The Dolphins are State Champions!

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This past weekend, the Whitney Young Varsity Boys Basketball Team became the 2017 Illinois Class 4A State Champions. This is the Dolphin’s fourth 1st place state title.

To get to the State Championship game on Saturday, March 18, 2017, the Dolphins defeated the Fremd Vikings from Palantine by a score of 53-47 in the State Semi-Fnial game. This was a great accomplishment for the team because prior to the game, the Vikings had a record of 31-0. The Dolphins gave the Vikings their first loss of the season.

On Saturday, March 18, 2017, the Dolphins competed against the Simeon Wolverines for the for the first place trophy. During the season, the Dolphins were defeated by the Simeon Wolverines twice. The Dolphins were looking to end their losing streak to them and beat the Wolverines during the game that would make them State Champions.

The game was very intense. Junior guard, Justin Boyd, was a dominating force on the court in addition to Junior guard, Javon Freeman. “The game was fun and had a lot of adversity, but winning just cancelled everything out,” said Javon Freeman, ’18. Lucas Williamson also contributed a lot to them team’s win. Williamson had the most points, scoring 19. Followed by Justin Boyd, with 17 points (including five 3-pointers). Both teams played great during all 4 quarters, resulting in a score of 50-50 at the end of the fourth quarter. Not too long into overtime, Justin Boyd hit a three-pointer that set the mood for the rest of the 4 minutes. The Dolphins prospered in the end, keeping Simeon from scoring, closing the game with a score of 60-50. “It is a surreal feeling. It feels great winning it with the team that we have and winning it the way we did,” said Junior guard, Justin Boyd.

This championship is the second one in the past 4 years. The only people remaining from the 2014 State Championship are head coach, Tyrone Slaughter and Senior forward, Lucas Williamson. This is Coach Slaughter’s third State Championship. Lucas Williamson is the first Dolphin in history to win two State Championships during their high school career. “Most people go through high school without winning anything. An elite few experience winning state once. I have 2. I am so blessed,” said Lucas Williamson, ’17.