SHOES AT STATE: Teutopolis senior class delivers expectations; credit junior high coach Kent Niebrugge
Mar. 15—TEUTOPOLIS — Expectations.
That's one word to describe what was put on the Teutopolis boys basketball senior class when they were starting junior high and once again when they began high school.
A group of five players: Caleb Bloemer, Caleb Siemer, Brendan Niebrugge, James Niebrugge and Logan Roepke all had pressure on them to come through and help send a program to the state tournament for the first time in 16 years — and they delivered.
With that came rewards, too.
Teutopolis head coach Chet Reeder shared one reward following the team's departure to the State Farm Center.
"We got hundreds of letters from fourth and first graders and the letters talked about how much they appreciated them — appreciated them being a role model," Reeder said. "That defined them; they are such a special group. They had so many expectations put on them and they lived up to (those expectations)."
Teutopolis Junior High eighth-grade head coach Kent Niebrugge knows about those expectations, as well.
After all, the 24-year junior high coach has been with this group far longer than many others.
Kent — along with Brendan's father, Ron — helped coach the fivesome since they were in the third grade.
"Brendan's dad got them together in the third grade and started doing different things with them," Kent said.
One such thing was playing in an annual tournament in Robinson that Kent said the group dubbed their "state tournament."
"We decided to go over to Robinson and play in a tournament and we hadn't done any tournaments," Kent said. "We went over there and we won and it built from there."
What those trips to Robinson also built, however, was a trust, a continuity between each player that only grew.
The continued success that came with that was just the cherry on top of it all.
"In seventh grade, we got second (at the state tournament) and not that we weren't happy with that, (but) the next year, we felt we had a really good chance (to win) and that was our goal," Kent said. "We didn't have to talk about it a lot. We knew that was a realistic possibility. They were determined."
Ultimately, that determination paid off.
Teutopolis won the eighth-grade state championship over Dunlap Valley Middle School, 53-27. It was the third state title in four years for the Wooden Shoes at the time.
Kent recalled that postseason run as one where his team "ran through" their opponents.
"I remember in the postseason, we pretty much ran through a lot of our teams. We beat every team by 30 points and had a running clock going," Kent said. "Then, I want to say in the semifinal game, we had Williamsville and they concerned me; they had really good size and were very athletic and we ended up beating them by 17 points and I remember Bill Fritcher, who was our superintendent at the time, grabbing me and saying, 'You just manhandled a really good team right there.'"
Although that run was memorable to Kent, so was last Monday's game against Pinckneyville.
Kent was on the floor after that game, hugging his son, James.
Overall, it was a full-circle moment for Kent, as he got to watch his son accomplish a goal that he and his team fell short of when he was a senior.
"I remember playing in the super-sectional and, a few years after that, feeling that we were shorted and should have made it," Kent said. "I didn't feel we played our best basketball then."
Though Kent's team may not have played their best at that time, James' team did.
The community rallied behind them, too.
But to Kent, he wouldn't expect anything less.
"I don't know of many communities quite like this one," Kent said. "People follow, support and enjoy athletics; they know the history behind teams; they know the kids coming up."
What many may not know, though, is that Kent has a lot to do with that.
As a junior high coach, his role is to develop players before they reach the high school ranks.
"When you get kids in junior high, they have a long way to go," Kent said. "You can have an impact and develop them; you can show them things and have them do things that may still need to be introduced to them. They grow and gain a lot from the time they come in as a seventh grader until they leave in their eighth-grade year."
Each one of the five seniors agreed and were asked what Kent meant to them as a coach.
Below is how they answered that question.
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JAMES NIEBRUGGE
Q: How has your dad made you a better basketball player?
A: "Every year, he pushes me. From when I was just a little kid, he'd have me dribbling before I could run around and shoot. He's always pushed me to be a better person and player and has done a great job."
LOGAN ROEPKE
Q: What does Coach Kent Niebrugge mean to you?
A: "Growing up, we had the best coaching staff. In grade school through junior high, two Hall of Famers led us along the way. We've had a lot of fun and success over the years, and Coach Niebrugge was very beneficial."
BRENDAN NIEBRUGGE
Q: What does Coach Kent Niebrugge mean to you?
A: "He's always done the right things; he's always coached us the right way."
CALEB BLOEMER
Q: What does Coach Kent Niebrugge mean to you?
A: "He's been my coach since we were six years old and given me skills I needed to know through junior high."
CALEB SIEMER
Q: What does Coach Kent Niebrugge mean to you?
A: "He's coached us ever since we were little kids. He — and Coach Reeder — have helped me become the player I am today. It's been nice for him to be in my life and teach me the ways and the skills of basketball."
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This is the second of a two-part feature series dedicated to the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes state appearance.
Contact EDN Sports Editor Alex Wallner at 618-510-9231 or alex.wallner@effinghamdailynews.com.
