@HuskerlandBob Sez: This is as hard for me to write and it is for many of you to read - Rusty Moore has passed away.

Best known to most as the Mullen boys basketball coach, Rusty was all man, all cowboy, with an intense competitive nature and a heart as big as the Sand Hills he loved so much. He died Monday after a heroic battle against brain cancer.

I know what you are thinking, and probably thought when you first heard about Rusty's condition - guys like Rusty Moore don't get brain cancer. He's too tough for that, not that toughness has anything to do with cancer but Rusty's aura had a way of making you think it might. And if it did, he'd beat it. Out-tough it.

And he did beat it. He was not expected to live much at all after his diagnosis but he did. He even coached a little more, certainly did some light work (though more of it that he should have) around the family ranch. There was no keeping a guy like Rusty down, no matter his circumstance.

Which brings me to this, a moment that I wish I comprehended more completely at the time. A couple of weeks back I was in Broken Bow for the MNAC basketball tournament, and I was asked to join the South Loup basketball players and some basketball moms for a sandwich and a story. Very nice, all the way around.

As I was walking down the hall with South Loup senior Grant Jones there was a whoosh! as we were passed by a guy racing down the hallway. No biggie, not at first, then I realized it was Lance Moore, the former Mullen great and more importantly Rusty Moore's son.

After he'd raced by I called his name, and he returned fire, saying something like, "Bob, we'll be right back, I gotta get dad." Dad? Well, that's awesome, a chance to see Rusty, whom I had not seen since the 2019 MNAC. They'll be right back.

I went with Grant and joined the South Loup contingent where we had a sandwich and a couple of laughs before I ducked back into the gym, where Mullen, Rusty's Mullen, was playing Hyannis in the second boys semifinal. I looked around the gym for Rusty and Lance but didn't see them. By then it was time for me to start back home.

Next time. I'll see Rusty next time.

I had no idea there'd not be a next time, at least not on this earth, nor did I realize his condition on that day, just about a month ago. Not sure I'll ever quite forget that missed opportunity to speak to one of my favorite people.

Rusty had such a tremendous impact on people, mostly because of his honesty. You never had to doubt Rusty meant what he said and did what he said he'd do. Our world is a worse place with his passing, as is the game of Nebraska high school basketball.

My thoughts and prayers go to the extended Moore family and his many friends. Not many like Rusty have come down the pike. RIP, Coach.

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The following is our story when Rusty Moore was named Huskerland's 2017 Class D-2 boys basketball coach of the year.

If you ain’t gonna get many shots, make them count. You know, like Mullen did.

Having qualified for the state boys basketball tournament for only the second time since 1952, the Broncos last weekend swept to the Class D-2 championship, the first in school history. Mullen head coach Rusty Moore has been named Huskerland’s Class D-2 boys basketball coach of the year.

Even at 23-2 going in the Broncos needed to win their district title in order to qualify for state, which they did with a 48-40 win over one-loss Sumner-Eddyville-Miller, which subsequently missed out on a state tournament bid. Once at state Mullen edged defending champion Humphrey St. Francis 45-44 in the opening round, beat No. 1 seed Riverside 54-52 in the semifinals, then finished things off with a 29-28 win over Mead in the state final.

Those final two state tournament wins were touched by irony, as both were won with perfect scoring in-bounds plays in the final seconds of the game; plays that failed in Mullen’s two regular season losses.

“The play we made work on Friday night against Riverside didn’t against Gordon-Rushville (a game Mullen lost 54-49 in overtime) and the one that worked against Mead in the final didn’t against Twin Loup in the conference tournament final (a 47-45 loss),” says Coach Moore, who has compiled a 200-77 career coaching record.

As for having his team win its first state tournament title by a total of four points over the three games, Coach Moore credits his team for its clutch play.

“We made plays when we had to, and we also played the three best defensive games of the season,” says Coach Moore. “Our kids never did play their best game - our offense never really hit its stride - but their effort was always great, especially on Friday night. That’s a game I will never forget.”

Coach Moore had a team that was led by his son, Lance Moore, the team’s point guard and one of its tough and proven senior leaders. Coach Moore credits his team with being completely dedicated to the sport and to the season.

“I’ll bet we didn’t have 10 missed practices all season long,” he say. “Our senior leadership was great and they set a tremendous example for the rest of our players.”

There was big ol’ party - some people’d call it a pep rally - held in Mullen on Wednesday and Coach Moore and his players were there to soak in all the accolades. “Our people have been just great all season long and at the state tournament, but to be honest it really hasn’t sunk in. I am just happy for the kids on the team, who put in all that hard work and achieved their goal. It doesn’t always happen that way, but I am glad it did for them.”