By Dan McGrath
Coach Jimalle Ridley struggled to keep his emotions in check as he addressed his Leo Lions, their season having just ended two wins short of a state tournament berth on Friday, March 7.
“If you had said three years ago that we’d be within one point of a sectional title within three years, not many people would have believed you,” Ridley said.
Indeed, three years after the departure of a coach and some standout players necessitated a start-all-over rebuild, Leo found itself facing Public League campaigner Dyett in the championship game of an IHSA Class 2-A sectional that was scheduled for Julian but held at Simeon because of an unsafe playing floor at Julian.
The Eagles (24-7) eked out a 44-43 victory that sent them on to the Class 2-A Supersectional at Joliet, where another win over Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin had them Champaign-bound for a state tournament semifinal matchup with Peoria Manual. The Lions concluded a 23-12 season that has all the earmarks of a breakthrough.
Dyettt made seven of 10 fourth-quarter free throws, the last two by Rickey Coleman giving the Eagles a 44-40 lead with 13 seconds remaining. That was just enough to withstand Ethan Jackson’s three-pointer at the buzzer.
As Dyett celebrated, Leo trudged off to a sad, somber locker room.
“I want you guys to walk out of here with your heads up,” Ridley insisted. “We came up a little short tonight, but it was a heck of a season.”
No doubt. Leo’s victory total exceeded its combined total (21) of the previous two seasons. The Lions won a second consecutive regional championship. They were 17-6 after January 1, a sign of steady and significant improvement. They announced their return to Catholic League contention with gut-check wins over Loyola Academy and St. Ignatius when both were ranked in the Sun-Times Top 25. They took care of Crete-Monee, Christ the King and Perspectives IIT while compiling a 20-7 nonconference record.
“Not many 2-A teams played as tough a schedule as we did,” Ridley said.
Ridley thanked seniors Dontae Bell, Stephen Barze, Emanuel Walker and Kam’ron Dove for their contributions, which were plentiful. Jackson, a junior and a big-time shooter, heads a returning cast that includes sophomores Nate Stephens, Asa Harris, Karon Shavers, Brian Kizer and Brandon Gandy Jr. There’s a stockpile of talent at the lower levels, including promising freshman Brandel Orr, with more arriving in an 80-member incoming freshman class.