By Bob Hamar
bob.hamar@theindependent.com

The Bluehawks' co-coaching system did the job as Hastings St. Cecilia downed Bennington 50-43 in the Class C-1 state championship game Saturday at the Devaney Center in Lincoln.

The Bluehawks started the season with co-coaches Trent Blackwell and Mike Trader leading the way after former coach Scott Rosno stepped down following last season.

But Blackwell was suspended from the program in January for off-court reasons and Rob Kober moved up to take his place.

However, Kober who has been coaching at St. Cecilia for 15 years got more than a little help on the sidelines from Mike Allsman. It was Allsman who did most of the coaching during games.

Trader, the former coach at Hastings College, was rarely seen at games. His job was to scout upcoming opponents and run the practices.

Coaches like to say, "It was team effort" after wins. For the Bluehawks, the coaching staff was a team as well.

"Coach Allsman, coach (Brandon) Vacek, coach (Turner) Scholl, coach Trader and also coach Rosno," Kober said. "He's been with this crew also. It's called the co-coach this year and it all came down to that."

Riley Nikkila, who had three key baskets in the fourth quarter Saturday, said the Bluehawks (23-2) were able to put all the distractions behind them during the season.

"It feels really good that our team can let that go over their head and we can still come out and play," Nikkila said.

"It's good as a senior to know our team is going to be there the whole time and not just part of the time. We were there for 32 minutes."

Senior Jake Hamburger, who led the Bluehawks in scoring during the season, said the Bluehawks just had to concentrate on playing basketball.

"We try to worry about what we can control," Hamburger said. "We focus on what we can do on the court. We went through the state tournament. We played three great teams and we prepared for each one like we did all season."

All the coaches had their roles this season. Trader was on hand Thursday and Friday, watching the Bluehawks and scouting the upcoming opponent.

On Saturday, he was nowhere to be seen, but his influence was still there.

"He does all the scouting for us," junior Matt Sterup said. "He probably watches close to 14 hours of film. Probably more. Coming into all of our games, we knew exactly what everybody on the teams were going to do.

"We had two-a-days the first two weeks. All this hard work has finally paid off for us."

The hard work of the coaches paid off as well. Allsman was the most visible coach during games as he directed the team from the sidelines, but he like Trader preferred to stay in the background the rest of the time.

"He's incredible," Sterup said of Allsman. "He's an intense guy. We had him back in seventh grade and he was great then. He just understands us. He's a player's coach and he just knows how to get the best out of all of us."

Nikkila said it was a great way to end their careers for himself and fellow seniors Jesse Souchek and Aaron Esch.

"It's very nice," Nikkila said. "With all the stuff that's been going on, all the stuff that people have been saying, to know that our team can push through that and not listen to it and let it fly by is great.

"It's a great feeling for me as a senior to know I've got people under me. I can speak for Aaron and Jesse too. It's a good feeling that we have juniors and sophomores who are going to come out and play the game the way it should be played and not let stuff bother us."

The Bluehawks will now get a championship banner and a picture of their state championship team hung at the school.

"I can't believe our picture is going to be up there," Nikkila said. "We're going to have a banner up there. I've been wanting that for a long time.

"I just love our team right now. Everybody on our team contributed. I mean everybody."

That includes the entire roster of players and the long list of co-coaches.