Farragut's unlikely run to state ends in 2A semifinals
CHAMPAIGN — Farragut was once the greatest show Illinois high school basketball had seen. But the days of Kevin Garnett and Ronnie Fields are long gone.
Admirals coach William ‘‘Wolf’’ Nelson struggled to keep his program alive in the final years of his coaching career, getting by with 10 or 11 players and no sophomore team. One of Nelson’s former star players, Emmanuel Little, took over as coach three years ago, and Nelson became athletic director.
Farragut’s appearance in the Class 2A state finals is a testament to the love and care Nelson and Little have for their school. No one involved in high school basketball believed the Admirals would earn a state trophy this season, but they will play for third place after losing to Quincy Notre Dame 64-45 in the semifinals Thursday at the State Farm Center.
‘‘I’m just excited about these boys,’’ Little said. ‘‘They are exceptional on and off the court. A lot of them are having emotional tears, but they should be happy. Sad is when you mourn something bad. They should be happy tears.’’
All-City senior Latrell Kelley, who led Farragut (13-15) to upset playoff victories against Phillips and Crane, finished with 21 points.
‘‘It was a long season,’’ Kelley said. ‘‘We had a tough road, and a lot of people doubted us. We prevailed. I take pride in that, but I want to win.’’
‘‘We knew that [Kelley] was the main player and that if we shut him down they would have a hard time scoring,’’ Quincy Notre Dame’s Beau Eftink said. ‘‘So whenever he came off screens or went away from us, we doubled him.’’
Kelley’s three-pointer with 4:31 left in the third quarter cut the Raiders’ lead to 32-30. Then everything fell apart for the Admirals.
Quincy Notre Dame (32-1) took control by forcing a flurry of turnovers to start a 25-4 run.
‘‘It happened on the defensive end,’’ Raiders coach Greg Altmix said. ‘‘You get pretty good shots when you get steals and turnovers. When you have a team that is willing to buy in on the defensive end, that is huge.’’
Deangelo Embry added nine points and Terez Terrell eight for Farragut. Jace Allensworth led Quincy Notre Dame with 16 points. The Raiders will face Peoria Manual in the Class 2A title game Saturday.
‘‘It’s been a tough road, coming in knowing what we have,’’ Little said. ‘‘They say you only need five on the floor, so that is what we have been doing. Sometimes it gets to you, but a lot of times it doesn’t. I’m truly happy about our guys. Farragut is still here. Never dropped out of the Red-West.’’