BRONZEVILLE —As he stood in his school’s gym, a dream came true for Wendell Phillips High School senior and state champion basketball player Elijah Harris.
His teammates — more like “his brothers” — stood beside him as a cheerful crowd of parents, students and city leaders celebrated Wendell Phillips’ Wildcats recent boy’s basketball state championship win.
“I’m still thinking this is a dream right now,” he said.
That dream started on Saturday at the State Farm Center in downstate Champaign, where the Wildcats won the class 2A state title after beating Benton Consolidated High School 54-47, the Sun-Times reported.
On Wednesday, the team continued celebrating a season of “hard work” and tenacity that culminated in a state title for the Bronzeville school, the oldest African American high school in the city. The Wildcats last brought home the state trophy in 1975.
“I saw the clock running down and we had possession of the ball,” said senior player Derrick Brooks. “And I just knew that I was going to be a state champion.”
Throughout the season, all 13 players demonstrated their talent and hunger to succeed, school leaders said. Their victory is proof of what Chicago Public School students can achieve.
“It’s really built morale,” Phillips Principal Rashad J. Talley said. “It’s really helped us to push forward and show us what’s possible on the court, on the field and in the classroom.”
It was a tight championship game after a challenging season. Nine team players transferred to Phillips this season, meaning head coach Paris Martin had to “do a lot of building and bonding” to create the camaraderie, communication and team spirit that is needed for a winning team, he said. Yet, Martin knew his team had everything needed to succeed.
“They wanted to get better,” he said. “They wanted to understand the mission and they wouldn’t quit.”
The team’s tenacity was on full display during Saturday’s championship game.
At the end of the second half, Phillips had a narrow 27-24 lead over Benton. The key moments happened in the last quarter, when junior EJ Horton gave his team an advantage with a slam dunk that “sealed the deal,” Martin said.
Standing in the $17 million athletic annex at Phillips High School, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson celebrated the high school team’s victory as he vowed to continue investing in young people.
“I’m proud of you,” Johnson told the crowd, adding these young men are the city’s future leaders.
“Your success doesn’t end on the basketball court,” he said to about 600 people boasting electric blue pompoms and “Wildcats” signs. Other notable guests included U.S. Rep. Danny Davis and Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd).
In 2022, Phillips inaugurated the state-of-the-art high school’s athletic facilities. Besides being used by the school, the facilities are open to the community on weekends, providing “a hub of hope for the community” and a “source of pride” for students, Talley said.
On Wednesday, that sense of pride and community filled the gym.
“It’s a great feeling to see everybody in the community just come around and congratulate us on bringing it back home,” said junior Jeremiah Benjamin.
In a memorable moment, Phillips alumni and former state champions passed the trophy to this year’s champions.
With a roaring “Let’s Go Wildcats” chant in the background, the young basketball players embraced each other, held up the state trophy and took pictures to celebrate their championship.
Marty Murray, a 75’ state champion, recalled his days playing in a small gym in the back of the high school’s building. He said it is a good thing to see this generation build on past achievements.
“They work hard and I like that,” Murray said. “And they get along, that’s what the 75’ team was. All of us got along, and when one of us was in trouble, all of us [were].”
Off the court, the boys continue to work hard. The team’s average GPA is 3.3 and with only three seniors in the team, the Wildcats will work toward “back-to-back” state titles, Talley said.
In the meantime, the high school players are savoring the taste of victory and their love for a sport that could mean so much for their future.
“Every day I wake up I think about basketball,” Benjamin said. He plans to keep playing basketball in high school to hopefully earn a Division I college scholarship. “I think about making it every single day.”
Later this spring, Brooks will say goodbye to the high school where he became a state champion. He hopes to earn a scholarship and plans on attending college, most likely at a historically Black university. On Wednesday, he simply enjoyed the team’s victory.
“Man, it’s an unforgettable feeling,” he said. “I’m proud to be a Wildcat.”
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