By Dominic Scianna
On Friday, March 21, Dyett High School principal Doreatha Butler hosted a championship celebration with the help of her administrators and support groups, to honor her boys basketball team’s Class 2A Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state title win.
“We are so proud of these wonderful students and the coaches and adults who pour in so much time to mentor them here at our school,” said Butler. “It (this championship) just brings such a sense of pride and unity bringing us all together like this. We are embracing it and taking it all in.”
The team, coached by Jamaal Gill, had a magical run to earn two championships this year. Dyett finished with a 27-7 record, a Chicago Public League (CPL) conference crown going undefeated at 11-0 in the CPL Red Star.
Then it was on to the postseason, where the Eagles won their regional, sectional, and super-sectional trophies to continue moving on in their playoff run, culminating with their biggest victory against Althoff High School 52-41 in the IHSA state final. That championship game was played on Saturday, March 15, at the State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign.
Through it all the Eagles were led by a talented roster that included 10 seniors.
“I’m going to miss these guys,” said Gill, holding back his emotions before a student body crowd held outside on the school grounds at its South Side location. “It’s been like a storybook (journey) seeing the impact this championship has had on the community and the kids. This is a great feat that we’ve accomplished together, and I’m very proud to have been a part of it.”
Principal Butler rolled out the red carpet for the Eagles with support from the school’s dance team, drumline squad, cheerleaders, majorettes, and the step team. Director of student life, Cinque Cullar, also served as master of ceremonies for the event.
And the school was also lauded by the local assembly men and women in their district naming March 21 “Dyett Boys Basketball Day”, in addition to the area’s Chicago Police Department making their presence felt with squad car sirens blaring at the event to salute the champions.
Three of the team’s captains (seniors Ahmari Taylor, Aramis Brown, Jr., and Jayden McKinnon) also spoke at the event taking to the microphone to the cheers of the student body and administrators in attendance.
“I knew when we played in the summer and were competitive against some of the best teams that we could go downstate and win,” said Brown, Jr.
In their first game downstate in the Final Four of Class 2A competition, the Eagles were matched up against perennial power Peoria Manual High School and won a nailbiter 54-50 to advance to the title game against Bishop Althoff.
“We were underdogs (the whole year) but we knew how good we were, and we had to prove it and bring it (the championship) back to the city,” said Taylor.
Photos by Gena Jones/OSA
