CHAMPAIGN — As the final seconds counted down and he saw his teammates begin to hug one another through tears of joy, Bradley-Bourbonnais Unified basketball player Brandon Campbell couldn’t help it.
The Boilermakers were state champions, defeating Vernon Hills 54-47 in Saturday’s IHSA Unified Basketball Division I State championship at the University of Illinois Activities and Recreation Center in Champaign.
“I was trying to hold in all my emotions, but I cried, bro. It was crazy,” Campbell said. “... We’re all family here, brothers and sisters — once I saw everyone crying, I got emotional.
“It was the best experience. I’m so glad we made it to state and that we finished strong.”
Unified basketball is a Special Olympics sport that pairs Special Olympics athletes with their Unified partners from school, with the IHSA hosting the State Finals in conjunction with the boys basketball finals that were played at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
And for Bradley-Bourbonnais, Unified hoops is what has brought the school its first basketball state championship of any kind in the school’s history.
“It means a lot to the school,” senior guard Tariq Maiden said. “This is going to run through the history of basketball forever [at Bradley-Bourbonnais].”
After a 5-0 run from Tyler Wilson to give the Boilers a lead they held for all 32 minutes, it was Maiden’s early outburst when he made the first three 3-pointers he attempted that gave the team the comfortable lead it would end up needing after a late Storm rally.
Head coach Paul Drake said Maiden’s ability to serve as the team’s focal point isn’t just a positive for the team but also casts a great example of what Unified basketball is all about.
“As an athlete, as opposed to a Unified partner, he controls the ball and brings it up the court,” Drake said. “I think that shows other teams how to be inclusive, and actually might cause problems because some teams might not think he’s a Special Olympics athlete.
“He and Markeese [Jeffrey] do a great job of handling the ball and being a part of it with the Unified guys.”
The Boilers built a double-digit lead in the first half but slowly saw the Storm cut into it — to as close as 34-32 in the early moments of the fourth quarter. But the Boilers responded with a 9-0 run of their own and, despite a flurry of late 3-pointers from Vernon Hills’ William Smith, were able to hold on.
“As soon as they cut it down to two, I locked in,” Maiden said. “I was like, ‘We can’t lose this; we have to lock in and play D.’”
Maiden is one of several key pieces who returned this season from the 2021-22 team that took second place at last year’s finals. The success the team had last year — the school’s first year of Unified basketball — is what helped drive other Special Olympians such as Campbell and Jeffry to join a team that wound up making school history.
“[I joined] because I’ve always wanted to win a state championship,” Jeffry said. “And now I did.”
Aside from a state trophy, some Boilers were playing for more than that. Special Olympian Joe Menard played the tournament with a heavy heart after his dog, Cabela, died Thursday. After each of the four baskets he made to tally his nine points and before his signature chest bumps with cousin and teammate Calvin Kohl in the team’s 50-35 win against Pontiac in Friday’s semifinal, Menard gave a point up to heaven in honor of Cabela.
“I pretty much just did it for her,” an emotional Menard said. “I had her for 13 years.”
Blue Devils take 3rd
The Boilermakers were joined locally by Peotone, who made its first trip to state since before the COVID-19 pandemic as Unified basketball made its return to the school.
The Blue Devils opened the tournament Friday with a narrow 32-26 defeat at the hands of Vernon Hills but finished on a high note after taking early control and holding on for a 47-43 win against Pontiac in Saturday’s third-place game.
One of several Peotone Special Olympians who competes in a bevy of Special Olympics sports during the course of the year, Blue Devil Micheal Flanagan said the team’s run to the third-place plaque is one that is tough to top.
“To me, this is the biggest thing and a good reason to be with this team, to win medals and everything,” Flanagan said after he and his teammates received their medals and plaque. “This is a big part of my life. This is the best time and the best sport I’ve played over the years.”
Flanagan certainly enjoyed helping the Blue Devils to their bronze medal as a member of the team’s starting lineup, along with Special Olympians Esteban Anaya and Liam and Unified partners David Reidy and Evan Lonard. But the on-court results were just a part of what helped make Flanagan’s weekend so great, along with the other memories he made with his teammates and coaches, including finding time amidst the busy weekend to watch his favorite sport, WWE wrestling.
“To me, my favorite part was getting to watch WWE. … My favorite part [of the tournament] was getting to spend a long time [with my team] and to see my sister,” Flanagan said. “I got to spend a lot of time with my friends and people I love.
“If I had to pick one, I would have to pick my [assistant] coach, David [Carroll], and my best friend, who also loves WWE, Jack Klawitter and his sister, Sophie Klawitter.”
Jack and Sophie have grown up playing sports together at home, but Unified provided the siblings their first opportunity to play an organized sport together this season.
“It’s really amazing,” Sophie said. “We’ve always grown up playing sports with Jack at home, but it’s amazing to have a referee and a team with other people on it who will say, “Pass it to Jack,’ and ‘Yay, Jack scored a basket.’
“We’re celebrating everyone.”
For a gallery of more than 50 photos from the Boilers and Blue Devils during the weekend, go to daily-journal.com/sports. For more on the Klawitter siblings and their family’s deep roots in Special Olympics, check Wednesday’s Daily Journal.
To learn more about Special Olympics Illinois, go to soill.org.
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