PROVISO WEST HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
FIFTY MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS
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50. Worlds Collide (1981) —Two emerging tournament powers, Saint Joseph and Martin Luther King, meet for the 1981 title. In the lowest scoring championship game in tournament history, The Chargers came back from a double digit second half deficit and held King to three points in the fourth quarter for a 43-40 victory. 49. # 1 vs. # 2 (2009) – The Chicagoland’s top ranked team, Whitney Young, faces the area’s #2 Foreman in the 2009 title game. Young captured the title 79-64 and laid claim to being the team of the decade, as the Dolphins won four Holiday Tournament titles from 2001-2009. The Public League dominates the top three places, the first time they finished first, second and third since 1983. 48. Early Risers (1981) – King was the team that everyone wanted to see. Players Efrem Winters, Reggie Woodward and Tracy Dildy; multiple sets of uniforms, loads of players taller than 6-6, and quotable coach Landon Cox all led to the King mystique. Tournament officials scheduled them to tip off the 1981 tournament against Fenwick at 9:00 AM and fans followed. A new morning session attendance record was set as 2000 spectators saw the Jaguars dismantle the Friars 77-27, setting a tournament record for margin of victory. 47. Show Stopper (2005) – This was supposed to be Jon Scheyer’s show, as he scored 134 points in the first three games of the 2005 event and was only two points from the single tournament record. The only thing was Scheyer was stricken after the third game and might not be available to help Glenbrook North’s fifth place title hopes. Enter Chris Stamas into the starting lineup. All the new starter did was score 34 points and shoot a record setting 10-of-11 from three point range as the Spartans defeated New Trier 69-48. By the way, Scheyer made it back for the second half, scored six points, and set his tenth and final tournament record as the all-time scoring leader. 46. Close Calls (1988) – Anyone in attendance for the four quarterfinal games or both semi-final games of the 1988 tournament enjoyed a real treat – all six games went down to the wire and were not decided until the last minute of play. Among the furious finales were Thornridge’s 54-53 victory over Westinghouse; Saint Joseph’s 55-53 win versus New Trier in the quarterfinals; and New Trier’s 59-55 decision against Proviso West. The title game didn't follow the script as Thornridge beat New Trier 60-43 for the championship. 45. Welcome Back (2008) – “It’s been a long time between titles” many a Morton fan could say when the Mustangs won their second Proviso West Tournament title in 2008. Morton East first took tourney honors in 1962 – when the tournament was in its second year. They didn’t get to repeat until 46 years later when the Mustangs defeated Proviso West 65-59 for the title. The night before, Morton drubbed top-ranked Whitney Young 77-57 and set a tournament record 18 blocks against the Dolphins. 44. Seeking Revenge (1990) – Fenwick and Saint Joseph have had their share of storied rivalries through the years, but when the Friars shocked the number one ranked Chargers in the 1990 tournament quarterfinals, they avenged being knocked out of state series play by Saint Joseph in each of the last three years. The win enabled Fenwick to advance to the tournament’s Final Four for only their second time. 43. No Repeat (1985) – In all the years of the Proviso West Tournament, only once had teams met against one another in the championship game in consecutive years. King and Proviso West met for the 1984 title, with the Panthers winning 63-58. In the rematch, the Jaguars were not to be denied and defeated Proviso 72-64, giving King and Coach Landon Cox their first Proviso West Tournament title. 42. The Long Shot (1986) – Just when it looked like Saint Joseph was going to win their eleventh straight opening round game in 1986, Wendell Phillips’ Fleming Brewer had a different idea. Brewer heaved a 40-footer, from just inside the half court line, that was nothing but net and the Wildcats stunned the Chargers 54-53. 41. New Kit on the Block (1967) – Evanston entered the Holiday Tournament for the first time in 1967 and they took no mercy on the existing field. The Wildkits breezed through their first three games by a combined 96 points and won the title game against Proviso East, in what may be the most memorable game in tourney history. When the smoke cleared Evanston was perfect at Proviso and went on to capture the state title later that season. 40. Buzzer Beater (1977) – Defending Holiday Tournament champion Proviso East was poised for a return trip to the 1977 title game, but Fenwick’s Jim Trauth stole the show and scored at the buzzer as the Friars shocked the Pirates 81-80. Fenwick beat Proviso East for the first time and advanced to their only tournament title game. Trauth ended the game with four baskets, none as important as the one when time expired. 39. Whistle Blowers (1983) – Always on the cutting edge, the Proviso West Holiday Tournament took a bold step by implementing the first ever use of a three-person officiating crew in high school play. Three officials were first used in the NCAA Tournament in 1979 and the NBA wouldn’t make the change until the 1998-99 season. Even the IHSA waited until the 1998 state tournament to utilize the three person format. The first threesome at Proviso who worked the 1983 semifinals were Reuben Norris, Ron Olesiak and Rich Reels. Olesiak would later work 22 years in the NBA and Reels would officiate in the NFL.
