Old School Coaches- Favorite IHSA March Madness Memories

This Week’s Question

As fans, many of us have had great IHSA “March Madness” memories. As children or as adults, there have been some great games, great players, and great coaches who have provided exciting memories. What are some of your best memories as a fan of “March Madness?”

Mike Cooper- Ottawa 

The best postseason games I have seen over the years:

Ottawa vs Geneseo 1983 Boys Basketball Rock Island sectional. Two NCIC teams playing for the second time that year. Ottawa was  25-2 and Geneseo was 19-7. Ottawa won the game 84-79 in 5 overtime's and would end up beating Moline to win the Rock Island sectional. 

1987 Mendota vs Hall, Plano Boys Basketball sectional final. This was the second matchup between these two rivals who are both in the NCIC. The game went back and forth the entire night, Hall made a basket with 30 seconds left to tie the game. Mendota would hold the ball until the final seconds and with no time left Bryon Becker drained an 18 foot jump set to set off mass pandemonium in the Plano gym.  Mendota would lose to Elgin St Edward in the NIU Super-Sectional. 

2012 Football second round at Ottawa. Ottawa was 10-0 facing a 1 loss Rock Island team. Ottawa trailed 20-0 and it looked like their dream season would come to an end. Michael Hermosillo opened the second half with a 65 yard run to pull Ottawa within 20-7. Both teams would have the ball several times before Ottawa drove the ball 75 yards to score with 3 minutes remaining. Rock Island trying to run the clock out fumbled on their own 40 yard line. Ottawa would get a first down before throwing a ball into the endzone where Michael Hermosillo made a spectacular catch to give the Pirates a 21-20 win. Probably the best Ottawa football win in 50 years.

Greg Bennett- Lewistown

 

My fandom of high school sports in general, and “March Madness” in particular, dates back to my grade school days between 1973 & 1976. During that time period I was a student in the 4th, 5th, & 6th grades at Rolling Acres in Peoria. 

Rolling Acres was one of the primary feeder schools for Richwoods High School and, during that three year period, the Richwoods Knights proved to be one of the top programs in the state, as they amassed an impressive record of 83 wins and 6 losses. 

The 73-74 team (27-2), which was ranked #2 at the time, defeated Galesburg in the regional final and were defeated in double overtime in the sectional championship by Peoria Central.

The 74-75 team (30-3), which was ranked #3 at the time, defeated Galesburg in the regional final, Peoria Central in the sectional final, Sterling in the supersectional, and Rockford Auburn in the quarterfinals, before falling to eventual state champion, Chicago Phillips in the semis. They ended up with the 4th place trophy after being defeated by East St. Louis in the 3rd place game.

The 75-76 team (26-1), which was undefeated and ranked #1 in the state at the time, suffered a soul crushing overtime loss to Galesburg in the regional championship game, an event still remembered in Peoria as the “Friday Night Massacre.” (I have been told by “people in the know” that the underhanded tactics and skulduggery, employed by a young Galesburg assistant coach by the name of Evan Massey, may have been a key factor in the game’s outcome.)

During that exciting three year period I attended pep rallies and games, listened to games on the radio, idolized Richwoods legends such as Derek Holcomb (Indiana Univ./Univ. of Illinois) and Mark Smith (Univ. of Illinois), and bled green and white. One of my favorite memories was sitting in the Rolling Acres gymnasium, along with the entire student body, watching the television and screaming as the Knights played in Champaign. I will never forget all of the excitement and fun. I was hooked on “March Madness” from that moment on.

Evan Massey- Galesburg

One of first tourney memories was when Savanna lost to Erie in Moline Sectional. Erie played Galesburg in the championship game at Wharton. It was 1960 when Bumpy Nixon couldn’t play. My grandparents lived in Galesburg and kept us updated with newspaper clippings. As an 8 year old, I remember walking by Galesburg outside lockerooms, and Bumpy was in street clothes. We sat in front row of balcony. My dad reminded us that our tickets came from Erie so not to cheer out loud for the Streaks. 

1968 was my first time at Champaign for the tourney. Galesburg played #1 Effingham in the Elite 8. Effingham was undefeated. The Streaks ran right by the tall, slow Flaiming Hearts to a blow out win. Dave Wood was one of the stars and then several years later a teammate at Knox.

As a sophomore assistant, the Streaks went to State in 1976. The Elite 8 game didn’t turn out well vs Morgan Park. In all my years going to the boys and girls tourneys, I have never seen as involved and large fan base as Galesburg brought. The GHS band and Sally Rynott were the band for the night. When she played Hi Yo Silver, the Streaks fans who had a large sections clear to the ceiling, rose in mass, and started clapping in rhythm. Legend had it that the IHSA had told her she could only play the fight song once. After she played it a second time, they told her no more. That was shortly before she played it a third time!

