By the time conference tournaments rolled around, they were known as “The Bad Boys”. By the time sub-districts was starting, they were conference champions with an unblemished record. By the time the state tournament was beginning, they were respected as a legitimate title contender. By the time the horn sounded in the state final, they were able to remove the chip on their shoulder. One which had burdened them since the previous year’s trip to Lincoln. The 1988-89 version of the Bridgeport Bulldog boys’ basketball team cruised through the regular season as well.With just two losses on the record, and a blowout win at districts against Dundy County, Coach Gary Oltmann secured the first trip to the state tournament his school had seen in twenty- two years.While the Bulldogs trekked across the state to get to Pershing Auditorium for their game, Scribner-Snyder made the short trip south to the state’s capital. A highly competitive game soon turned ugly with Bridgeport getting in foul trouble and their opponent taking full advantage. A 72-50 defeat sent the Bulldogs back to the Panhandle with a bad taste in their mouth.
Coach Oltmann and assistant coach Kevin Myers knew they had the talent to compete with the state’s best.They just needed to get tougher, play more physical, and put an emphasis on defense.With a lot of moving parts put into place, the coaching staff decided to switch from a zone defense to a man defense. At 6 foot 7 inches and 6 foot 6, seniors Robb Zapp andTim Stevens made vision almost impossible for opponents. Senior guard Mike Stull always guarded the opponent’s best player, and more times than not locked them down. At 6 foot 3 Joe Juelfs joined senior guard Scott Louderback to round out the starting lineup. A combination of length, height, shooting acumen, and experience paved the way for the Bulldogs, with one goal in mind.
“A Class C-1 state championship is a realistic goal, and to not at least make it to the state tournament, with this year’s team, would be a tremendous letdown,” chimed Oltmann to a Star-Herald reporter before the season.When the team took the floor to begin their schedule, the players, coaches, and community were in agreement: Lincoln or bust.