38.
Pirate Power (1968) – After losing in overtime in the tournament
championship the year before, Proviso East wanted to avenge that loss and
did so by winning the 1968 Holiday Tournament title 67-51 over Lyons
Township, as the Pirates saw all five starters score in double figures – the
first team to do so in the championship game. East continued their winning
ways after the holidays and went on to capture the 1969 crown. 36. King Kong (1985) – Marcus Liberty and Levertis Robinson co-starred as lead actors in Martin Luther King’s dominance in the early 1980’s. The Jaguars compiled a 14-4 record during Holiday Tournament play over a five year stretch, which saw King make four title game appearances. The run culminated with a Proviso West Tournament title, a state title and receiving National High School Championship honors during the 1985-86 season. 35. The Comeback (2001) – Fenwick trailed Evanston by 24 points late in the third quarter of the first game of the 2001 Proviso West Holiday Tournament. The Friars went on a blitz to end regulation and force overtime and continued their red hot pace to claim an improbable 78-68 overtime victory over the Wildkits. Reserve Ashtyn Bell scored all 17 of his points in the second half for Fenwick. 34. Too Close for Comfort (1971) – Lyons Township had it easy in their opener against Elgin winning by 20 points in the 1971 Holiday Tournament. The next three nights proved anything but being simple, as Lyons defeated Proviso East 52-50 in the quarterfinals; upended Joliet West 50-49 in the semi-finals and eked out a 47-45 victory over Willowbrook in the title game on Brad Warble’s basket at the buzzer. Over those three days, the Lions won three games by a combined five points en route to the championship. 33. By George, He Made It (1969) – Proviso East dominated Holiday Tournament play in the 1960’s. The Pirates won three titles, had two second place finishes and compiled a 21-3 record in their first six years Holiday Tournament competition. In the 1969 quarterfinals, Willowbrook’s George Thoreson scored at the buzzer and Proviso East was denied a trip to the tournament Final Four for the first time in tournament history, as Willowbrook recorded a stunning 58-56 upset victory. 32.Same Face, New Shirt (1991) – As a sophomore, Jamal Robinson’s Saint Joseph team won the Holiday Tournament title. As a junior, the Chargers finished sixth, but Robinson wanted to return to the finals. Jamal made it back to the title game in 1991 as a member of rival Proviso East. So did the Chargers. The two teams were unbeaten going into the final. East won 65-59 and Robinson secured titles with two different teams. 31. On the Air (1986) – The first ever television production in Holiday Tournament history took place for the title game in 1986. The game was shown on “next day coverage” on Sports Channel, the predecessor to Comcast Sports Net. Collins defeated New Trier 76-59 for the title. Dan Capasso handled the play-by-play and tournament director Joe Spagnolo did the color commentary. 30. De ja vu (1964) – Proviso East entered the Holiday Tournament in 1963. The Pirates won the tournament title as Al Nuness scored 24 for the victors. In 1964 the Pirates won the tournament again and Al Nuness scored 20 points in the final. The back-to-back championship game twenty point effort was not duplicated in tourney play until Isiah Thomas did it in 1977 & 1978. 29. Steam Roller (1969) – Lyons Township steam rolled the competition during the 1969 Holiday Tournament, and became the first team to win every game by double digits. Lyons beat West Leyden by 32 points in the opener, Oak Park by 28 in the quarterfinals, Willowbrook by 16 in the semi-finals, and Downers North by 16 in the championship game. Lions kept rolling through the rest of the season, compiling a perfect 31-0 record and winning the state crown – the third team in three years from the Proviso West Tournament to get a state title. 28. The Shutout (1992) – In probably the strangest game in Holiday Tourney history, the 1992 title tilt featured two-time defending state championship Proviso East facing host Proviso West in coach Lowell Lucas’ last Holiday Tournament. Proviso West jumped out to an early 12-4 first quarter advantage, but the Pirates shut out the Panthers 10-0 in the second quarter. West then used a 22-point fourth quarter to upend the Pirates 48-38 and win their second tournament title and thwarted East’s efforts to become the first team to win three straight championships. 