02-08-2021
BY JACK BULLOCK

Expectations.

It is a very exciting yet dicey word.

Getting ones hopes up can sometimes lead to a big disappointment at the end.

In the world of sports there are uncountable cases in history in which things don't work out the way they are planned.

Outcomes and results can suddenly appear when least expected.

Expectations were a mile high for the 2002-03 Robinson Maroons, who entered the season as the preseason top-ranked team in Class A.

The Maroons, in fact, spent most of the season on that high perch.

After making it all the way to the Elite Eight in 2001-02, and with three returning starters, the bar was set high in 2002-03.

The goal was to get back to the Elite Eight and win a state championship.

Coach Gus Gillespie led his Maroons squad to the quarterfinals of the 2002 Class A state tournament only to loss to Tolono Unity, 64-57 in overtime at Carver Arena.

The 2002-03 Maroons were ranked #4 in the final Associated Press Class A Poll heading into a regional at Lawrenceville.

They won their first 20 games that winter while spending a lot of the season ranked #1.

Nick Brooks, a 6-foot-4 swingman, led the Maroons throughout the season.

Brooks ended up being named ABV Charleston Supersectional Area “Player of the Year.”

Brooks averaged 24.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the 24-4 Maroons.

He was ranked as one of the nation's top 70 high school players and also was a four-year letter winner in track at Robinson.

He produced a season high 33 points during a regular season game against Lawrenceville.

Brooks was accurate from the foul line, hitting nearly 80 percent.

Robinson won its second consecutive Charleston Holiday Tournament in December and Brooks was the MVP in both years.

He was also named Terre Haute (IN.) Wabash Area MVP as both a junior and senior.

Brooks spent two years playing at Butler University and eventually transferred to Division II power University of Southern Indiana.

Tyson Schnitker, a 6-foot-1 senior guard who was also a starter in 2001-02, averaged 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in 2002-03.

Schnitker played college basketball at Indiana State and, like Brooks, also ended up at the University of Southern Indiana.

Brad Lachenmayr, a 6-foot-6 senior center, was also a returning starter for the Maroons.

Six-foot senior guard Brad Shanner, 6-foot-2 senior guard Kyle Hardiman and 6-foot-1 senior guard Kent Tedford were important to the Maroons' successful regular season.

Coach Gillespie had his team playing well as they posted some impressive victories early in the season.

In consecutive wins the Maroons bested Mayfield (KY,) 62-51 at the annual Marshall County (KY.) Shootout.

Mayfield, who was coming off of a state football championship game the day before, ended up losing in the Kentucky Region 1 Championship game later on that basketball season.

The Maroons beat DeSoto (MO.) 59-43 at the prestigious Shop 'N Save/KMOX Shootout at St. Louis Savvis Center.

DeSoto went on to finish fourth in the Missouri Class 4A state tournament.

Both Mayfield and DeSoto, ironically, finished with 26-6 marks.

Robinson only lost three regular season contests with all three coming late in the season.

Apollo Conference rival Paris edged Robinson, 65-58 in January, which was immediately followed by a 50-49 overtime loss at Mt. Zion, a game in which the Maroons failed miserably at the foul line.

Robinson missed seven consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter which allowed the host Braves rally to force OT.

The third loss of the season was February 21, as the Maroons fell to another conference rival Effingham, 44-42, despite 29 points from Brooks.

Mt. Zion and Effingham were both Class AA teams while Paris eventually reached the Class A Charleston Supersectional.

“We played a really tough schedule that year with all of the shootouts and it wore on us late in the year,” said Coach Gillespie. “We played in some shootouts and our conference was strong that year.”

Although it was a shaky month of February for the Maroons, Coach Gillespie and his club looked like they were back on their game when the Class A Lawrenceville Regional began.

After drawing a bye as the top-seed, Robinson quickly took care of Red Hill, 55-40 in the regional semifinal, setting up their second consecutive regional title game appearance.

For the Maroons, they faced a program that they had become rather familiar with.

This Wabash County school has long been known for being a football town.

These gridiron Aces “trumped” all the other sports (at the time) at the school.

Friday nights at “The Pit” was the place to be for the area's die-hard football fans.

Since the first season of IHSA football playoffs in 1974-75 until the 2019-20 school year, Mt. Carmel posted just four losing football campaigns.

In the 46 seasons, Mt. Carmel made 38 playoff appearances.

In the fall of 2002 the Aces won their first 13 games before losing to Addison Driscoll in the 4A state title game for the second consecutive season.

It was the second straight season the football squad had reached the title game as they lost to Driscoll both times.