My favorite moment in March Madness was 1982 Quincy vs Marshall third place game. Quincy was down one with seconds left and had the ball at half-court. Jerry Leggett designed the out of bounds play. Dennis Douglas passed long to Bruce Douglas, who jumped and save it back inbounds to Tim Huseman who put it in at the buzzer. Jerry Leggett at his best. 

Thom Sigel- Rock Island

Wow, it seems that we could pick out so many March Madness memories from the Illinois State Tournament over the years!  My first memories were from grade school when some of our teachers might let us roll in a TV to watch the afternoon quarterfinals.  I decided I would list a few of my top memories from games that I have seen IN PERSON that come to mind:

  1982 Class A Super Sectional - I had a friend whose cousins are Jack & Jeff Hippen who played for the Chadwick Silver Streaks who played the Monmouth Zippers at Rock Island Fieldhouse; it is extra special years later as I was able to coach in that facility for 20 years, but I remember walking in and entering at the balcony level in such a big gym; then it ended up being a great environment with two small communities going crazy over their high school basketball teams

  1983 Class A Friday night quarterfinals - first trip to Assembly Hall and sat in next to top row from the roof; saw Marty Simmons score all of team's points in the second half for Lawrenceville in win over a great Providence St. Mel team

  1984 Class AA State Tournament - my dad used to work at the Daily Gazette, so we got some press passes my senior year at Rock Falls for me to be on the baseline (had cameras we didn't really use just to make it look official); saw Ben Wilson, Kenny Battle, and Everett Stephens with one of the best in-person dunks I have seen

  1994 Peoria Sectional semis - so many I have after '94 are as a coach, and we weren't supposed to include memories as a coach; since I was a sophomore coach at Galesburg and not a head coach, I am going to include this one; start off thinking of 4 historic programs playing a double-header at Robertson Fieldhouse - Peoria Central, Galesburg, Peoria Manual, and Quincy; the old airplane hanger with the raised court was packed with I believe about 7000 fans; we beat Central in game 1, who was ranked very high and maybe #1, then Manual beat Quincy in a great game; unfortunately Manual got us on Friday night on their way to the first of their 4 straight titles

Mike Tracey- Alleman, UTHS

In 2018 and 2019 l covered a second semester AD opening at UTHS. One of the duties l thought l would never do again was to host an IHSA Sectional Tournament. I had the 4A boys basketball tournament . 

This was a bit unique because of the distance teams had to travel. 

The teams ( l believe )were Alton, Belleville West, Danville, and Pekin. 

Belleville West won in Alton and we hosted Danville against Pekin. Danville beat a very good Pekin team. Belleville would play Danville on Friday.

West was the 4A champion in 2017-2018. They had the player who would be named Mr. Basketball in 2018-2019, E. J Liddell. Little did we realize what we would witness that evening.

Belleville West defeated Danville in the highest scoring high school game  l had ever viewed. West won 95-83 over Danville. The crowd was loud and intense. It was tremendous. 

I was extremely impressed by Liddell. He was a tremendous talent who was the ultimate team player. He shared the ball. He played outstanding defense. There was no “hot dog” in his game. He controlled the game in an unselfish manner. It was an amazing display. 

Belleville West went on to win their second straight State Championship. They played the “right” way. They had a tremendous effect on all of us who watched them play. The Team came first for all the players. West was refreshing to watch in person and on TV .

  

Being exposed to this  Belleville West team is my major memory of March Madness.

Jeff Parsons- Wethersfield, Fulton

The IHSA memory that I have was the 1996-97 Williamsfield Bomber victory over Rock Island Alleman in the 1997 Super-Sectional at Wharton Fieldhouse.

I was an assistant at Camp Point Central under Pat Rafferty a HOF coach. I drove up to Moline from Camp Point to watch the game.  Alleman had several players back from a team that got 3rd in state the years before with Coach Larry Schulte. The closest thing to "Hoosiers" I've ever seen. 

Not many people gave tiny little Williamsfield a chance to win. Alleman was really good. Williamsfield had Travis Lewis that was a 3000 point scorer and a Multi-Year All-Stater. Billtown would end up winning on a last second shot and Lewis ended up having over 30 points on the biggest stage. The atmosphere was the loudest most intense game I have ever seen as a fan, coach, AD and Principal. 

Williamsfield was Coached by HOF Coach Bob Anderson. Nobody in the world could have pulled off that upset besides Coach A. Tiny little Williamsfield to a state appearance in the 2 class system. I remember him telling me after the game, he joked with Assistant Coach Bobby Ross before the game, "Can we really win this game."  

Side note: Williamsfield advanced to state and sold 1100 tickets at the Peoria Civic Center, with only 550 people in the town of Williamsfield. They played Chicago St. Francis DeSales, who had Sean Lamply who was committed California at that time. Williamsfield gave them everything they wanted before they bowed out.

