The drought is over!

(Above) Clear Lake seniors Drew Enke (5) and Tate Storbeck (25) lead the celebration after the Clear Lake High School boys basketball team earned a State Qualifier banner last week.  The Lions played in the opening round at the State Tournament Tuesday, March 5.  See story on page 1B. - Reporter photo by Chris Barragy.

‘79 Lions team beat the odds to reach State

[caption id="attachment_40846" align="alignnone" width="300"] Clear Lake High School 1979 Boys Basketball Team: (front L-R) Randy Truesdell, Captain Darwin Pike, Bob Lashier, Greg Monson, Brian Hayungs, Captain Jeff Borrill, Lonny Barnes, Brian Larsen, Captain Al Knutson, Randy Meyers, Bob Rannals, Joe Hutchison, Mark Frampton, (back L-R) Manager Garry Hoffman, Statistician Dawn Thada, Manager Paul Laning, Coach Jim Ahrens, Manager Jeff Schultz, Statistician Tammy Bode. - Photo by Kiefer Photography.[/caption]

by Marianne Gasaway

It’s been 40 years since Clear Lake High School has sent its boys basketball team to the State Tournament, but time has changed little.  At Monday night’s pep rally in the CLHS gym, Head Basketball Coach Jeremey Ainley made it clear his Lions were going down to Des Moines to represent the community.  That’s the same message Coach Jim Ahrens shared in 1979.

“I’m just so happy for all the people involved… We have had excellent support from the cheerleaders, the fans and the community.  The win has brought us together again. It has become a community effort,” the late Coach Ahrens told the Mirror-Reporter in 1979.

Community was also the chief memory of the State experience for Randy Truesdell, a member of the

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1979 team.

“It was so impressive how the Clear Lake community came together and was so supportive and the week leading up to the game.  Our student body and teachers had a little extra pep in their step.  The outpouring of support was great as we had a community breakfast the morning before we took off and McDonalds even sponsored a charter bus for the ride down.”

Unlike the undefeated 2019 Lions team, the 1979 squad was a dark horse for a State berth, to say the least.  The team lost four of their last five regular season games and finished fifth in the North Central Conference with a record of 6-8.  NCC champion Hampton (13-1) also went to State that year, but lost to Cedar Rapids Regis in the opening round.

The ’79 Lions’ trip to State was nothing short of miraculous, as they needed four overtimes to win the District title over Forest City.  The Indians actually held a 64-62 advantage with one second left in the second overtime, but a goaltending call gave Clear Lake two points and a third OT.  In the fourth OT Bob Rannals sunk two free-throws with three seconds left for the 73-70 win.

The Lions met 19-2 South Winneshiek in the Sub-State game played at Mason City and shocked the school, 47-41.

“Nothing could have been as emotional as that four overtime game against Forest City.  And it was after that game that there was no doubt whatsoever that we were going to make it,” said Ahrens.  “The boys have a lot of confidence in themselves.”

Confidence is also a trait of the 2019 team.

“They know who they are and they take pride in their work,” Coach Ainley said.

Ainley said the success of the program has been five years in the making, so it came as no surprise to him and his coaching staff that the team would be successful.  However, the level of success may have even surpassed his early expectations. After all, he would be replacing four seniors, including an All-State, school record holder.  Still, members of the 2019 team had been learning the program for five years.  In addition, some new talented freshmen arrived on the scene.  Ainley said he didn’t know what to expect, but he liked what he saw in open gyms held in the fall, followed by pre-season scrimmages.  At 6-0, he began to think  the Lions had a chance to go undefeated in the NCC season, and eventually believed they would be 20-0.  They just knew how to win and believed they would, he said.

“These guys and coaches genuinely care and love each other and they’re going to keep doing it,” Ainley told Lions fans.  “We are going down there to win three games, one game at a time.”

The 1979 team played just one game at State, but it’s memory still lingers for Truesdell and he was at Tuesday’s game to cheer on the 2019 Lions.

“Being on the court in ‘The Barn’ in front of our huge crowd was an awesome feeling and everyone was disappointed in the outcome, but the way the team played to get there— beating Forest City in four OT and then upsetting a 19-2 South Winneshiek team in Sub-State at Mason City, was unbelievable.  The seniors that year deserved all the credit.  They were great leaders as they put in a lot of time the year before to get better and they did.  It was the best experience I had in my high school career.”

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