The Madness of March (in January)

Hello! Here it is, the end of the third quarter of Luke's 8th grade year, and I haven't written in awhile. The passage and substance of time really do seem to change as life goes by.

I am grateful to Cathy Happ, for snapping the above photo. It is the last shot (and point) of Luke's basketball career at St. Mark's on January 30. Also the last shot of the 8th grade season, as the valiant Marksmen were defeated in this game by Limestone Walters, the eventual state champs in the IESA 8-1A division.

Luke was banged up in the prior game, on a hard landing, and so only got into this game during the last few seconds. Hard to believe it was his fifth year of wearing the blue and gold.

St. Mark's has a great basketball tradition. When I was cheering the Marksmen more than 40 years ago and John was playing 50 years ago (can it really be 4-5 decades since we suited up?), the Diocesan tournament was our Superbowl. Now, the Peoria Diocese schools participate in the IESA and usually play similar-sized schools, both public and parochial. St. Mark's, though, fields competitive teams, and we play in the larger school tournaments throughout the year as well.

John Stephens coached Luke and his teammates for the past five years. We are so grateful to him for all the time, effort, and teaching he has invested in the boys.

Here is the email Coach Stephens sent to the parents the last week of the season. Thank you, Coach Stephens!

We are having practice on Friday from 5 to about 630. I am getting the boys pizza at the end of practice. I told the boys but please remind them.

We play Saturday at 11:30 at Limestone Walters(Regionals). Our opponent is Holy Family.

I just wanted to say thank you for allowing me to coach  your boys over the last 4 to 5 years. It has been a pleasure.

Over the years I can not tell you how many coaches and parents from opposing teams would come up to me and compliment on how hard they played and how much fun they were to watch as well as there sportsmanship.  

They were very successful in the Catholic tournaments.

5th grade they took 1st place consolation

6th grade they took 1st place for for small schools and 2nd place in the large school tourneys. 

7th grade they took 1st place in small school tourney.

8th grade they took 1st place consolation in big school tourney.

Not bad for a bunch of kids who were always undersized by height but never by heart, determination or effort.

More Athletic Connections at St. Mark's

See these two good looking Marksmen? They have quite the basketball pedigrees. And, wouldn't you know, their histories cross paths. Luke Carroll, the boy on the left, has a grandpa named Ed King. Judd Mathews had a grandpa named Don Mathews. Both of these boys' grandpas played basketball at Bradley University. On the same team. Here they are below.

Ed King is in the back row, number 41. Don Mathews is in the second row to the right of Ed in the photo. They both came to Bradley on scholarships from high schools that had gone to State in their senior year (Ed from Mt. Vernon and Don from Spalding.) In 1954, Ed and Don's senior year at Bradley, the Braves finished second in the NCAA tournament.

As if that isn't enough coincidence, Luke and Judd's fathers also both played at Bradley, though not at the same time. Above, number 21 is John Carroll in 1969. Below Eddie Mathews is in the back row, two players to the right of Coach Versace.

This is Luke's last year as a Marksmen. Judd is in 7th grade, so he will have another year. But he is a good player and plays up. So Luke and Judd are teammates, just like their grandpas.

As any parent will tell you, as far as raising children goes, though some of the days move slowly, the years whip by. It's hard for me to believe that Luke is in 8th grade. This basketball season has particularly gone fast. It's been a good one. I should know their record, but I don't. However, it contains far more victories than defeats, including most recently an exciting overtime win against St. Thomas for the consolation championship in the big schools Catholic tournament. (Ed: Found out from Coach Stephens that their record is 16-6.) Next up is regionals, and from here on they will keep playing as long as they win. No matter how long that is, it's been a great run of five years for Luke playing basketball at St. Mark's. And you know what they say. 

 Once a Marksman, Always a Marksman!