27. Sold Out (1995) – The 1995 quarterfinals featured a blockbuster crowd which started mounting early, as the official record for single game attendance was set -- 4188 for the game between Farragut and New Trier. The gymnasium was officially sold out at 5:35 p.m. for the second quarterfinal game, which was the earliest sellout in tournament history. Doors were later opened to allow the waiting general public to attend the final two games of the evening after existing spectators exited the building. 26. The Amigos (1990) – Donnie Boyce, Sherrell Ford and Michael Finley received their nickname as the “Three Amigos” by Holiday Tournament announcer Dick Clish, and the talented threesome led Proviso East to four straight double-digit victories in the 1990 Holiday Tournament. The Pirates won Holiday Tournament clashes by 21, 11, 25 and 17 points en route to the tournament title and kept their winning ways through the rest of the season, as they captured the 1991 state crown and all three “Amigos” would later play in the NBA. 25. Fast Finishers (1986) – New Trier was seeded ninth in the 1986 Holiday Tournament and looked like they would be playing for third place as they trailed host Proviso West by seven points with 1:15 to play in the semi-finals. The Trevians overcame the deficit and forced overtime and would outscore Proviso in the extra session to advance to their first Proviso West Tournament title game. 24. The Doctor is In (1979) – Glenn Rivers became the Holiday Tournament’s first player to be named to the first team of the All-Tournament Team three straight years. As a senior, “Doc’s” Pirates won the 1979 tournament title and set the record of 343 points in four games. Rivers also became the all-time career scoring leader in the event with 258 points in 11 games. 23. Future Legends (1977) – Senior Mark Aguirre and junior Isiah Thomas met for the first time in the 1977 quarterfinal game between Westinghouse and Saint Joseph. The Chargers claimed victory in an exciting 66-65 decision. Aguirre led all scorers with 35 points, but it was a pair of free throws by Thomas in the final seconds that clinched the victory. 22. Complicated Ending (1983) – In the 1983 Consolation Championship, Wendell Phillips, which trailed Saint Joseph by four points in the final four seconds of regulation, scores a basket, commits a delay of game penalty, then makes two free throws after forcing a charge to send the game to overtime. The Wildcats eventually win 70-68 against the Chargers in one of the tournament's strangest endings. 21. Crown The New King (1986) – Martin Luther King was the the defending national high school champion and was riding a 40-game win streak into the 1986 Holiday Tournament semi-finals. Someone forgot to tell Collins to follow the script. The Cobras stunned the Jaguars 74-71 behind Walter Bond’s 27-point performance. Collins laid claimed to the area’s top team by winning the tournament the next night against New Trier 76-59. 20. Snowy Morning (1987) – A surprise eight inch snowfall the morning of the second day of the 1987 Holiday Tournament saw games delayed one hour. Waukegan East and Proviso East were ready to play but no officials were in the house. Scoreboard Operator Bruce Joslyn and Tournament Director Joe Spagnolo donned the stripes and were instructed to move things along to get back on schedule. As luck would have it, the game went into two overtimes and neither Joslyn or Spagnolo were invited back to officiate. 19. Private Rivals (1977) – In 1977 Saint Joseph and Fenwick became the first two private schools to meet in the Holiday Tournament Championship as the neighborhood rivalry took center stage. Isiah Thomas equaled the title game scoring record with 35 points as the Chargers won 74-59. Fenwick’s Sonny Liston scored 25 points in a losing effort. 