Former East St. Louis Lincoln and East St. Louis Senior High school boys basketball coach Bennie “Boss” Lewis had to be proud three weeks ago, when two of his former players were putting a bow on great season at the high school level. The Normandy Vikings, led by head coach Terrance “T-Ham” Hamilton, and his top assistant Gerald Gray led the Vikings to a second-place finish in the Missouri Class 4 state tournament.
Normandy, which had so much negative press in recent years throughout the school system, found a way to make plenty of alumni very proud a few weeks ago with the basketball student-athletes. The Vikings finished with an outstanding record of 20-8, while playing there home games in the historic “Viking Hall,” one of the best high school venues in the country.
The quest for a state championship wasn’t without its doubters in the Metro East. I had to check Jim Powers, who I do consider a friend of sorts, about Normandy after they won their district title. Jim made some statements about how the Vikings would do on their road to Columbia during a local radio interview.
I reminded him, “Those are former East St. Louis Lincoln boys, Jim. They are Bennie Lewis’ former players. They will be fine.”
Sure, many doubted Normandy would make it to Columbia. But they proved many wrong.
“The players bought into what we wanted them to do after our Christmas tournament ” said coach Hamilton. “I give all the credit to our players, and support staff here at Normandy. It was a great run.”
The Sweet 16 started with Normandy sporting a respectful 17-8 record headed into a battle against Soldan District champion Miller Career Academy, who had an excellent season under another good coach from the 618 in Dale Turner with a heart-throbbing 39-36 victory.
Then, Coach Hamilton and Gray took on a Mexico team that most locals felt they would lose too. Many hoped they would. But the Vikings, led by the sharpshooting Kevin McLemore, beat Mexico 60-52, and many started to believe, as Normandy was headed to Columbia.
Up next: Sikeston, who was just as athletic as Normandy. But the Vikings would win an overtime thriller, 74-72, to elevate them to the Class 4 championship game against Republic. As we know now, the state championship didn’t return to Normandy, as the Vikings lost a heartbreaker 54-51.
But Coach Hamilton and his team accomplished what many thought they couldn’t: play in a championship game!
“My team didn’t come here to finish second, we came here to win the state championship, he said. “Even though we finished runner-up, I’m proud of my team.”
Normandy went on to finish 20-8, and no one thought they would get farther than Highway 270.
Hamilton and Gray are two young men that East St Louis should be proud of.
Gerald Gray, who was Hamilton’s assistant at Normandy, and I were assistant coaches under former Lincoln Tiger great and NFL player James Harris, who in 2009 was the head basketball coach at Mason/ Clark Middle school in East St. Louis. Gray sat side by side with me in 2009 when I led Mason/ Clark Middle school to the Illinois 4A 7th grade state title game.
That same weekend in Peoria, Cahokia High school had three of Coach Lewis’ former players – Darion Nash (Lincoln ‘88), Mark Chambers (Lincoln ‘87) and Chris McKinney (Lincoln ’90) – on the staff as it finished as the state runner-up in the Illinois Class 3A state tournament. Cahokia finished a remarkable 33-4.
It was a great season for Cahokia who was led by the trio of All-State guard Keenan Minor, Darius Austin, and Vincent Jackson, Jr.
The Comanches reached the championship game after beating Coach Tony Young and my East St. Louis Flyers in the championship game of the Mascoutah sectional. Many who were in attendance swear it was one of the greatest high school games that they have witnessed.
Last year at this time, the Flyers nipped Cahokia at the wire and sent Cahokia home in the Althoff Regional finals. This year, it was Cahokia that sent us home, and went on to the title game which they lost to Chicago powerhouse Morgan Park.
Boss, I’m sure, was proud of these five young men who played on state championship teams for him at Lincoln High School. And coach should get a little credit as well, as I have seen some of Coach Lewis’ stuff that made him a Hall of Famer still being used by his former players now.
Scott’s notes
Jim Crews would not be a good choice for Saint Louis University in my opinion. I personally know another side of coach. For one, I don’t think of him as much of a recruiter, and I have proof to come out later……
