MAC ON SPORTS: DECATUR AND MACON COUNTY HAVE RICH HISTORY OF SUCCESS IN BOYS BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENTS

J. Thomas McNamara

     Decatur and Macon County has a rich history of success in boys basketball state tournaments as evidenced by Maroa-Forsyth’s state Class 2A championship in 2007 followed two years later by Meridian’s state Class 1A title in March 2009. That’s just the frosting as the cake itself includes St. Teresa’s Class 2A runnerup in 2015, Maroa-Forsyth’s third place finish in 2006 and Warrensburg-Latham’s two third place trophies in 2003 and 2008. For the four-year period from 2006 to 2009, three teams from Macon County brought home trophies from the state tournament–Maroa-Forsyth, Meridian and Warrensburg-Latham.

     I don’t know about you, but that’s impressive. Also, the Trojans third place in 2006, their state championship in 2007, and the Cardinals 2003 third place finish all came when there were only two classes. Maroa-Forsyth’s 2007 state championship was the last year of the two-class basketball system in Illinois. Warrensburg-Latham’s third place finish in 2008 and Meridian’s 2009 state championship came in the first two years of four-class basketball. Their successes illustrate the quality Class 1A and 2A basketball played here and the great coaches we have roaming courtsides at this time and in the past as Jack Blickensderfer retired at Meridian and Clad Cluver moved from Maroa-Forsyth to coach in his hometown Watseka.

     Could Decatur and Macon County have more than one team in Peoria for the state tournament this year? It’s possible as Central A&M is in the south brackets. All the others, except for Meridian, are in the northern brackets.