PEORIA, Ill. – The Peoria Richwoods Knights boys’ basketball team is on their way to Champaign to play for a state championship.
Richwoods will play in the Illinois High School Association Class 3A semifinals on Friday, with a scheduled tip-off of 11:15 A.M., against DePaul Prep. The team defeated Harvey Thornton on Monday’s Ottawa Supersectional to punch their ticket to State Farm Center.
The team was celebrated at a send off pep rally Thursday morning at the school. The pep rally featured the school’s cheerleaders and pep band performing, an introduction of the team, and a tunnel of students and staff to guide the team to the buses.
Knights head coach William Smith says while it’ll be a great time at state, the team’s mission is not quite finished yet.
“Our goal has been to get down state all year long. We felt like we fell a little short last year, and we wanted to really take it all the way this year,” Smith said.
Last year’s team fell in the Galesburg Sectional final to Metamora, who went on to win the Class 3A state title. Richwoods defeated the Redbirds in this year’s Pontiac Sectional final
Smith says while adding Rutgers-recruit Latham Sommerville has been big this season, he says the team coming together in a brotherhood that plays for each other has been just as important.
Previewing the game, Smith says DePaul Prep is a team that plays tough defense, and the team that imposes its will the most will win the game.
Knights Athletic Director Jeff Crusen says spirits have been high at the school all week long.
“The energy is always up in this building, and that starts at the top with our admin team,” Crusen said. “But you add the excitement of a Final Four appearance for our boys, the first one in 13-14 years, and it’s unmatched. It’s tough to top.”
Crusen says he’s hoping to add the team to the wall in the main lobby after this weekend, which is reserved for Knights teams that have won a state championship.
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