Sutton head coach Steve Spongberg instructs his players in
the Class C-2 state championship game Saturday in Lincoln.
LINCOLN — When Steve Spongberg walked off the Bob Devaney Sports Center court Saturday morning, the scoreboard read 38-34 in the other team's favor.
It was a disappointing ending to a spectacular season, one that saw Spongberg's Sutton Mustangs lose just twice while totaling 27 wins.
But that end result, a Class C-2 runner-up finish after Southern Valley came out victorious in overtime, isn't what it's all about for Spongberg.
As he walked off the court, Spongberg could look into the stands and see dozens of former players there to support him and the Sutton program.
"That's the joy of coaching," Spongberg says. "The state championship games are great, don't get me wrong. The thrill of winning them is probably unsurpassed as far as anything you can do. The disappointment when you lose a game like this, when you feel you had a shot to win, is as disappointing as it gets. But when you look at the overall scheme, the players who I have met and who have worked really hard for me and who come back just to say hi, that's what I really enjoy as a coach."
To read more, see Tuesday's Hastings Tribune or the Tribune e-edition.>>>
