Classic Illinois Hoops

[crusader_of_90]

The IHSA has posted some old game films. This is one that I enjoyed watching - ahh, names from "back in the day."

East St. Louis Lincoln versus Chicago King for the Heavyweight Championship of the World (or IHSA title - one of the two).

If I remember right, Cuonzo Martin was a freshman on the Lincoln squad. Back then, East Side drew the football players, Lincoln attracted the hoopsters and track stars. The schools have since combined and their collective achievements declined ... such a mess.


LaPhonso Ellis versus Marcus Liberty in the 1987 s

 

[septon34]

Tremendous game. Thx you

 

[LHSTigers94]

Lincoln didn't have 9th grade during that time frame. Martin didn't play to 88.

The decline in both sports stem from ESL kids moving to surrounding schools. Cahokia has a ton of what would be "Lincoln" kids who parents refuse to send their kids to E. Side.

 

[crusader_of_90]

So you don't think that combining the schools - and the POLITICAL RIVALS - into one building did not have a negative impact? Did not Bob Shannon leave right around then?

 

[LHSTigers94]

Shannon left two years before they combined schools. The negative impact lies within going from a town of 100K to 27K.

 

[crusader_of_90]

The decline in population was not the impact in the 1990s - the decrease happened well before that. Combining those schools should have resulted in INCREASED success - not the opposite.

But we can disagree there.

 

[LHSTigers94]

You missed my point. The schools never "combined" in terms of sports. In 1997 the year before they combined, there were 2K kids at E. Side and 1500 kids at Lincoln. Combining both schools should have yielded an 8A power of 3500 students. The school never exceeded 2500 students. Today its 1500. If ALL ESL students would have combined under one roof yielding a school of 3500 the success would have been there. Benny made it to state 2 years in a row but, was force to retire shortly one year later. Basketball hasn't been the same since.

 

[crusader_of_90]

I'm glad Nino is still there though.

 

[crusader_of_90]

And you are correct, I did miss that point. I follow where you were going with that. Not a true combination, but disbursement of one school and those students were not totally absorbed by the most obvious school, meaning ESL. I getcha now.