Scores from Marian Catholic, TFN, Illiana Christian, and SSC
LANSING, Ill. (March 15, 2023) – For the first time in two decades, Marian Catholic will have a new boys basketball coach next season.
Mike Taylor resigned last week, ending a consistently successful 20-year run leading the Spartans. Marian was 357-221 under Taylor with nine IHSA regional titles, three sectional championships and a third-place finish in Class 3A in 2018.
The Spartans also won the highly competitive East Suburban Catholic Conference five times and had nine 20-win seasons on Taylor’s watch.
“The biggest thing I’ll look back on is all the relationships, especially at Marian Catholic that have been built over the last 20 years,” Taylor said. “Not only the players, but the coaches and teachers.”
Taylor, whose brother Sean coached Moline to the Class 4A boys state title on Saturday, is ready for a break from the year-round grind of being a head basketball coach.
“A large part of my decision is two-fold,” he said, “to bring a little freshness into the program — I think 20 years is a long time — but also to look at what other challenges I can meet.”
Marian athletic director Kevin Kelly said Taylor will be missed.
“He’s basically elevated the program to being one of the consistently best in the Chicago area,” Kelly said.
Taylor’s attention to detail — from scouting, film work, practice and game preparation — helped set him apart, according to Kelly,
“His respect level has stretched to all levels associated with basketball — administration, officials, media,” Kelly said.
Working for a decade with the late Dave Mattio, Marian’s longtime football coach and athletic director, is something Taylor is grateful for.
“I learned so much from him (in terms of) how to build a program,” Taylor said.
Taylor will continue to work at Marian, where he’s assistant athletic director. Kelly said the school is accepting applications for a new coach and plans to act quickly to have someone in place for the offseason program.
The Spartans’ season ended with a 39-37 loss to Lemont in the Class 3A Hillcrest Sectional semifinals on March 1.
Quentin Jones led Marian (26-8) with 14 points. James Bullock, Zack Sharkey, and Jonah Weathers all finished with six points.
Girls basketball
The Spartans just missed the sixth trip to state in program history, falling 37-34 to Peoria in the Class 3A Pontiac Supersectional on February 27.
Madison Davis led Marian (28-8) with nine points. Alainna Poisson and Taylor Bolton both scored seven.
Davis, a junior, was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A second team.
TF North
Boys basketball
The Meteors fell 74-56 to the host Hawks on February 28 in the semifinals of the Class 3A Hillcrest Sectional.
Chase Abraham led North (21-6) with 24 points and Jevon Warren had a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Illiana Christian
Boys basketball
The Vikings reached the Class 2A Whiting Sectional final before being eliminated with a 71-52 loss to 21st Century on March 6.
Illiana, which finished 19-6, advanced with wins over North Newton (59-54) and Bowman (60-57).
South Suburban College
Men’s basketball
The defending National Junior College Athletic Association Division II champs’ season ended with a 70-59 loss to Waubonsee on March 5 in the Region IV semifinals.
Julius Byrd scored 17 points, Jalen Houston had 13, and Nakyel Shelton finished with 11 for the Bulldogs (26-6), who shot 32% from the field and 16% from 3-point range. Waubonsee pulled away from a 45-45 tie, ending the game on a 25-14 run.
Elsewhere, Shelton, Damontae Taylor, and Olive-Harvey’s Jemel Jones shared Region IV Midwest District-A Player of the Year honors.
Shelton led the region in scoring (23.6 points per game) and rebounding (10.7 per game). Houston was named to the All-Region second team.
Baseball
The Bulldogs were 3-1 on their Texas trip and 10-6 overall through Sunday, March 12.
On the southern swing, SSC beat Spartans Post Grad Academy 28-0 on March 9, fell 10-9 to Alvin on March 10, beat Spartans again 10-0 and knocked off Galveston 6-3.
Through 15 games, the Bulldogs’ top hitters were sophomore outfielder Bradley White (.462, 12 RBI), sophomore third baseman Scott Hansen (.460, 16 RBI) and sophomore catcher Nicholas Johnstone (.444, 18 RBI).
Related
- Red Wolves basketball’s winning season ends at regionals – other local scores (February 27, 2023)
- Red Wolves wrestler Cortez Jones finishes in top eight at state – other local scores (February 21, 2023)