Almost every year, the regular season game with Elkhorn Mt. Michael was seen as a true test for Wahoo and 1992 was no exception. The 1992 contest took place after the Holiday Tournament and was played in the Wahoo gym in what was described as “sauna condition.” The 6 - 3 Knights and 6 - 0 Warriors provided their own heat with each employing stifling 1-3-1 defenses. The Warriors managed a first quarter lead and carried it into the third quarter, eventually building a ten point lead at 37 - 27 late in the third quarter. But Mt. Michael’s Jude Beller popped in three straight jumpers and the Knights closed to within two points. The Warriors then switched to a triangle and two defense on Beller and Ryan Moody. For the next several possessions, the teams exchanged misses until finally Joel Weyand found Justin Anderson open on the baseline to put the Warriors up four. Beller missed for the Knights and Trent Toline took a lob pass to push the lead to six. Beller closed the gap with his 15th point of the night at the :47 mark, but the Knights had to waste precious time committing fouls to get the Warriors to the bonus. Joel Weyand went one of two from the line, but the Knights couldn’t take advantage as they turned the ball over and Trent Toline hit a layup at the buzzer to put the final score at 44 - 37. It was the lowest scoring game for Wahoo of the entire 108 game winning streak and only the fifth time in five years that the Warriors had won by less than 10 points in the regular season. Mt. Michael Coach Jim Kane commented, “We had them sweating, and at their place, too.”

aquinas

On February 15th, 1992, the Warriors traveled to David City to square off against the Aquinas Monarchs. Aquinas was 12 - 4 and then ranked #10 in Class B and was starting to hit its stride as two starters, senior, 6’3” Jeremy Belsky and junior, 6’5” Eric Semin, were just getting healthy. Aquinas Coach Leon Portrey pointed out, “Those two have given us a force inside we didn’t have earlier in the season.” The Monarchs were ready for the Warriors and not intimidated by the 107 game winning streak Wahoo brought into the contest which was played to an estimated 1,000 fans squeezed into the small Aquinas gym. Aquinas led throughout the contest, ahead 17 - 15 at the quarter, 36 - 31 at the half The Monarchs built a ten point lead in the third quarter, but Wahoo went to an aggressive half court trap defense and turned things around, closing the quarter down just one, 47 - 48. Coach Anderson commented, “I decided if we were going to go down, we were going to go down swinging.” Down 3 points with 5:23 to go in the game, Justin Anderson pulled up at the top of the key and drained a three pointer. After an Aquinas miss, Jeff Simons followed with another three and Wahoo was on its way to a 13 - 4 run. Joe Mick, who scored 29 points for the Monarchs, put in a three with :56 to go, but Wahoo was able to convert five of six freethrows to finish out the game and claim a 72 - 64 win. It was the closest regular season game for Wahoo since going to overtime against Yutan in 1989. Coach Anderson reflected on the outcome, “Obviously we’re not accustomed to being in that position.”

Some would say that the 1992 team had shown some weakness in having to play some close games, unlike the previous two Wahoo teams that had easily swept aside all who crossed their path in the regular season. But for others, it was something that set this team a little above their predecessors. Pius X Coach Tom Seib was scouting at the Wahoo / Aquinas game and observed, “ ... when they needed to reach down and crank it up, they played as hard on defense as I’ve ever seen a team to get back in the game. It seems like they don’t want that streak to end and they'll find a way to win even on an off night.” When it came to playing in a close game, the Warriors of 1992 did more than measure up.