PEORIA - The
weekend of March 8-10 not only gave fans a chance to meet the IHSA 100
Legends of the Class A Tournament, it perhaps gave them a chance
to see the 101st legend as well, as Robert
Kreps led the Maroa-Forsyth
Trojans to their first
state basketball championship in school history .
While it was their first state
title in basketball, it was the Trojans' second this season
after having defeated Westville 43-22 the day after Thanksgiving to
win the Class 2A football championship—a feat matched only by
the 1988-89 Carlyle Indians. Riding the momentum of
that championship into the basketball season, with many
football players playing hoops, such as Kreps, Andrew
Mills, and Dustin
Moore, the Trojans were able to parlay that success into a 33-1
season on the hardwood for Coach
Chad Cluver .
Trojans’
fans had high hopes coming into this tourney as last
season’s crew finished 3rd after defeating another team with a huge
agenda, the Pinckneyville Panthers, 44-38 at Carver Arena. Momentum
was definitely on their side as Maroa-Forsyth rolled through the
regular season claiming the championships of the Macon County
Tournament, St. Teresa Holiday Tournament, Okaw Valley Tournament,
as well as wins over state-ranked Monticello,
Warrensburg-Latham,
and defending state champ Seneca
at the Riverton
Shootout .
The road to Peoria certainly
wasn’t an easy one as the Trojans were dealt a hand of Heyworth and
Lexington, Minonk (Fieldcrest) and Eureka,
and St. Joseph-Ogden in the Tri-Valley Regional, Olympia
Sectional, and Illinois State Super-Sectional
respectively. The latter challenge wasn’t an easy one as IHSS
All-State 1st Teamer Robert Kreps would be sidelined for the Super-Sectional after an emergency appendectomy. Many thought his goal of returning to Peoria would not be met as his clearance to play this past weekend, regardless of the Super-Sectional outcome, was doubtful.
His Trojan teammates stepped
up, Ben
Cochran and his 26 points against SJO in a 48-43 victory, and led the team to the quarter-finals adding yet another day to their dream season.
Gaining a clearance from his doctor, a tender Kreps was able to take floor against West Carroll. In 22 minutes of action, Kreps contributed with 11 points, but it was Cochran who again stole the show with his game-high 21 points as they knocked off the Thunder 64-36 on Friday morning.
Saturday morning would bring a
new challenge in the form of a date with the Teutopolis
Wooden Shoes , who had just knocked off the #1 Nashville Hornets 20 hours prior. Kreps still looked a little tender to start, but played all 40 minutes in a double-overtime thriller. Robo, as he is affectionately known as, had 18 points, but it was Matt Guymon who stepped up with a game-high 20 as the Trojans put themselves in the Championship Saturday night coming away with 58-49 win.
With the State Championship
hanging in the balance on Saturday night against the North
Lawndale Phoenix , Kreps regained his superstar status and added a new title to his accolades—legend.
It was a legend that would be born in the fourth quarter, after the Trojans dominated the first half and still held a 4-point after the end of 3.
After a double-double performance of 27 points and 10 rebounds, Kreps had 6 three-point baskets, but the most instrumental came at the 2:25 mark of the 4th quarter, breaking a 53-53 tie and the Trojans would never look back. After trading missed field goals and seeing both teams at the charity stripe, it would ultimately be Kreps who sealed the fate of the champs.
With only 14 seconds left in
the ballgame, after a Ben
Cochran steal, Kreps would be fouled by Isiah
Evans and sent to the line for two free throws. Robo
drained both and suddenly the Trojans could do no worse than
overtime with a 59-56 lead. Coming back from their timeout
with 9 seconds, the Phoenix
frantically tried to pass around the perimeter for anyone who could
get off an open shot. Calm, cool, and collected Ben
Cochran stepped up again and intercepted a pass with one second on
the clock. He dribbed the ball across the timeline and threw
it in the air in celebration as time expired. The
Maroa-Forsyth Trojans were State Champions.
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