BONDUEL, WI – The saying goes “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and St. Paul Girls Basketball Coach Brad Luepke hopes that is the case for his group of players as the best season for St. Paul 8th Grade Girls Basketball ended in heartbreaking fashion, and it happened off the court.
After being invited to participate in the Lutheran Basketball Association of America’s Tournament of Champions, notice was given that the tournament was being canceled due to concerns of the Coronavirus.
“Usually by Sunday night or Monday we would have known, but Tuesday night I got a message form an AD that I know that said I just got a message and I feel sorry for your kids,” Luepke said.
Tuesday night, he prepared for what he was going to tell his team.
“It was the hardest thing that I have had to do as a coach,” he stated. “We explained to them that this is the world that we live in now, and I told them that I would rather see them safe than have them win a basketball game.”
He says at first, the girls thought that he was coming up with a fun way to tell them that they qualified.
“At first they thought I was kidding around trying to have fun with telling them that they qualified, but after I read the letter, they quickly realized. It was an emotional room but I told them that they have bigger things in store.”
That was easier to say than it was to accept.
“I reminded them of all that they accomplished. At 14-years-old this is a life lesson and a tough life lesson.”
The season culminated in a 26-1 season with their only loss being to Atonement in the State Championship game.
For Luepke it was the end of a 14-year coaching career at St. Paul that resulted in a 126-17 record in the last five years.
“It is my last year of coaching here and just like that it shuts off and there is no more basketball and I think the toughest part was that there was no way to prepare for it. You can’t believe that it has gotten to this point, but at the same time, you have to respect the decision that they are making too.”
The LBAA Tournament of Champions was scheduled to take place at Valparaiso University in Indiana. From his experience in past years, Luepke says the crowd would have been from all over.
“You are talking about 64 teams from all over the country and times that by 10 players each team and four or five family members for each player and that is a lot of people they are bringing in. When you think of the big picture, is probably the best decision, it is just hard to take that’s all.
While past Lady Comet teams have gotten the chance to play at the National Tournament in recent years, this year’s team did something no other past team has done, brought home the silver from state. Luepke gives the credit to the girls.
“Nobody sees how they got there,” Luepke says. “They called me on a Sunday and ask me to open a gym for two hours and they would go shoot around in the summer with no air conditioning. They put in the work and they deserve all the accolades and they are going to go down as the best team in St. Paul history.”
Luepke says he reminded the team that they are not done yet as they are all going to Bonduel High School and have the chance to play for a program that is on the rise after the Bonduel Varisty finished with a Regional Championship this year.
“They have big things in store for them at the High School level and we will get to sit back and see them take Bonduel to levels that they have never been at before because they are all going to Bonduel.”
“I can almost bet my bottom dollar that I will be able to go buy tickets to watch Bonduel play at the Resch Center in the near future.”
ST. PAUL LADY COMETS FINISH AS STATE RUNNER-UPS
St. Paul had their best finish they have had in the State Tournament and have some hardware to show for it. The Lady Comets finished 2nd after falling in the Championship game against top-seeded Atonement Racine Warriors.
“We outplayed them for three quarters,” Coach Brad Luepke said.
St. Paul took a 19-16 halftime lead, but when on an 18-6 run in the third quarter before giving up the lead in the fourth and falling 45-34 for their first loss of the season.
Hailee Thompson led the way with 11 and Hailey Zernicke added 9.
In the State Tournament, they finished 3-1 on the weekend.
In the first game, the Comets beat St. Paul Janesville 46-9. Ella Hischke scored 14 points and Hailey Zernicke added 12.
The Lady Comets beat St. Paul West Allis 35-26 in the Quarterfinal. Hailey Zernicke scored 18 and Hailee Thompson added 7 in the game.
The Semifinal game against #2 seed Hales Corners Lutheran was one of the closest games that the Lady Comets had all season. Ella Hischke led the way with 11 and Hailey Zernicke added 10 to lead St. Paul to a 33-27 win, sending them to their first Championship.
