This story of triumph and tragedy just gets richer.
Fennville (Mich.) High School's boys basketball won the Class C District title with a 51-48 win over Covert before 3,614 emotionally-drained fans at the DeVos Fieldhouse on the campus of Hope College on Friday night.
It came eight days following the sudden and shocking death of their star player junior guard
Wes Leonard, who died moments after making a game-winning shot to finish off a perfect 20-0 regular season.
Since then, there has been a national outpouring of support and media coverage of this small-town basketball team that is now 23-0.
The Blackhawks fought back from a 10-point deficit and took the lead for good with a free throw by
Demarcus Mcgee, making it 49-48.
Reid Sexton added two more free throws and a desperation 3-pointer by Covert missed, sending the jammed packed crowd into a frenzy.
According to reports, fans both cheered and wiped away tears at the same time.
At the championship ceremony, Wes' younger brother Mitchell carried the plaque to the midcourt and held it above his head. He was mobbed by the Fennville players. Only three days earlier, Wes, 16, was laid to rest.
He was considered the most popular kid in school and the very best athlete, a 6-2, 215-pound junior who was a potential dual-threat college quarterback in football and the team's leading scorer in basketball.
He died from cardiac arrest caused by an enlarged heart.
The region has grieved deeply the last week, but each of the three games have been therapeutic, Fennville Major Dan Rastall told the
Chicago Sun-Times.
"It's been very healing for the town," he said. "These games helped ease some of the pain some of us have felt. It's gotten us back to a little bit of normalcy. This is a close-knit community and this has brought us closer."
According to the Sun-Times, Fennville coach Ryan Klinger told his team before the game not to worry about winning for Wes.
"Wes had great passion to compete and that's what I've called upon these guys to do when they step on the floor," he said. "We don't play for him. We play with him in our hearts. We can play the way he played. He played with a toughness and a competitiveness that would very rarely be defeated."
This remarkable story continues on Monday when the Blackhawks play again.
Stay tuned.
