A boys basketball team composed of special needs students from Southside Occupational Academy and De La Salle won the 2023 IHSA state championship. Photo by Mike Walsh
Special needs hoops team from Chicago wins Unified Sports state title
By Mike Walsh
Correspondent
If Tom White had his choice, getting doused with cold water on a 35-degree morning in mid-March in Champaign would likely not be high on his list of things to do.
Considering the context of the soaking, however, White was more than happy with everything that took place.
Coaching a team consisting of special needs students from Southside Occupational Academy in Chicago and De La Salle, White guided the Meteors to the IHSA Unified Sports boys basketball state championship, held at the Activities & Recreation Center at the University of Illinois.
In the title game, the Meteors defeated East Saint Louis 63-32. They beat Limestone the day before in the semifinals.
“It was cold,” White said. “But it was good. That’s only happened a few times in my life. I think the kids had more fun than I did.
“The best things in life are the things that you don’t expect and that go well. Their intensity and love for the sport was so true and that wiped me away.”
White, who is the athletic director at De La Salle, spent 26 years as the Meteors boys basketball coach, winning more than 400 career games. He grew up in Chicago’s West Lawn neighborhood and lives in Garfield Ridge.
Earning a state championship in his first season coaching the Unified Sports team was memorable, but there was another reason why White was eager to accept the job.
“It was humbling to win this,” he said. “I only considered this because of my nephew, Mikey, who was a Special Olympian and passed away a few years ago.
“So when this opportunity came along, I was like why not? I’m on the back nine of my life and all I want to do are things that are important to me. I don’t take anything for granted. I see people my age passing away and this is something I wanted to try, and I truly enjoyed it.”
Representing De La Salle were Dylan Clark, David Coffey, Chris Cole, Arturo Garcia, Kaleb Navarro, Scott Phillips, Mario Ramirez and Timmy Schergen. White was aided by longtime De La Salle boys assistant basketball coach John Brogan.
The Special Olympians from Southside Occupational Academy were Trevon Darden, Brandon Dorsey, Matt Furdge, Cesar Galindo, Dayquon Haywood and Marcus Holmes.
Following their victory over the Flyers in the state final, the Meteors were presented a plaque along with medallions from the IHSA. White received another plaudit, as he was chosen the 2023 Unified Sports Basketball Coach of the Year by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. He will receive his honor on May 6 at the IBCA banquet at Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena.
“This was unbelievable,” White said. “People sent me pictures from our games and you can see that I really enjoyed it. I have much respect for these kids for everything they do.
“They now have many new friends from our school and community.”
Local News
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Dec. 2-3
Dec. 3 Boys Andrew 72, Argo 50: Darron Greer Jr. led the Argonauts (2-2) with 14 points. Evergreen Park 70, U-High 58: Keshaun Vaval had 25 points to lead the Mustangs (3-1). Lonnie Mosley added 17 points and Camryn Dandridge grabbed 14 rebounds. Lemont 65, Stagg 35: Omar Barakat scored 17 for the Chargers (0-4).…
Football signing day: Local recruits
Here is a list of football players in the Southwest Regional Publishing coverage area committed to Division I schools. Please email additions or corrections to mikeclarkpreps@gmail.com. Brother Rice Tyler Lofton, RB, Illinois State Jimmie Maxson, WR, North Dakota Charlie Stec, Edge, Western Illinois Lyons Tyler Chambers, OL, Northern Illinois Travis Stamm, WR, Illinois State Marist…
Michael Oliver Jr. offers veteran presence for new-look Curie
There are a lot of new faces at Curie this winter. Gone are the five senior starters from a 31-3 team that won the Public League title and lost by two points to eventual Class 4A champion Homewood-Flossmoor in the Elite Eight. But veteran coach Mike Oliver is back and so is his son, junior…
Boys basketball notebook: Kassam Saleh, Argo aiming high this season
Kassam Saleh is ready to set the tone for Argo. “As time goes on you gain the most experience on the team and become that leader for everyone else,” said Saleh, a senior guard. “They follow you.” The Argonauts finished runner-up in the John McBride Classic at Stagg, falling 50-44 to Plainfield South on Nov.…
Will Johnson helps Sandburg finish second at Spartan-Ram Classic
Will Johnson likes where he is, but knows he has to go farther. Johnson earned a spot on the all-tourney team as Sandburg finished runner-up in the Spartan-Ram Classic with a 53-41 loss to Crete-Monee in the title game on Nov. 29 at Oak Lawn. “I shot the ball well,” said Johnson, a 6-2 junior…
Charles Barnes’ leadership a key for young De La Salle
As one of the veterans on a young De La Salle boys team, Charles Barnes knows he must be a leader. That’s a role the 6-foot-5 junior forward embraces wholeheartedly. Barnes’ leadership skills were on full display in Saturday’s third-place game of the De La Salle/St. Ignatius Windy City Turkey Classic at De La Salle.…
Mount Carmel named top football program in IHSA since 1974
Mount Carmel’s football team edged out Joliet Catholic for the No. 1 spot in the Illinois High School Association’s top 50 teams in the first 50 years the organization sponsored state championships in the sport. Before the poll was released, the Caravan and Joliet Catholic had each won 15 state championships. After the poll was…
Running couple races to victories at Orland Park Turkey Trot