Some of the same kids who starred on the football field led the way on the hardwood.

One of the team leaders was accustomed to being in charge.

Six-foot-two senior Luke Drone not only was a basketball leader, he was also the quarterback on the powerful football team.

One of his wide receivers on the football field was also a part of the successful run in basketball.

Six-foot senior Michael Brewer was also a starter in both sports.

One of the few kids on the team that didn't play football was 6-foot-1 senior Matt Alka who was also a starter.

“Luke Drone was one of the best players I ever coached,” said head coach Ronnie Wilcox. “Matt (Alka) had a great senior year as well. Along with Michael Brewer, they were our three leading scorers that year.”

Lee Anderson, a 6-foot-1 senior, was another who played both sports as did 6-foot-3 senior Wayne Hammel.

The junior class was equally as important with 6-foot-1 Tyler Buss and 6-foot-1 Judd Lewis.

“We had a group of guys who all big time contributors that year,” added Wilcox. “We knew from the summer before that we had a chance to be a really good basketball team. We went undefeated that summer and won the team camp at Vincennes (Indiana) that summer,” said Coach Wilcox. “Summer wins don't mean that much but at least it gives you a gauge of what you of what you have. So that team, a senior led team, was one of the best that I ever coached.”

Mt. Carmel played in a 4A football state championship game on Friday, November 29, 2002, and then played its first basketball game the following Friday night, December 6.

Despite a rally, the Aces lost at Fairfield, 50-44, to open up the final season of the North Egypt Conference.

In spite of having just five practices, Coach Ronnie Wilcox's team nearly rallied for the win but there was clearly a transition period between the two sports that took time.

They gave up a big lead and lost their next game, 43-42 at Red Hill which was followed by the first win of the season, 46-39 over Flora.

A win over Carmi, 50-42 on the road, along with a 65-63 road win at Lawrenceville saw the Aces begin to win the close games that would help them a great deal at the end of the season.

Mt. Carmel ended up in fifth place in a Christmas Tournament; the Toyota Classic at Gibson Southern High School in Indiana.

January opened with a win over future Big Eight Conference foe Mt. Vernon (IN.), 68-58 as they sat at 7-4 overall and 3-1 in the NEC.

However Mt. Carmel had some rough moments the remainder of the season.

A sluggish 62-60 loss to Evansville (IN.) Day School at home was followed by a spanking of out manned North Posey (IN.) 60-36.

A 59-43 win over Olney gave the Aces a 4-1 league mark, 9-4 overall.

January 25 was the first big test for Mt. Carmel on the season as they headed up north on Route 1 to play top-ranked Robinson.

The Aces got jumped on by the Maroons, who led the guests 17-2 at the end of the first quarter and 33-12 at halftime.

Although Mt. Carmel showed some life in the second half, Robinson cruised to a 63-45 triumph to improve to 20-0 on the season.

But something happened that night that rattled the Aces team.

When the team arrived in Crawford County they found out that three Mt. Carmel seniors, including Luke Drone's sister Lindsey, were involved in an automobile accident on their way to the game.

“Not too many people know this but Luke's sister and two other students were involved in a car wreck and we found out about it before the game. Our kids were rattled and it showed in the first half. We laid an egg in that game,” said Wilcox. “But when we played them in the regional it was much different. That gym was electric that night of the regional. It was one of the best basketball environments I ever experienced.”

In those back-to-back losses to Robinson and Gibson Southern, the Aces faced two of the top-ranked teams in both Illinois and Indiana.

A 66-44 win over Fairfield opened February for the Aces and a road win at Flora 82-57, gave Mt. Carmel a 6-1 NEC mark.

Mt. Carmel played state-ranked DuQuoin, and future SIU quarterback and later head football coach Nick Hill, losing to the Indians 51-47.

That season DuQuoin reached a sectional final.

The last regular season game was a matchup that would decide the final North Egypt Conference boy's basketball championship.

Mt. Carmel traveled to Olney, a team that had already defeated back in January.

But the early season Fairfield loss left the Aces needing a win to take home the NEC title.

Olney closed the NEC historic run with a 47-40 win over the Aces.

Coach Wilcox saw his club end the season at 13-9 overall and 8-2 in the league.

Olney ended up winning the final NEC boy's basketball championship at 9-1.

However as everyone knows, the postseason is a whole different animal.

The Aces were no strangers to the postseason in football so playing sports in front of huge crowds in pressure situations was nothing new to this group.

Mt. Carmel was the number-three seed in the Lawrenceville Regional and they took care of business with a 69-41 drilling of Oblong on the opening night.

