After the bus rolled up to Whitney Young High School’s basketball complex Sunday afternoon, 12 lanky young men plodded down the steps, slung their crammed-full sports bags over their slumping shoulders and trudged to the front door.
Their eyes were sleepy. Their feet were heavy. Their conversation was minimal.
The only evidence that these teenagers had just accomplished a feat worthy of honor were the half-dollar-size gold medals hanging from the red-white-and-blue ribbons around their necks. “Boys State Class AA Champions,” the medallions boasted.
When asked how they felt, “tired” slipped from their mouths.
Who could blame them?
After all, these 12 standouts had just won three straight games in the state tournament in Peoria, then spent a sleepless night celebrating, after becoming the first Chicago Public League team in five years to win the state Class AA title.
Their droopy eyes perked up, though, when a crowd of about 500 proud parents, teachers and students hooted “Dolphins, Dolphins,” stomped benches and waved orange-and-blue pompons to honor their exhausted players.
The fans, many of whom also were ragged from the three-hour journey from Peoria, gathered Sunday afternoon for a spur-of-the-moment pep rally at the magnet school on the city’s West Side.
“These are extraordinary young men who deserve nothing less than a parade,” said a jubilant Alfrances Sharpe, a Whitney Young English teacher who traveled to Peoria for the game. “We are as proud of them as if they were our own children. We want to run up and hug every one of them.”
Whitney Young won the state tournament Saturday night by beating back a spirited challenge from Galesburg. The Dolphins were led by All-State forward Quentin Richardson and guard Dennis Gates.
The players–as well as longtime coach George Stanton–received standing ovations from the frenzied crowd.
Even Chicago Public Schools chief Paul Vallas heaped a few honors upon the young men, their coach and the school, toasting them for grabbing the tournament Sportsmanship Award as well as the state championship. That is an unusual double for one school.
“This team gave the state a clinic on basketball and a clinic on good sportsmanship,” Vallas said to wild applause from the audience. “It’s a testament to the parents, teachers and the students that you were able to accomplish this.”
But many give the credit to Stanton, a hard-driving leader known as “the Dictator.” Stanton demands unselfish play, discipline and academic excellence from each of his players. He also insists his players act as family, school and community leaders.
“Unselfishness is what makes a great team a great team, a great program a great program, and a great player a great player,” Stanton, who will retire this year, told the crowd. “It’s amazing what can be accomplished if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
Stanton’s words summed up the Dolphins’ play Saturday. When Richardson lost his shooting touch, he focused on rebounding. And Gates, a team leader not as well-known as Richardson, asked his teammates to put their trust in him.
“This is the highest point of my life,” Gates said Sunday, his grin as large as the behemoth three-tiered tournament trophy he clutched to his chest. “We’re a team and we’ve always played as a team, and when it’s your turn to step forward, you step forward.”
———-
On the Internet
To listen to the entire pep rally at Whitney Young High School and relive the entire Class AA boys basketball tournament, go to: chicago.tribune.com/go/aa
