It was Damion Porter Jr.’s night. Romeoville’s senior guard scored 39 points to lead the Spartans to a 69-66 win against No. 23 Joliet West in Joliet on Tuesday.
Porter was 7 of 12 from three-point range and single-handedly brought the Spartans back into the game when they trailed by eight points in the third quarter.
“In my short time being a head coach that is the greatest individual performance I have ever seen,” Tigers coach Jeremy Kreiger said. “And that’s with Jeremy Fears Jr., Jeremiah Fears, Justus McNair. What he did to will his team and how well he played, considering he was in foul trouble. Sometimes it is a guy’s night and you just have to tip your cap.”
Porter was undoubtedly the star of the show. But the Joliet West-Romeoville rivalry is filled with emotions. Several players have transferred between the schools over the past few years.
Romeoville sophomore Jamarri Fears was at the center of those emotions and was fighting back tears after the game. Both of his older brothers and his father starred for Joliet teams. He works out in the Joliet West gym in the summer and played for the Tigers last season before transferring to Romeoville.
“Playing against my hometown is something else,” Fears said. “Knowing everyone on the court. I feel like I just played with my family against my family. It hurt. It hurt.”
Fears found himself at the free-throw line with 31 seconds left and Romeoville (3-4, 1-2 Southwest Prairie East) trailing 65-64.
“I’ve probably shot over 10,000 free throws in this gym,” Fears said. “I didn’t let the crowd get to me. I sat there with confidence, did my routine. I knew they were going in.”
“Young sophomore kid,” Kreiger said. “He knows his brothers helped start the foundation for our program. He’s grown up in this gym. For him, he had an opportunity tonight and he took it. I’m proud of him. For him to step up on the line in this gym for his team to take the lead? Ironic, poetic. I’m just proud of him. To watch him make those shots on this floor? Tonight was really cool high school basketball, even being on the losing side.”
Fears finished with nine points, five rebounds and four steals off the bench.
“He’s a Fears,” Romeoville coach Marc Howard said. “All those boys have heart and they aren’t afraid of the moment. He showed it tonight.”
Damion Porter Jr. with a three to pull Romeoville within 64-63 of Joliet West with :47 left.
He has 39 points. pic.twitter.com/kNjdFJdGcJ
— Michael O’Brien (@michaelsobrien) December 11, 2024
Porter scored seven points in the first half and then came alive, scoring 17 in the third quarter and 15 in the fourth quarter.
“He’s the best point guard in the state,” Howard said. “He’s improved his shooting and is the strongest and most athletic kid on the floor.”
Danny Thompson, a Joliet Central transfer, scored 12 for the Spartans and DJ Hampton, a Minooka transfer, shot 4 for 4 from the free-throw line in the final 13 seconds and took a key charge.
Kreiger doesn’t call Joliet West vs. Romeoville a rivalry, pointing out that the Tigers are 13-3 against the Spartans in his six years. But the emotion in the gym is more telling than numbers.
“Joliet is home,” Howard, who played for Joliet Township in the 90’s, said. “It is family. Kreiger is like a little brother to me. He’s doing a great job at Joliet West. When we play we go at each other but when we aren’t playing we support each other.”
Zion Gross led the Tigers (5-2, 2-1) with 20 points and five rebounds. Junior Aamir Shannon added 11 points and five rebounds and senior Nasir Sears scored 11 off the bench for Joliet West. Romeoville transfer Mickeis Johnson had nine for the Tigers.