They followed up the win by beating the number-two seed host Indians, 57-46.

The game for the regional championship was not only a rematch of an earlier season win by the Maroons, but also a regional championship game rematch from the 2001-02 season.

Mt. Carmel hosted the regional in 2002 and on February 22 they lost to the Maroons.

Robinson dominated in the second half of the 66-49 victory, which was a stepping stone for the Maroons who won their next three games to reach the state quarterfinals.

The Maroons went on a 13-0 run before Mt. Carmel knew what had hit them.

Perhaps other teams in this situation would have 'folded up the tents' and called it a year.

But the veteran Aces didn't.

After trailing 14-2 at the end of the first quarter, Mt. Carmel rallied.

Outscoring Robinson 17-10 in the second quarter, the Aces trailed just 24-19 at the break.

Coach Wilcox made a defensive change that helped spur on a comeback to get close by halftime.

Most of the season Mt. Carmel played “man-to-man” defense but they switched to a “triangle-and-two” defense going man-to-man on Brooks and Schnitker.

The strategy paid off.

“We did it in an unique way. Most times that defense the triangle players stay put but we ended up switching out of it on the triangle to help out. The top guy on the triangle was the 'help guy' and he would rotate and was looking to help where the ball went. It changed the dynamic of the game,” said Wilcox. “Then we hit some shots. Luke hit a three, then Matt Alka hit some shots and you could feel the confidence shift. Our guys believed they could play with Robinson.”

The Aces took the lead with just over two minutes to go in regulation on a drive by Brewer.

The game then see-sawed for the remainder of regulation as Brooks scored a couple of baskets and while Drone and Brewer each scored late that sent the game into overtime.

Robinson had a chance in the overtime to finally finish off the Aces.

Lachenmayr went to the line with the Maroons down by one.

He hit the first free throw to tie the game at 48-all.

However when he missed the second toss, Robinson snagged the rebound and called a timeout with 1:21 left.

Brooks then had an open look from the left baseline but he missed.

Brewer snagged the rebound to set up the Aces.

Mt. Carmel, who had been deliberate on offense for most of the night, played for a final shot.

“We set up a play at the end of the game for Michael (Brewer) to isolate where he could create. He got an open look,” added Wilcox.

Brewer found himself open with a few seconds remaining.

His shot attempt missed the mark.

The ball misfired and was tipped by Robinson's Lucas Taylor.

But while everyone else on the floor stood and watched the ball in the air waiting for the horn to sound, Brewer instinctively followed his own shot,

He grabbed the tipped offensive rebound and put up another attempt before the buzzer.

With the second shot in the air the buzzer sounded and a split second later the ball went through the net.

Brewer's bucket sent the Mt. Carmel players and fans into a frenzy while the Robinson players, coaches and fans were in shock.

The Aces had upset the Maroons, 50-48.

Drone led the Aces with 18 points while Brewer chipped home 15.

Alka added seven points while Buss had six.

Hammel added the important two points on his lone made basket in the overtime.

“That was more fun than going to state twice in football,” said Tyler Buss, who is the current boy's basketball coach at Mt. Carmel.

Brooks led Robinson with 17 points in his final prep basketball game while Lachenmayr tossed in 14.

Schnitker ended his career with seven points.

“That group was a very special, close knit group,” said Coach Wilcox. “They all played together since they were kids in grade school. They knew each other like the back of their hands. They were like brothers.”

The Mt. Carmel basketball program has surged since that regional win.

Although they lost their next game in the sectional to Teutopolis at the Paris Class A Sectional, the confidence moved forward throughout the program.

Later in the decade, Coach Ryan Haywood led the Aces to three consecutive regional championships and a sectional title in 2007 in Class A.

Tyler Buss took over the program in 2011-12 and in nine seasons “under the Buss” Mt. Carmel has won seven regional titles and advanced to the state championship game in 2A back in 2016-17, finishing second to Chicago Orr.

According to Coach Wilcox, the turning point in the program was when Coach Rick Johnston arrived at the school as head coach in 1994-95.

Johnston won two Class AA regional titles in his tenure as boys coach before turning to coach the Lady Aces in 2001-02, where he won a regional.

Johnston, Wilcox, Haywood and Buss all led teams to state tournament hardware.

Coach Gillespie moved on to coach at Marshall County (KY.) and is the current head coach at Marion.

Gillespie in four years at Robinson compiled a 92-23 mark.

Robinson produced a state championship boy's basketball team seven years later as head coach Bob Coffman led the Maroons to the 2A title behind the play of all-state player and current NBA player Meyers Leonard.