When Coach Anderson first thought about the 1992 Warrior team, he had indicated that the team probably would not be “great” but that it could certainly be “good” and stated that going undefeated was not an unreasonable task. The regular season ended on February 22nd when the Warriors left the court at North Bend as winners of 20 out of 20 games. This was certainly a “good” team. The public perception of the 1992 version of Wahoo basketball had changed. Those outside Wahoo had come to realize that this was still a team to be reckoned with, while any skepticism there had been from the Wahoo fans had been replaced with high expectations.

Those involved in Nebraska high school basketball were well aware that the new team from Wahoo wasn’t that much different from the others that had been dominating Class B for four years. Most of the characteristics were still the same:
•There were the eye-popping margins of victory -- "They consistently win by 25 - 35 points. That's what amazes me." -- Bennington Coach Bob Kremke.
•There was the tenacious defense -- Syracuse Coach Leon Bose: “It’s relentless. They just don’t quit. If you handle the pressure, you still have to score points.”
•There was the inside / outside balance: Trent Toline was averaging 14 points a game on the inside (“He’s going to score or go to the freethrow line (when he gets the ball).” -- Schuyler Coach Jeff Droge.) The other four Wahoo starters were also averaging in double figures and all four (Simons, Hancock, Anderson, Weyand) could shoot the three (“When they shoot the 3 pointer ... it’s going to be tough for anybody to beat them.” -- Valley Coach Charlie Doeden).

And yet, the 1992 Warrior team had its own identity, as Coach Anderson stated early in the season, “People have to realize we have a little different team than we have had in the past.” One change that was becoming more evident in the new model of Wahoo basketball was a transition from an inside dominated game to more of a perimeter game. Certainly there was the previously mentioned “balance” all good teams need, but the four championship teams had run more of a double post offense. First there was Steve Carmer and Dan Bartek. Then there was Randy Hoffman and Jason Glock. And most recently it had been Glock and Steve Volin. The 1992 team had Trent Toline, usually playing in a single post. The other 1992 inside threat came from Jeff Simons who showed great versatility in being able to power inside and step outside and shoot the three -- following the example of Jason Glock. But Simons had always been more of a perimeter player, leaving most of the post play to classmate Toline.

One of the differences in the 1992 team was the lack of a super star player; something Coach Anderson had noted as separating a “great” team from a “good” team. While the 1991 Wahoo team had been centered around Jason Glock, the 1992 version was more equal opportunity. Glock had been Wahoo’s leading scorer in 24 of the 26 games of 1991. In 1992, all five starters had led the team in scoring multiple times. While opponents had tried to stop the 1991 Warriors with combination defenses to focus on Glock, such strategies were very limited in 1992. Coach Anderson: “Our players seem to be so even that it’s hard to single out one or two individuals.”

As the Warriors of 1992 prepared for tournament play,they could look up at the four banners hanging on the gym wall and feel some satisfaction that they had measured up to the standards set by their predecessors. And yet they knew they had more to do and the only way to truly stand beside those championship teams as an equal would be to raise a fifth banner. As he had done every year, Coach Anderson pointed out that it all meant very little if Wahoo didn’t return to Lincoln to defend its Class B title. Jeff Simons knew what was at stake: “Districts are really the place you have to work. You have to go play your hardest to get to state.” With a 110 game win streak behind them and the challenge of a make or break tournament ahead of them, the Warriors entered the B3 District Tournament on Friday night, February 28th. They knew they were a “good” team and they were ready to show they deserved to be called a “great” team.