By Michael Cignoli (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Heading into what was largely expected to be a rebuilding year for the Bolivar boys basketball program, coach Robby Hoegh was asked what he wanted the 2023-24 Liberators team to be known for.
His answer was Sisu, a Finnish word that has no direct English translation but is often associated with things like grit, tenacity and perseverance.
He was right on the nenä — that’s Finnish for nose — with that one.
The Liberators, who were 16 games below .500 entering postseason play, battled their way to the program’s third district championship in the past four seasons — and 11th overall.
They fell to Father Tolton in the opening round of the state tournament, finishing 8-22. But it’s that improbable championship run that the players – and town – will remember.
“Not sure if the 23-24 season could have epitomized Sisu any better,” Hoegh said. “Amazing what our 23-24 Liberators did. To take a 5-21 record into districts and proceed to win our 11th district title was Sisu! Our (seniors) stayed in the fight and found joy where wallowing in despair would have been much easier to do.”
Hoegh touted the contributions of that six-member senior class, adding their accomplishments will serve as an inspiration for the Liberators for years to come.
“In our program we have said the most important thing is to have the right effort and attitude along with being a great teammate,” Hoegh said. “Last season was an incredible case study on how much we really believe that. Sometimes the things we don’t want to happen are exactly the things we need to happen. Oftentimes in life, you don’t get the luxury of looking back and seeing how those difficult things were actually a huge blessing. In a season like last year, it was just very clear.”
Making the achievement even more impressive? The Liberators didn’t win a single game outside of tournaments, going 0-16 in their conference and non-conference schedules.
“How crazy is that?” Hoegh asked. “We want to continue to carry the idea of maintaining an irrational belief that pushes us to seek the next purposeful and positive action with the best possible disposition in spite of overwhelming challenges, adversity, setbacks and frustration. Nothing can stop us from our potential if we do that. Have an indomitable spirit of humility and accountability. That is the power of Sisu!”
Despite the significant roster turnover — the Liberators have just one player who started for them last season — Hoegh believes the team is prepared for the challenge.
“We have gotten a lot of mileage out of the pun, ‘Never complain about the road you’re on,’ Hoegh said. “‘It’s your own asphalt.’ We have a group of guys who embrace accountability. They want to be effective more than they want to be right. Those are two big-time ingredients in being a highly functioning team. They are going to be a lot of fun to coach.”
That road is leading the Liberators to a new era, as they left the now-defunct Ozark Conference to be one of the founding members of the Ozark Mountain Conference.
“We are thankful to continue to be in a conference with really good programs,” Hoegh said. “With fewer teams than the Ozark Conference, it allowed us to schedule some more schools that could be potential district opponents — which is nice.”
Senior Gardner Casey is poised to lead the Liberators after averaging 9.4 points last winter, leaving the 5-foot-11 guard just 119 shy of 1,000 in his career.
“He had an outstanding district tournament and his best basketball will be played this year,” Hoegh said. “We love coaching Gardner. He is a coach’s dream. Hard worker, talented and all about the team.”
While Casey is the team’s lone returning starter, transfers Brody Ingold and Colton Ingold have moved back to the district. Both started at their respective schools last season.
“We couldn’t be any more pumped about it,” Hoegh said.
Brody Ingold, a 5-foot-10 senior, is coming off a year in which averaged nearly 25 points per game as a foreign exchange student in Mexico.
“Brody is an elite communicator and a highly skilled and intelligent point guard with a jumper that is smooth as silk,” Hoegh said. “We are so excited to have the Ingolds back in Bolivar. Brody is going to have a great senior year.”
Colton Ingold, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, earned all-conference honors at Camdenton.
“Colton is an athletic and skilled player,” Hoegh said. “Colton averaged 9.5 points per game, pulled down 90 rebounds and shot 39 percent from 3.”
Matthew Giglio, Connor Neal and Cade Raney also return to the Liberators and have the chance to take on expanded roles after coming off the bench last year.
Giglio, a 6-foot junior, is one of the team’s top 3-point shooters.
“We hope he can maintain his 3-point efficiency while having the ability to create shots for his teammates,” Hoegh said. “He is a standout on the soccer field and is very quick. We want that quickness and speed to impact the defensive end of the floor.”
Neal, a senior, appeared in 28 of Bolivar’s games last winter.
“Connor Neal just knows how to fit,” Hoegh said. “He is (a) very intelligent player and connects the team together on both ends. He is a good finisher around the rim and has a knack for finding the right cut.”
Raney, who played in 10 varsity games last year, rounds out a four-player senior class.
“Cade is 18 going to 41,” Hoegh said. “He is mature beyond his years. The guy gets it at a level most 18-year-olds don’t. Last year in our district championship run, Cade was so in tune with what our team needed and in certain situations he (was) the lead communicator in the huddles.”
Juniors Canyon Adams, Lucas Pock and Wyatt Campbell will all battle for playing time after appearing in a handful of varsity games last winter.
Hoegh on Adams: Canyon is going to give us some toughness and grit. He has a good build and understands how to get teammates open shots. He has the ability to guard multiple positions on the floor.”
Hoegh on Pock: “He is a physical presence for us with some skills that he continues to work on. Lucas is just going to keep finding ways to get better.”
Hoegh on Campbell: “Everyone loves Wyatt Campbell. If there was a record for number of times hitting the floor, Wyatt would have it. We are working on keeping him upright as we need his shooting and off the ball cutting for our team to be at our best. Have never seen this guy have a bad day. He is always bringing the juice.”
The Liberators will travel to Sparta for a November 21 jamboree with the Trojans and Nixa. They will open the regular-season at the Willard Basketball Classic on December 4.
“We want to be a fun team to watch,” Hoegh said. “To us, a team that is giving energy to each other, flying around and sharing the basketball is a team that people will show up to watch. Basketball is such a fun sport when the ball is popping on offense and guys are busting their tails on defense. We hope when people watch us play they say, ‘Man those guys sure play hard — and boy it sure looks like they care about one another.’”