The husband-and-wife team of Andrew Bowman and Sydney Devore-Bowman won their first race together at the Detroit Free Press Marathon in October. “Before that, it never happened,” Bowman said. “We both won the marathon in Pittsburgh, but in different years.” They enjoyed winning together so much, they did it again. The Ferndale, Mich., couple won…
Jack Elliott’s seven touchdowns help Mount Carmel win 16th state title
NORMAL — Mount Carmel has won state titles in several different decades under several different coaches and running several different offenses. But maybe never have the Caravan won a championship quite like this, overcoming so many hurdles. “The big challenge for us (is) no Mount Carmel team has won state (after) losing three games,” coach…
Logan Malachuk, Nazareth win third straight Class 5A state title
NORMAL — When the pandemic came, the players left Nazareth. With no prep football in Illinois in fall 2020 because of COVID, star quarterback JJ McCarthy transferred to national power IMG Academy in Florida. Other players moved elsewhere, including Iowa and Indiana, in order to continue their careers. When the football calendar returned to normal…
Neighbors
Jurors see list of Madigan’s job recommendations given to newly elected Gov. Pritzker
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – In the weeks following now-Gov. JB Pritzker’s November 2018 victory over one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan busied himself preparing for a brand new administration after years of conflict with governors of both parties. One of his first priorities was finding jobs for his political…
How RFK Jr.’s health proposals could affect Illinois
Capitol News Illinois Every new presidential administration comes with policy changes, but the incoming second administration of President-elect Donald Trump and his proposed secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., could dramatically reshape the public health landscape. Kennedy, a former political rival of Trump, became a close ally of Trump over the…
‘You won’t spend a day in jail’: Madigan attorney hammers Solis’ agreement with feds
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – The day after Christmas 2018, then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis signed an agreement with federal prosecutors, with whom he’d spent the last 2 ½ years working as a secret cooperating witness in a sprawling corruption investigation. Solis’ undercover work helped bring down two of Illinois’ biggest and longest-serving Democratic powerbrokers. Former…
Pritkzer education policy advisor named to head new Department of Early Childhood
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday appointed Teresa Ramos to be the first permanent secretary of the newly-formed Illinois Department of Early Childhood. “I’m eager to get started working with an incredible team of state employees, parents and families, advocates, and early childhood providers to create something exceptional that will give…
Semi driver involved in fatal crash of deputy had previous unreported DUI conviction, prompting call for federal audit
Capitol News Illinois Four years before police said he caused a crash that killed a DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy, Nathan Sweeney pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and having 44 grams of heroin in his car – an offense that, if properly reported to the secretary of state, should have led to the revocation…
Madigan attorney accuses Solis of not telling feds ‘all the crimes you committed’
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – Former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis spent more than 2 ½ years living a double life as an FBI cooperating witness after agents approached him in 2016, asking him to wear a wire on his colleagues or risk being charged for multiple bribes he’d taken while in office. Solis’ extraordinary cooperation…
State Board of Elections certifies election results showing decline in turnout
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Vice President Kamala Harris won Illinois by nearly 11 points as turnout dipped in 2024, according to official election results certified by the State Board of Elections. The board met Monday to certify the results of the 2024 election and released final vote totals for races around the state, including…
Appellate Court finds former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson should be released until trial
Capitol News Illinois Prosecutors will ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review an appellate court ruling that found former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson should be released from jail pending trial on charges related to the July 6 shooting death of Sonya Massey. On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the 4th District Court of Appeals ordered…
Illinois rolls out first phase of plan to modernize professional licensing
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation launched a new online licensing system this fall, the first phase in a plan to modernize the management and licensing process for service providers across the state. The system improvements are part of efforts to make doing business easier and more efficient…
Madigan prosecutors conclude questioning of alderman-turned-FBI mole Danny Solis
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – The day after Thanksgiving in 2018, then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis sat in powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office to tell him what he’d privately known for months: after 23 years in the Chicago City Council, he wasn’t going to run for another term in the February election. Solis thought…