A night to remember for Burlington Central
With a minute and 25 seconds to play in Monday's Class 3A Hoffman Estates supersectional, Sam Pryor scored her 14th and 15th points to put Burlington Central ahead of Carmel 40-26.
It was then that Rockets' coach Mark Smith turned to the bench and pointed to his reserves to check into the game.
It was then that Shelby Holt, already out of the game, first started to feel it.
It was then that the nightmare of last year was finally over.
The Rockets knew then they were headed to state.
The final 1:25 of Monday's 41-29 win became an early celebration as the Rocket starters and coaches hugged, high-fived, hugged some more, fist-bumped, and then hugged some more.
And when the buzzer finally went off, officially signaling Burlington Central's first trip, boys or girls, to an IHSA state final basketball tournament, the court at Hoffman Estates turned into a sea of blue.
"It was so much excitement," said sophomore Kayla Ross, who not only scored 11 points and had 5 steals and 4 assists, but played the lead role - as she has done all season - on a defense that held Carmel to its second lowest point total of the season (the lowest being 26 against defending state 4A champ Marian Catholic).
"With about a minute left we knew we had it and then when we got to our fans and our crowd it was amazing. It's just a great feeling."
Ross was one of three Rockets who started in last year's 39-31 loss to Vernon Hills in this game, a night when the young Rockets were overwhelmed by the surroundings and by a team who had been in that situation before.
Monday, Central used last year's experience to its advantage, especially when Carmel took a 12-7 lead after one quarter.
"We fought through it together," said junior Alison Colby. "We know that in these games if you get down a lot there's no coming back. I can't even describe this feeling. So much work, and so many people thinking we could do it. And now we're actually going downstate."
Holt, the other starter last year who also scored 11 points Monday, was one of many Rockets who just kept playing, and smiling, when her team was behind, unlike last year when the panic showed on the Rockets' faces as much as in their play.
"We were patient with each other and we trusted in each other," she said. "We stayed positive and just kept smiling and clapping and keeping the mood positive even when we were down. This is just the craziest feeling ... it's literally the best feeling ever."
As it is for Smith, whose long career as a basketball player, coach and basketball dad, has reached a pinnacle of sorts.
"It's pretty cool," said the Elk Grove product, whose former high school teammate Kirk Goodyear was in attendance Monday.
"It's a 40-year dream come true. If you play or coach high school basketball in Illinois it's your dream to go downstate. With 1:20 to go I just started to look around and I wanted to soak it all in.
"But it's not about me. It's about the kids, the school and the community. It's a fantastic feeling they won't forget for the rest of their lives. It's an unbelievable feeling and we're going to soak it all in and enjoy it."
While Smith might not condone his 27-4 team getting together for a few games of laser tag this weekend in Normal, like the Rockets did after practice on Saturday, he sees the togetherness in this team that might not have been there quite yet last year.
"They're just ultracompetitive and this year they just took an attitude that they refused to lose. There's just a lot of unity and bonding right now," he said while getting congratulations from the massive Rocket crowd that had to be moved to the auxiliary gym at Hoffman to celebrate so the Class 4A game could commence.
"They know how to play together and they're playing their best basketball right now."
The Rockets will have to do that and then some come Friday when they take on top-ranked Montini.
But that work can begin Tuesday afternoon. For now, they'll be happy to celebrate going where no Burlington Central basketball team has ever been - the state finals.
jradtke@dailyherald.com