Calumet boys ready for their shot
CALUMET — Calumet boys basketball players know what it’s like inside the State Fair Arena.
They know the energy that pulses through the antiquated building known as the Big House when a state tournament game tips off.
They know the joy that comes with every made basket, the pain that comes with each defeat.
They just don’t yet know what it feels like to actually play a game inside the state’s greatest coliseum of high school basketball.
That lesson begins at 2 p.m. Thursday, when fourth-ranked Calumet takes on sixth-ranked Tyrone in the first round of the Class B state tournament. Riley Island’s first Big House experiences came in 2010 and 2011, watching his aunt play on back-to-back state tournament teams at Calumet, the latter of which won the Class A title.
“I painted my body and everything,” said Island, who was 11 years old at the time but is now a junior guard averaging 25.1 points per game. “It was a huge experience. Ever since then, I always wanted to make it to state. That’s what made it seem like a big deal to me.”
Like many of his teammates, Chase Epperson lived and died with every game the Calumet girls played at state last year. His sister, Taylor, was a senior on the team.
“It gave me chills just cheering in the student section in the Big House,” he said. “Now
that we’ve got the chance to actually play on the Big House floor, it’s really inspiring.”
Coach Jacob Mayfield, in his first season at Calumet, actually won a state title at the Big House, playing for Erick’s undefeated 2001 squad, and he’s been trying to share some knowledge of that experience with his team as well.
While this is the first state tournament appearance for these Calumet players, the program owns three state championships, all between 1999-2004, and 10 state tournament wins in its previous seven tournament trips.
“The tradition for basketball is here,” Mayfield said. “Coming in early, when I saw the guys, I thought we had a special group that could get something put together here.”
Once the ball goes up, players have to block out the environment and the aura of the Big House. That’s where Calumet players hope their balanced lineup pays off.
Five different players have scored 20 points in a game at some point this season. One player’s off night doesn’t kill the momentum.
“We fight together,” senior Aaron Thornton said. “In close games, we find ways to win. If we’re not making buckets, then we’re gonna be playing as hard as we can on defense, getting the stops we need at the times we need it.”