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Beecher guard Adyn McGinley and other senior starter friends Ethan Rydberg, Jack Hayhurst And Zack Johnson They’ve been playing basketball for almost as long as they can remember.
“We’ve been together since kindergarten,” McGinley said. “Actually, Ethan Rydberg was in I think third or fourth grade, so we call him the new guy. It’s pretty fun. These are my best friends too.
“We have classes together; we go to each other’s houses on holidays.”
While what this quartet has accomplished this season is certainly unconventional, it’s a common theme in many small towns.
“There’s nothing like small school basketball,” McGinley said. “There is no one in the world I would rather do this with.”
And it was something special. Beecher was the last undefeated team in the state until beating the Phillips Bobcats 73-58 in the Class 2A Joliet Central Supersectional on Monday night.
The Bobcats won their first 34 games this season and made program history by winning their first regional championship in the process.
Led by the 6-foot-10 McGinley as a four-year starter, Beecher embarked on a triumphant run, taking a program that had won just one regional title to unprecedented heights.
Despite the defeat, there was no gloom among Beecher’s players and loyal supporters.
“I grew up with small-town basketball and the ability for a community to rally around a group of high school kids who risked it every night for their teammates, their best friends, their classmates and their town,” the Beecher coach said. Tyler Shireman aforementioned. “These guys were a great example of small school basketball and small school sports and represented their teammates and school well.
“I’m so proud that they were able to experience the run that they did this year. “We can live with this defeat because we are a very good team.”
The Bobcats (34-1) proved it, taking a 15-9 lead on McGinley’s baseline shot with just 58 seconds left in the first quarter.
Playing against top-ranked Class 3A and 4A programs in the Chicago Public League, Phillips (23-9) led by as many as five points in the second quarter before Beecher made two free throws from the junior guard for a 31-30 lead. Orlin Nesbitt.
Phillips took a 32-31 lead at halftime, but McGinley was still confident of Beecher’s chances.
“We’re there,” McGinley said. “Sixteen more minutes. They’re only one ahead.
“We’ve been there before, we just needed to get our heads around it.”
McGinley then did his best to keep the Bobcats involved. He shot 11-of-15 from the floor, including a pair of 3-pointers. He led all players with 26 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Johnson had 14 points and 2 steals, and Nesbitt had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists.
Lawrence Horton scored 25 points and Phoenix Childs followed with 24 points, while Phillips shot 16 of 29 in the second half.
However, the Bobcats never gave up and that was the key to their success this season.
“We play for each other,” McGinley said. “We don’t want to lose. If there’s a loose ball, we get on it and another guy helps them out.
“It’s all one big family here, so we don’t want to go out without a fight.”
There was no better fighter for Beecher than McGinley, who was considering offers from several smaller universities.
“It’s everywhere,” Shireman said. “He picked up a few buckets when we needed it. He worked his ass off and we will miss him. He made the most of this program.
“We will feel some of its effects for years to come.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