18. Record Reversal (1965) – Say it ain’t so Joe. Proviso East’s Joe Watts set the tournament record for rebounds with 79 in four games in 1965. The mark lasted until 1983 when tournament officials evaluated that game statistics revealed that more rebounds were credited than missed shots, and the effort was removed from the record books. Legend has it that Watts' girlfriend took statistics during the tournament. 17. Late Start (1997) – New Trier was ready to face King in the Third Place Game in 1997, but one thing was missing – King. The Jaguars had entered themselves in both the Proviso West and Mayor’s Tournaments that year and were stuck in traffic. After a 20 minute delay, the teams tipped-off and New Trier would record the victory. With their semi-final loss at Proviso the night before and a loss in the Mayor’s Tournament earlier in the day, King lost three games in a 24-hour stretch. 16. Iron Men (1975) – It took Proviso West 15 years to make it to the championship game and coach Lowell Lucas wanted to go with what got them there. The Panthers recorded a 52-51 victory over eventual state champion Morgan Park, and did so without making a substitution. The starting five went the entire distance, as each player logged 32 minutes of action in the 1975 championship game victory. 15. Historic Headline (1981) – Proviso East had won all 18 first round games since their inception to Holiday Tournament play. The Pirates were scheduled to play the final game of the first round in the 1981 tournament. A local newspaper, wanting to file an early deadline, assumed that the Pirates would win and published matchups for the next day. However, Morgan Park shocked Proviso 80-70 and the paper never caught the result – which became the Proviso West Tournament’s version of Dewey Defeats Truman. 14. Dunk Contest (1995) – Proviso West and South Shore met in the 1995 tournament quarterfinals and treated fans to a dunk show like no other during the first quarter. The Panthers’ Awvee Storey and the Tars’ Paul McPherson combined for six dunks in the last four minutes of the quarter including a reverse alley-oop by McPherson to start the barrage. West led 24-22 after the first quarter and advanced to the semifinals. 13. Scoring Machine (1966) – Rick Howat led Downers Grove North to their only Holiday Tournament title in 1966. He established records for points in a tournament (127) and points in a championship game (35) – both marks that would last for over 25 years. Howat also scored 38 points in the semifinal which set the record for points in any game at that time. 12. Mindful Message (1975) – Proviso East was expected to beat Zion-Benton in the 1975 quarterfinals, but not too many people counted on Rob Judson scoring 41 points against the Pirates that night. The Pirates couldn’t do a thing with Judson and the Zee Bees advanced to the Final Four in their first tournament appearance. Proviso East coach Glenn Whittenberg left a message on the blackboard for the next coach to guard Judson if they wanted to win. 11. Big Crash (1996) – In 1996, Dunbar players Jason Holmes and Mark Wilson went up for a rebound and besides the ball, also the backboard came tumbling down, as the tournament experienced its first broken backboard in game time competition. 2135 spectators sat and watched the maintenance staff install a new backboard and within 75 minutes the game was back underway. Overshadowed in the event was a 40-point performance by Deerfield’s Ryan Hogan, who would later set the tournament four game scoring mark. 10. Single-handed Slinger (1974) – Lyons Township and Proviso East met three times for the Holiday Tournament title, but none of the games was as exciting as the 1974 championship. Lyons Township’s Derky Robinson scored the most points in a title game by a player in a losing effort, as Robinson tallied 20 of his 31 points in the second half and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor in the fourth quarter. Proviso East scored at the buzzer to come away with an electrifying 60-58 victory. 9. National Notoriety (1984) – Proviso West squared off against Simeon in the 1984 semifinal as the Wolverines made their first appearance at the Holiday Tournament. Simeon was the defending state champ and had a 37-game win streak. The Panthers pulled off the upset 63-62 and would beat King the next evening for the tournament title. Simeon coach Bob Hambric vowed never to return to the suburbs and Proviso went on to a perfect 25-0 regular season record and a top ten ranking in the national ratings. 