1987 Championship Banner

How appropriate for the first Soup championship banner to be in the shape of a bowl.

1988 Season

That Dovinwitt defense was ramped up to another level in 1988. The team led the league in points allowed by a considerable margin. Their collective defensive stronghold propelled them to the top of the standings for the first time in league history. A season sweep of the second place Simeka Sleuths - including a stifling shutdown win of 80-55 - gave them the tiebreaker and the #1 overall seed.

Simeka enjoyed their fourth consecutive top two finish, cementing themselves as perennial forces in the OBA. Sol Renfro had his best season of his career on his way to an All-OBA second team nomination, the first of his career. While Brody Rizzo wasn't as spectacular as he was during his MVP campaign, he was still incredible and the most questionable snub from the All-OBA team.

Skyrocketing into the #3 seed was the City Van East Sunrisers. Second-year players Ja Perrano and Matt Morris captained the young squad to their first postseason appearance. The Sunrisers picked up 13 more wins than they did the previous year, a remarkable improvement with such bright prospective talent.

The Ensylvan Drakes found themselves returning to the playoffs, in part due to the efforts of speedy shooting guard Larry Antwan and new center Javen McFoster III. Antwan shot the ball well from the outside, and McFoster III protected the rim in exciting fashion on their way to the #4 seed. The Drakes clinched their first playoff birth since 1983 when they finished third in the regular season.

Stanley Sweetney had another stellar showing for The Team of the River Galloway. After falling short in 1987, The Team rode a 7-game winning streak into the end of the year, going from the #10 to the #5 seed in that span. The Luva Mountaineers put together a solid season on their way to their seventh straight playoff bid, even with an aging Sinclair Journey.

The defending champions, Soup, started off hot, winning 16 of their first 19 games. However, mild injuries to Horace Suggs and Clarence Poole at different stints in the year catalyzed a near collapse. The rest of the Soup squad held on just enough to grab the #7 spot. Despite their low seeding, Soup will remain as a formidable opponent for any team in the OBA.

The final playoff spot was earned through tiebreaker by the Desherd City Dachshunds. Tyrone Buckley, the Dachshunds small forward, dominated throughout the league and seemingly willed his team into the playoffs. The Dogs played against both Gin City and the Irving Crows twice in a 10-week span and won all four games. It was a memorable run for Desherd City fans, as, during that stretch, Buckley averaged an absurd 36.9 points per game and the led the league in individual scoring. As such, Buckley emerged as the favorite for the MVP, and won the award handily.

Gin City battled through injuries in 1988. Despite their best efforts they fell just short of a playoff spot. The Crows also suffered the same feat. Certainly, Crows fans have something to be excited about with the team's progress. The Bay had a middling year, due to their defensive struggles and John Hamilton having his worst shooting season of his career. Mescudi, Nachtigen, Bara, and Convenance had mediocre seasons. The Moonmen's Bojan Turk and the Canines' Manuel Fuller were two of the best defensive centers in the league on their way to All-OBA honors.

Bryson McMurray endured a rough McQuelsey season - at least to his standards. The Woodpeckers had sights on making a tournament run that fell well short. Although McQuelsey ultimately disappointed, McMurray was still electric enough to make the All-OBA Second Team. Boothtown and the Murdlock Monocles also struggled to meet their high expectations.

Harlow Rivers had a superb season for the Novak Junction Hustlers. With little help from his supporting cast, Rivers and the Hustlers lost more games than they probably should have. The Razors, Hooks, and Choristers stole some games from the upper teams, but couldn't hang with the big guys. Remolvo's Tate Lendon-Tornery had a monster year on the offensive end, averaging a double-double.

Rounding out the bottom of the league was the Veñuto Valor and the Irving Ricos. The two teams combined for an abysmal 20-72 record.

1988 All-OBA Teams

1988 Quarterfinals
#1 Dovinwitt Louds 71, #8 Desherd City Dachshunds 74
Oh. My. Days. MVP Tyrone Buckley could not be stopped be the formidable defense of the Louds. Buckley's 43 points and 12 rebounds were major contributing factors in the upset victory. Further, with eight seconds remaining and a tied game, he was fouled hard on the way to the rack and still managed to lay the basket in. The impending free throw went through, and Dovinwitt's last minute dash for a three was wildly unsuccessful. Desherd City will advance to the second round, as the Louds title hopes come crashing down.

#4 Ensylvan Drakes 90, #5 The Team of the River Galloway 74
In the only chalked victory of this first round, Larry Antwan and Javen McFoster III lit the scoreboard up from the get-go. The duo combined for 55 of Ensylvan's 90 points - Antwan with 20 and McFoster with 35. Stanley Sweetney had a quietly solid night - 24 points on 11 shots and 13 rebounds to go with it - but received little help from elsewhere. The Team struggled on the defensive end, as McFoster controlled the play in the paint with relative ease. After 20 years in existence, the Ensylvan Drakes finally win their first playoff game in franchise history!!

