Thanks to Preston Family Dental for making our regular RepMo Throwback series possible! Every issue of Republic Tiger Sports Magazine will look at a past team, a former player, or a significant game from Republic sports history.
Our latest throwback page features the 1979-80 Republic Tigers, who somehow finished 4th in the Central Ozark Conference and 2nd in the state of Missouri. The Tigers won only seven of their first 15 games, then caught fire. Their hot streak took them all the way to Columbia.
You can read more about their season in the Preston Family Dental RepMo Throwback page of the December/January issue of Republic Tiger Sports Magazine (available at Wal-Mart, Price Cutter, and Hines Street Pharmacy).
Head coach Jerry Buescher won more than 800 games during his career, and says his four years in Republic are some of the best memories of his career. I asked him to reflect on the 1979-80 season. Here are his thoughts from our email exchange.
RTS: What do you remember most about that team? What kind of team was it, or what stands out the most about it in your mind 35 years later?
JB: I remember an awful lot about the team but most of all, I remember what wonderful young people they were. They were fun to be around but when it was time to get to work and play ball, they were ALWAYS ready to go. I have lost touch with most of them through the years but I would bet they are all successful in life simply for the fact they worked so hard and always did what their coach asked them to do. I drove them really hard and they never questioned what we did, nor did I ever hear them complain. Their parents backed me and always wanted the kids to be successful, they knew hard work was a key to that success.
A couple of things really stand out in my mind. As basketball teams go, we were a very small team. We ranged from 5′ 6″ to 6’2″ and the tallest player was a sophomore, Greg Garton. Danny Johnson was our center, he was just a shade over 6′ tall and Kevin Sanders was a 6’1″ forward. A very short front line. Our guards were Kevin Holmes at a shade over 5’6″ and Jeff Viebrock was 5’9′ or so. Our bench players were not much bigger than our starters. I would stress to the kids, “It isn’t how big you are, it’s how big you play.” Our kids played very big.
Almost every night, we played teams much bigger than us. However, we pressed full-court and had a really good press. A full-court press requires a LOT of hard work and we pressed most of the game. Our conditioning was excellent and the players were willing to “leave everything on the floor,” meaning they were a really tired bunch after the games. It was my philosophy as a coach that a press was a great equalizer to taller opponents.
RTS: Was there a moment in the season where you started thinking, “Oh, we might have a chance to win this?”
I don’t think any one of us really thought about a Final Four run early in the year. It was my philosophy to play the most difficult schedule we could play. A lot of coaches differ with that philosophy. Most coaches just want to win games and have a good record. My thinking has always been play the really good teams early AND BE READY FOR DISTRICT Tournament.
We lost games early but, goodness, were we ever prepared for our district. We just kept getting better and better. The COC conference was always difficult, plus we played the Springfield schools and any good program in the area that would play us. I truly believe our kids were not afraid to play anyone. That made my job a lot easier.
We played in the Republic Tournament, the Blue and Gold, and the Nixa Tournament, all with the goal of getting us ready for post-season play.
We played really well in our district. It was the first year of the new high school and gymnasium and we got to host the tournament. Our crowds were unbelievable, they were hungry for a state-type team and supported us all the way. After winning our district fairly handily, were knew we had a legitimate shot of seeing Columbia in the state tournament.
RTS: Can you tell me a little about the experience of taking the team to Columbia? Republic hadn’t been in a long time at that point — do you remember the reaction of the team? Intimidated? Determined?
JB: The trip to Columbia was an experience I will never forget. I used to frequently tell the kids during the basketball season, “Other than getting married and having kids, playing in the state tournament will be one of the things you will remember most in your life”. I believe that to be true and I think the players would concur.
We went to Columbia with the thought of WINNING THE THING!! We were not intimidated by our opponent nor scared of large crowds. The regular season schedule took care of that.
The first team we played was Bishop Hogan, a Kansas City school. They had two kids, [one] 6’7″ and one 6″5. A couple of them played D-1 college basketball. Our full-court won the game for us and after we got the lead, we ran what we called a “delay game.” We made Hogan foul us, made nine straight free throws, and won by several points.
Two things stand out in my mind while at Columbia, the enormous crowd in orange and black (our following was second to none), and the composure of our players. They never panicked nor did they get intimated.
We lost the state finals by three points, Charleston had a player named Jewel Crawford that we simply could not handle. Jewel was 6’5″ and could really jump. He got 35 of their team’s 51 points. He also played MIAA college ball… We weren’t the only team that had trouble with him.
Coaching at Republic is one of my fondest memories in life, not just coaching. The players were so much fun to coach, the town backed us so much and treated me so well, and I enjoyed living there. I often think to this day, should I have stayed there longer? What a wonderful coaching experience, the whole community backed the Tigers and weren’t afraid to show it.
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