8. The Dunk (1995) – Farragut’s Ronnie Fields was always best in front of a big crowd and the 1995 Holiday Tournament was another big stage. As fans waited to see what he would do next, Fields received an inbounds pass and dunked completely over a Loyola Academy player to the amazement of 3445 spectators. Fields scored a single game record 51 points that night and would later set the all-time tournament scoring record. 7. The Pass (2006) – Saint Joseph was poised to become the first team ever to win three consecutive Holiday Tournament titles as they advanced to the 2006 championship game. Trailing by one point with seconds remaining, tournament Most Valuable Player Evan Turner made a pass from the top of the key to a waiting Garrett Leffleman for the game winning layup with 1.5 seconds remaining, as the Chargers defeated Proviso East 59-58. The game was an instant classic with 13 ties and 16 lead changes between the two teams that have won 18 tournament titles between them. 6. Alternate Programming (1994) – A NHL lockout in 1994 created a programming need for SportsChannel and the Proviso West Holiday Tournament was happy to oblige. No regular season high school game had been telecast live since NBC’s Saturday afternoon Game of the Week in the late seventies. The third place and championship games took air and were an instant hit in the ratings, and would be slated as an annual programming event. 5. The Upset (1982) – Saint Joseph was rated as the nation’s top ranked team and had won their first three Holiday Tournament games in 1982 by an average of 23 points. The Chargers were also looking to become the tournament’s first team to win three titles in a row. Lyons Township had a different idea and used a balanced scoring attack – as four Lions scored in double figures – and recorded a 56-54 upset victory. The win enabled Lyons Township and coach Ron Nikcevich to win tournament titles in three different decades. 4. The Rock Stars (1994) – Farragut hadn’t made an appearance in Chicagoland until the 1994 Holiday Tournament. The nation’s top player, Kevin Garnett, transferred in over the summer and the Admirals played all their pre-Christmas games out of the area. Everyone wanted to get a glimpse of Garnett and high-flying dunkster Ronnie Fields. The team and players were immediate hits. Maybe too big a hit. In a scene never witnessed in past tournaments, fans would mob the duo for autographs after the game delaying the start of the next contest. The party lasted for four days as the Admirals coasted to the tournament title in their first ever effort. Months later, Garnett became the first NBA player drafted out of high school in 20 years and Proviso West recorded their biggest attendance record to date. 3. Backyard Brawl (1978) – The biggest game to hit the Holiday Tournament in the 1970’s was the championship game matchup of 1978. Two backyard rivals: Saint Joseph vs. Proviso East. Two legendary players: Isiah Thomas vs. Glenn Rivers. The game attracted so many spectators that the local fire marshal ordered the doors closed. Fans found every imaginable place to sit or stand – one fan even sat in a basket in the upper gym – and none of them were disappointed. Saint Joseph took the title with an 88-72 victory, in the tournament’s highest scoring championship game ever. But in the end it was senior Isiah Thomas that stole the show with a 27-point, 10-assist performance en route to being named Tournament MVP.
2.
The Game (1967) – When Evanston and Proviso
East met in the 1967 championship game, the legend of the Proviso West
Tournament was born. The anticipation of the two superpowers meeting with
two goliath leaders in Evanston’s Bob Lackey and East’s Jim Brewer swelled
the crowd to epic proportions. So many fans turned out that the doors were
locked as hundreds waited outside. Finally, unruly fans broke open an
entrance and trampled the facility. Inside, the game lived up to its lofty
expectations as the contest became the first tournament title game to go
into overtime. When it was over, Evanston won 50-48 and would become the
first of three successive state champions over the next three years to come
from the Proviso West Holiday Tournament. |