Still important 57 years later

Gene Steinmeyer

A few years ago, I wrote a book called 27, Two Tales of Perfection. The book chronicled the seasons of the 1958 Clatonia High School boys’ basketball team and the 1983 Wilber-Clatonia High School girls’ basketball team. The seasons, 25 years apart, were very similar. Both teams played very few close games and steamrolled to a 27-0 record.

In 2008, the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame honored the two teams at the annual awards presentation. I was involved in setting up a banquet on the Saturday night prior to the Sunday Hall of Fame presentation. My involvement with that banquet, the reunion, and the realization of the importance of sports to those two teams, inspired me to write the book.

The book was never much of a seller, but I really enjoyed writing it and getting to know the 10 players from the 1958 team. It was a great reunion for me. I was the head coach of the 1983 girls’ team. I didn’t do much coaching; the team was just that good.

I discovered there was a lot of emotion involved with the 1958 players. One player who will never come back for a team or class reunion is Bill Schernikau. Tragically, Bill’s mother passed away in January of 1958. The day she died, a photographer was at the school taking individual pictures of the 10 squad members. Another player wore Bill’s uniform for pictures.

It isn’t that snub that causes pain. Bill had to become both a father and mother for his younger sister. His father was much older and a hard-working farmer. He wasn’t equipped to provide what his children needed.

Bill is an outstanding man. Before his mother died, she made her husband promise to send their two children to college. Education wasn’t that important to Bill’s father, but he kept his promise, even selling the farm to help finance his children’s educations.

Bill graduated from college and became an award winning educator and administrator. However, it’s just too painful to revisit those dark days, even 57 years later.

Two months after that tragedy, my mother died. I had just turned 8-years-old. Every member of that basketball team were heroes of mine, including Bill. My mother’s death occurred on a Friday, just one week before the state tournament. One member of 1958 team, Harley Bergmeyer, sang at my mother’s funeral.

I remember my family had me sit with Paul Heller, a freshman basketball player, during the funeral. I didn’t recall Harley sang at the service until I interviewed him for my book. He told me it affected him so much, he never sang at another funeral.

Harley was the starting point guard on the 1958 team. He was more noted for his defense than his offense. There was plenty of offensive talent on that team. Harley became a very successful banker, holding many banking state organization positions. He was important to his church, the same church where he sang for my mother’s funeral.

Many businesses started or survived through Harley and his bank. It was Harley that was the spokesman for the 1958 team when the Hall of Fame honored it in 2008. I’ll never forget his first comment. The Clatonia team was the last honoree of the day.

Harley said that the Hall should have put them first because old guys needed to use the bathroom. With that joke, he gave a heart-felt speech about how much the athletic experience meant to him. Nine players attended that day, missing only Bill Schernikau.

That team meant a lot to me, too. After Clatonia defeated Red Willow in the championship game eight days after my mother’s death, it seemed the entire town went to a local, famous chicken restaurant in Lincoln to celebrate. Before we left for Clatonia, the team decided the trophy should ride home with my brother and me. I held it the first 15 miles to Cortland. That was 57 years ago. I’ll never forget it. I didn’t know at the time how much it helped heal the loss of my mother.

Athletics has been a major part of my life. I was never a banker, farmer, or award-winning educator. It’s hard to describe how important sports have been in my life, even before that 1958 team handed the trophy to me that night in March.

Next week will be another example of the importance of sports in people’s lives. Six months ago, in this column, I wrote about Merri Kaye Bradley (Bell), one of my former basketball players at Doane College. She had almost died in a car wreck, but I knew the determination I had seen in Merri Kaye would help pull her through.

Six months later, she is almost completely healed. That’s far from the end of the story, though. One of her teammates organized a benefit for Merri Kaye at the Doane College Homecoming next Saturday. Almost everyone who knew Merri Kaye will gather, thanks to sports, to honor and help aid Merri Kaye in her courageous recovery.

Bob Irig, the head coach for 1958 squad, died in 1962. All those players are now in their mid-70s and all had survived until this past weekend. Harley, the banker and team spokesman, passed away from cancer.

When I read his obituary, Harley’s many business accomplishments were listed. They weren’t the most important part of Harley’s life. Before any of the professional accomplishments came the proud statement that he was the starting point guard on the undefeated 1958 Clatonia High School basketball team. Still important after 57 years.