Fourth-place finish cause for celebration at Larkin

It may not have been the prize they headed downstate intent on claiming, but there was still plenty of cause for celebration Sunday when the Larkin High School boys basketball team returned home to Elgin with some new hardware for the school's trophy case.

Dozens of fellow students, family members and fans gathered outside the school to welcome home the players that earned the first trip downstate and first state trophy for a boys team from Elgin since 1955.

The Royals finished fourth in Class 4A, after falling to Evanston Township High School in Saturday's third-place contest at Carver Arena in Peoria. The sting of a 0-2 trip downstate - the team lost Friday's semifinal matchup to eventual state champ Belleville West - was eased by the show of support in the school's parking lot Sunday.

"The season was great, but it's more than just the season," said head coach Deryn Carter, a 1998 Larkin grad. "It was the community support that made it so special."

Among those at the rally was Craig Reuter, whose son, Jackson, is a senior guard on the team.

"Fourth place ... there are about 160 teams in the state that would gladly trade places with them," Reuter said. "They played hard. Represented Larkin well. Represented U-46. Represented Elgin. We couldn't be more proud of them."