Wahoo basketball team that would at the very least have to be considered in any discussion of the “best ever team” from Wahoo, and even “best ever Class B team” in the state. They were talented. They were focused on a goal. They had a dominating defense and a potent offense. It was a team that had experienced winning, had experienced championships. In November of 1989 in the gym at Wahoo High School they began a journey that would once again end in March on the court at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. In the end, Coach Anderson would claim that the Warriors were “quite satisfied” to defend their Class B title. But in reality, this team was pursuing something else. They were setting a standard of excellence; they were in pursuit of glory. |
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| Even at away games, Wahoo fans frequently filled up one side, sometimes outnumbering the home crowd. |
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| “You always want to take away options one and two and options three and four decided to rip the nets apart on us.” -- RC coach Dale Rasmussen |
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| “Our program right now is real solid, and we’ve got excellent players off the bench. They’re eager to play and show people what they can do, and it all keeps snowballing.” -- Coach Anderson |
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