CHAMPAIGN—Christ the King made school history this season. The small private school on the West Side isn’t well-known in the state or even the city. But seniors Darien Green and Aaron McClure put the Gladiators on the map this year with a run to the Class 2A state finals.
Unfortunately for Christ the King, Dierre Hill Jr. was waiting for them in the semifinals on Thursday. Hill is one of the best athletes in the country. He rushed for 438 yards and scored seven TDs for Belleville Althoff in the Class 1A football state title game.
Hill has signed with Oregon. Five of his football teammates play basketball with him. The tough, experienced group handed Christ the King a 60-45 loss on Thursday at State Farm Center.
“It’s the camaraderie we’ve built,” Hill said. “Having that energy and togetherness got us where we are now. And I see another state championship.”
Hill, a 6-1 guard, finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists. He was equally dangerous driving to the basket or kicking a pass out to his teammates.
“We are a program that concentrates on toughness and defensive tenacity,” Christ the King coach Troy Caldwell said. “We didn’t do that today. I’m a little disappointed with that. But I’m proud of the kids. This is unprecedented for our school.”
Althoff coach Greg Leib was worried about Christ the King’s toughness.
“We saw film and they just beat people up the whole way here to state,” Leib said. “We knew what it was going to be and we had to take it. And make sure we handled it and didn’t get caught up in any shenanigans.”
Althoff (31-5) took control with a 12-0 run that closed the first half. Hill scored the final seven points of the burst.
“We weren’t physical in the first half,” McClure said. “The second half was better but we needed to come out sooner with that energy and the game would have been different.”
McClure led the Gladiators (26-10) with 10 points and seven rebounds. Green and junior Michael Thomas added nine points.
“This atmosphere is electric,” Caldwell said. “It’s different. There is no other platform in high school basketball like this. Our kids got a chance to play in this atmosphere. That will be with them for the rest of their lives.”
Senior guard Bryden Gryzmala scored 14 for the Crusaders, who will face the Peoria Manual-Dyett winner in the Class 2A state championship game on Saturday at 3 p.m.