#3 City Van East Sunrisers 58, #6 Luva Mountaineers 70
As much as the home arena was packed, the Sunrisers fans didn't have much to cheer for throughout the game. Luva powered through, particularly on the offensive rebounding, to clinch another playoff victory in their franchise's storied history. Sinclair Journey turned the clock back to the tune of 26 points and seven assists. The young City Van East team, especially Matt Morris, fell short of their lofty expectations. Morris had just 14 points and added six turnovers. Ja Perrano wasn't better, as he finished with a woeful 12 points and five turnovers.

#2 Simeka Sleuths 68, #7 Soup 82
Soup is now 2-0 against the Sleuths in the playoffs, as this rivalry was slated to be must-watch television. The Sleuths led for most of the first half, and even started the second off strong with three straights made field goals. It looked like the Sleuths were preparing for another run to the Finals. Soup, however, had other plans in mind; down 57 - 50 with twelve minutes to go, Soup called a timeout to devise a strategy. From that point on, the defense was turned up to the maximum. Clarence Poole had a first half offensive dud and looked like a completely different human being after that timeout. Poole poured in 20 points to go along with an absurd 16 rebounds and four blocks. Horace Suggs locked down on Brody Rizzo and held him to just four second half points. By way of forcing ten more turnovers after halftime, Soup quickly crawled their way back and never surrendered. Simeka was left stunned for the second year in a row.

1988 Semifinals

#4 Ensylvan Drakes vs. #8 Desherd City Dachshunds
Desherd City has the League MVP in Tyrone Buckley. Ensylvan has two All-OBA members to counter that. Will the Drakes continue their high-flying offensive efficiency? Will the Dachshunds ride Buckley's hot streak to a second straight upset?

#6 Luva Mountaineers vs. #7 Soup
It took a lot of energy to get back into the game with the Simeka Sleuths. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers put the Sunrisers away rather easily. Will Soup have enough in the tank to make it to a second consecutive OCS Finals? Can Luva return to the mountaintop once again and reclaim their spot as the best of the OBA?

SEMIFINAL TIME!!!!!!!!!!

1988 OCS Finals
#7 Soup 88, #8 Desherd City Dachshunds 77
SOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUPPPP for number TWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Soup becomes the third franchise to win consecutive OCS Finals after taking down the Dachshunds in dominant fashion. The score indicates that the game was closer than in reality. Soup led by 17 at the half, paced by Horace Suggs' 10 points and Clarence Poole's 18 points. Soup enjoyed great success in transition, forcing many Dachshund turnovers and transforming them into points. Further, Poole had a monstrous 22-rebound night en route to being voted for his first OCS Finals MVP award. Along with that, he concluded with 29 points and four assists. It was an all-around performance for the Soup big man. Tyrone Buckley, the league MVP, had a solid performance (23 points/7 rebounds/3 assists) but also had seven turnovers that contributed to the Soup victory.

Congratulations to Soup for winning their second OCS Finals in as many years!!!!

1989 Offseason
Per tradition, the league meetings were held in Gilroy at The Table in The Back Room of The Bar of The River Galloway. The league representatives were bustling with excitement over the previous season and those to come. With four seasons of 24 teams under their belt, the financial and cultural health of the league was positive.

NO EXPANSION... YET... - The league almost unanimously agreed to keep the size limited at 24 teams for the time being. While nobody had approached the league with a team, the representatives found it best to proactively announce their comfortability with 24 for the next few seasons at least.

A CELEBRATION OF 20 YEARS - A transcript of the speech from Commissioner Ian Thomas:

"The conclusion of the 1988 season marked two decades of success for the OBA. What started as a midnight pickup game between friends has blossomed into the top source of entertainment for Oneioeans everywhere. To be a witness of the league's growth is a blessing. Children have emulated the smooth Andre Oz pull-up, that nasty Hitts Weckerthaul crossover, to now the stepbacks of Bryson McMurray and Stanley Sweetney. Of course, no star players are anything without their teammates who dedicate hours upon hours of their lives to this game. They pour into arenas, sporting the jerseys of their favorite athletes. They rally around each other in a sense of community never before seen in this country. Through this communal strength, we were able to create a Hall of Fame honoring those who helped build this league into what it is today. This toast goes out to everyone; from the players to the fans, to the arena staffs, to my colleagues in the office, and everyone in between. Thank you, and I cannot wait for what the future holds."

Commissioner Thomas received a roaring ovation from those in attendance.

CATERING - The meeting was catered by TacoTown.