Benet Academy was buzzing with excitement on Thursday morning, as the Redwings celebrated their first-ever boys basketball state championship. This story is sponsored by Fair Oaks Ford and Fair Oaks Lincoln.
Benet Academy hosts pep rally to celebrate first-ever IHSA boys basketball state championship
“It feels great, we’re going to be remembered for a very long time, said Benet boys basketball player Blake Fagbemi. “Benet is a great program, so the one thing we were missing was a state championship, and now we got that.”
Hundreds of Redwing students, families, and fans packed the gym for a pep rally that was 50 years in the making.
Since head coach Gene Heidkamp took over in 2008, Benet has earned 11 regional and six sectional titles, along with three runner-up finishes at state. After being inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame this year, only one piece of hardware was missing for the legendary coach. The program has proven to be one of the strongest in the state. The March run through class 4A was the crowing moment following decades of close calls.
“I think it goes all the way back to over 50 years— the tradition of Benet basketball is so important to me,” said Heidkamp. “To be able to win this state championship for all the former players and all the coaches–from the great players and the great teams to even just the guys who made everybody better in practice, it feels great.”
“I have so much love for the school,” said Benet boys basketball player Daniel Pauliukonis. “I’m really glad to bring home a state championship and be a part of their history, it means so much to me.
At the Rally, Heidkamp and some of the players reflected on their championship journey. The Redwings were red hot to wrap up the season, winning 12 straight games, including a nail-biter state final against Warren Township.
Benet defeats Warren in a nail-biting IHSA State Final
With just a minute left, Benet’s seven-point lead evaporated down to one in the final moments. The team huddled up, needing one final defensive stop to secure their place in Redwing history.
“We just talked about everything we’ve done up to that point to get there,” said Benet basketball player Jayden Wright on the final defensive stop. “We just really wanted to bare down and stay strong right there and all the experiences we had up to that point, we think led up to that (stop).”
When towering sophomore Edvardas Stasys knocked the inbound pass away as the clock struck zero, the reality of becoming a state champion took some time to sink in for senior Blake Fagbemi. His older brother Brayden came up just short in the state championship for the Redwings two years ago.
“I thought I was in a dream, to be honest,” said Fagbemi. “I’m walking around like I can’t believe this is real. Some people never get to experience that, so I was blessed to be able to experience that.”
From the student section to the student managers, it seemed like every Redwing on campus was invested in this year’s team. Heidkamp saw that his players were fully bought into the program long before the season even started.
“I think this team was self-made by the players on the team,” said Heidkamp. “They really worked hard to develop their games and they developed a really good team chemistry.”
While the celebrations continue, Jayden Wright along with Colin Stack will look to next season. They are the lone Redwing starters who are set to return.
“I know what it takes in a few other people on the team know what it takes,” said Wright. “We’ll just try to do the best that we can next year.”