Greg King- Sterling

I can vividly remember when we were in Junior High, teachers would always let us listen to the Class A basketball state tourney.  We would bring our transistor radios and earpiece to listen to the games.  We would get 8 guys and each throw in a dollar.  We would then race home to watch the end of the morning session.  Tournament Central with the great Ray Scott was always entertaining as well.   I remember the one year I had the number 1 ranked Eldorado.  They had the All Stater Mike Duff, who would later die in a plane crash with the entire Evansville basketball team. They were beat in the quarterfinals that costing me my $1.  That was also the year that the State of Illinois was introduced to the “Blonde Bomber” Jay Shidler!  One of my big memories from the Class AA tourney was Morgan Park winning on a last second shot by Laird Smith.  They also had the great Levi Cobb, who went on to star for the Illini!

What was crazy to me was all the small school teams from the south (that I had never heard of before), dominating the tourney.  You had Ridgway, Havana, Madison, Eldorado, Watseka, Lawrenceville, Eldorado, and Nashville. One of the 1st Chicago Class A schools I remember was Providence New Lenox and of course Walter Downing.  I could not believe that he was the same age as I was.   

The 1st tourney I ever went to was my sophomore year 1978-79.  I remember watching guys like Rich Fetter from Riverton, Brad Gregurich, Roger King and Tracey Trimpe from Havana, Jeff Heerdt from Timothy Christian, and Eddie Mathews from Brimfield.  One of the best teams I can remember was the 1980 Luther South team.  They were loaded!  They had Mike Conley (world class triple jumper), Pierre Martin (Dunking machine that went to Bradley!), and Tony Martin who later played at Wyoming.  

The 1st school I ever taught at that made it to the IHSA State tourney was at Rock Island in 1995.  What a team that was.  Pete Mickeal, Monte and Cory Jenkins, Josh Elston, Tymon Vesey and Brad Wilson.  They ended up finishing 3rd.  I was sitting courtside when Josh Elston’s 3 point shot rimmed out losing to Harvey Thornton.  It was the best finish for a Rock Island team until a certain Thom Sigel took them all the way to a championship!

I have played in 2 state championships in football (finishing 2nd both times) and 3 football national championships (winning 2 and losing 1).  The most disappointed I ever was and still think about to this day, was how our 1981 team at Amboy did not make it to Champaign.  We had a 17 point lead in the 3rd quarter against Putnam County and blew it.  That is called…missing free throws down the stretch.  Putnam went to Champaign before losing to the Anthony Webster and Lorenzo Duncan led Cairo team.  

Bob Anderson- Williamsfield HS

Bob is retired as boys basketball coach at Williamsfield. At a school of only 89 students, in 45 years, his teams won 732 games along with numerous tourney and conference championships. His 1997 team made it to the Elite 8. 

Mike Cooper- Ottawa HS

Mike is the retired Athletic Director at Ottawa HS. He was varsity girls basketball coach for 22 years, as well as sophomore football coach for many years. He was inducted in the the IBCA HOF.

Tim Engebretson- United HS

He was varsity head football coach for many years at United HS. He also has coached basketball at different levels. His 2005 team won the Illinois State Title, and Tim is in the Illinois Football Coaches' HOF as well as the United HOF.

Greg King- Sterling HS

In his head coaching career at Sterling, his football teams went 78-28, and had 10 straight play-off appearances and 5 conference titles. In addition to his success as a football coach, he was inducted in the Illinois Athletic Director's Association HOF. 

Mark Massey- Clinton HS

Mark was the head volleyball coach at Clinton for 38 years. His teams won 818 games, and twice took second in State. He is in the Iowa Volleyball HOF and Clinton HS HOF.

Thom Sigel- Rock Falls/Rock Island HS

Thom coached basketball for 32 years. His teams won 502 games, and he has the distinction of winning the State Title at both Rock Falls and Rock Island. Thom is in the IBCA HOF.

Mike Tracey- Alleman, UTHS, Moline HS

Mike coached football at Alleman, UT, and Moline for over 20 years. He is considered the premier football coach in WB6 history. His teams won 140 games, and twice finished second in State. Mike is in the Alleman HS HOF and the Illinois Football HOF. He was also selected Illinois AD of the Year. 

Greg Bennett- Lewistown

Greg coached many sports at Lewistown. He had teams go to State in girls basketball and football. He is in the Illinois Football HOF as well as being in the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame. He is know for his commitment as a coach and his high energy level. 

Jeff Parsons- Wethersfeild, Fulton

Jeff was a highly successful baseball and basketball coach at Kewanee Wethersfield. He was inducted into the IBCA HOF. Presently he is the Athletic Director at Fulton