Chad Gordon’s second freethrow fell through the net and with 3:42 to go in the game, Wahoo trailed 55 - 56. It was the first time Wahoo had been behind in the second half of any game all season, let alone in the fourth quarter. Those who had doubted Wahoo’s invincibility had often pointed to the fact that the 1990 Warriors had not been tested. Sure, Wahoo had come from behind in dramatic fashion to claim the 1988 and 1989 titles, but this team, this season had not had anything resembling those challenges. Prior to the tournament, Coach Anderson had reflected confidently on the prospect: “I don’t know how we’ll respond if we’re down four with a minute to go, but we have experience in the line up. We have kids who have been there.” A critic might have responded -- “not this season.” With relatively comfortable wins in the first two rounds of the tournament, some believed the Warriors were set up for a big choke; and when the Northwest Vikings took that lead late in the game, the Wahoo fans held their collective breath. They held it for 22 seconds.
Wahoo had traded leads with Grand Island Northwest for the first quarter of the game, but Wahoo asserted itself in the second quarter. Jason Glock had 17 points by half-time. Bernie Inbody added six in the second period, connecting on a three and then scoring on a fast break lay-up, was fouled and converted the freethrow. The Warriors led 36 - 30 at half time. Two Steve Volin freethrows at the start of the second half extended the lead to eight. Coach Anderson saw that as Wahoo’s chance to pull away: “I thought we had opportunities in the first half and the third quarter to get started and get going. It seemed like they really responded.” The Viking response was to turn up the defensive pressure -- Wahoo turnovers resulted in some easy scores. A steal and lay-up by Steve Horst pulled Northwest to within one, 47 - 48, at the end of the third quarter.
The teams more or less traded baskets for the first part of the final period, with Northwest tying the game twice. When Gordon’s freethrow went through, it felt like the momentum was all with the Vikings. Many saw Northwest as following the path Wahoo had paved to the title the previous two years -- being the aggressor in the final minutes while the opponent tried to hang on. But Jason Glock was having none of that. The Vikings had been double teaming Glock and the strategy had somewhat backfired as the junior forward had drawn fouls and still managed to make shots. But Northwest coach, Dave Marron stayed with the plan. Ryan Eddie brought the ball up court and the Warriors patiently swung the ball from one side to the other, looking for Glock. Coach Anderson would comment later, “Jason was fired up in the huddle, he wanted the ball.” And Anderson wanted him to get it. Several times, Wahoo players passed up open shots, looking for the opportunity to get it inside. Finally, Steve Volin received the ball on the left wing and Glock swung across the lane to the high post -- open. Volin got him the ball and Glock wheeled into the lane -- two dribbles. The weak side defender recovered to help challenge the shot, but Glock went up over the two Vikings and netted a go-ahead basket -- 3:20 to go in the game. Anderson commented, “He (Glock) hit a great shot in the lane. That’s what an All-Stater, a Super Stater, does in that situation.” The Vikings put up a quick three that hit the front of the rim and Randy Hoffman gathered in the rebound. The Warriors went back on the offensive. This time, with the defenders still sagging off on Glock, Volin tried a wide open shot from the freethrow line. It missed -- short. But Glock was there to grab the offensive board and his quick putback put Wahoo up three. After another missed attempt by Northwest, Volin was fouled. Stepping to the freethrow line, it was nearly the same shot he had just missed, he had been so open on the previous possession. This time he made it. And the second one. Wahoo was ahead for good. Northwest would score two more points on a steal and lay-up by Gordon, but Wahoo would make 5 of 8 freethrows down the stretch to seal a 66 - 58 win and their third consecutive championship.
For some, the narrow margin of victory marred Wahoo’s season achievement. Indeed, in the All Class rankings they dropped from third to fifth. Northwest coach, Dave Marron thought his team had acquitted themselves well: “Our team played hard. We gave it everything we had. We just couldn’t get the shots to go when we needed them.” Syracuse coach, Leon Bose, a commentator for the television broadcast of the championship game, indicated at the start of the game that he thought Northwest had a shot at defeating the Warriors. After the game he commented, “It really doesn’t surprise me that Northwest played them that close. ... this team has a lot of talent.” Coach Anderson would have nothing detract from the Wahoo victory: “This was the #1 team in Class B playing the #2 team, and I was expecting a close game. Maybe some people weren’t, but I did.” Jason Glock even went so far as to embrace the narrow win: “We’ve never been down before. It was a change and we handled it real well. This was a lot of fun.”
Perhaps Glock’s perspective was the right one. If the one knock on the Warriors was that they hadn’t been challenged, winning a pressure packed championship game should have answered that criticism. The fact was that the 1990 Warriors had fallen behind in the fourth quarter. But it had only lasted 22 seconds.
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Jason Glock opens the Wahoo scoring with a baseline drive; Steve Volin drives the lane; Ryan Eddie hits a 3; Randy Hoffman scores in the post; Bernie Inbody scores a 3; THE SHOT -- Steve Volin hits Jason Glock who scores the jumper to put Wahoo back in front after trailing for 22 SECONDS.
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| “The pressure was on Wahoo -- they were the ones who were supposed to win this." -- GINW coach, Dave Marron |
|
| Wahoo |
18
|
18
|
12
|
18
|
66
|
| GINW |
14
|
16
|
17
|
11
|
58
|
|
| Platteview |
fg |
ft |
3pt. |
pts |
| J. Glock |
10/16 |
12/17 |
1/1 |
33 |
| Hoffman |
5/9 |
3/6 |
0 |
13 |
| Eddie |
2/3 |
0/0 |
2/3 |
6 |
| Inbody |
2/2 |
2/3 |
1/1 |
7 |
| Volin |
1/4 |
5/6 |
0 |
7 |
| Latham |
0/1 |
0/0 |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
20/35 |
22/32 |
4/5 |
66 |
| GINW |
22/57 |
10/14 |
4/20 |
58 |
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| “I don’t know, but as a senior to be behind in the championship game when you haven’t been behind all year is a weird feeling.” -- Randy Hoffman |
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|
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| Steve Volin's two freethrows with 2:15 left to go gave Wahoo a two possesson lead. |
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| “I know when I went to the free throw line for those free throws with two minutes left and again with a minute left, Jason came up to me both times and said, ‘I love you.’ That’s how we feel about each other and that’s how we kept from falling apart.” -- Steve Volin |
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| Jason Glock claims his third net from a state championship team. |
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| “We haven’t trailed in a long time. It’s really good to play a close one and win it.” -- Coach Anderson |
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| The 1990 Warriors claim their Championship trophy. |
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| "It really feels good going out with a win -- a lot of kids can't say that." -- Randy Hoffman |
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