Thunderbirds’ extra help arrives
Considering everything Hyde Park has been through the last two months — a preseason coaching change and all sorts of transfer drama — it’s rather remarkable the Thunderbirds are 5- 2 after knocking off Harlan 76- 43 on Thursday.
Coach Jevon Mamon left the team in mid- October, just weeks before the season began, to take the director of basketball operations position at Loyola University. Sophomore coach Antonio Wiltz, who’d been a varsity assistant at Vocational the previous 12 years, stepped into the head coaching job for Hyde Park.
“The opportunity just popped up for Jevon,” Wiltz said. “They didn’t feel like bringing in a new coach so late in the game. They felt it was best to leave everything in place. The guys were used to me.”
Most of the Thunderbirds’ players are now on their third coach in three years, since Mamon was new last season.
Then there’s the transfer saga. Malik Onyeali, a senior transfer from Marist, and Jibreel Green, a senior transfer from St. Rita, were both forced to sit out the first six games this season while they awaited and appealed transfer rulings from Chicago Public Schools. Both received word Thursday morning that they were eligible to play.
“I was just happy,” Onyeali said. “I felt like I could finally breathe again.”
Onyeali came off the bench to score 13 points and grab six rebounds against the host Falcons ( 3- 4, 0- 4 Red- South/ Central).
“It meant something to me, being able to be out there playing with my brothers,” he said. “First game senior year, first game with a new team. I was just happy to be back on the court.”
Hyde Park ( 5- 2, 4- 0) led 22- 20 at the half thanks to nine consecutive points from Lavance Agee to close the second quarter.
“All the missing pieces are together now,” Agee said. “We’ve handled it all well — the coaching change, the guys sitting out. It kind of hit us when [ Mamon] left, but now we are out here competing and getting the job done.”
Agee scored 13 points for Hyde Park, while Dequan Fairley had a team- high 15.
Harlan is playing several freshman and some upperclassmen who sat out last season. The Fal- cons, who don’t have much size, were outrebounded 38- 22.
Senior Tim Turner scored 13 for Harlan in the first half but was held scoreless in the second.
“He gets tired. He has to get in better shape,” Harlan coach Walt Woghiren said of Turner. “He didn’t play last year, so he’s still getting in the flow of things. He’s one of the better unsigned seniors in the state. If we do what we’re supposed to do, he’ll get the recognition he deserves.”
Sophomore Treshon Dobine scored 10 for the Falcons, and freshman Eddie Niles Jr. added eight. Freshman guard Terrance Ford was held scoreless but has played well in other games this season and has a reputation around the city.
Harlan is Onyeali’s neighborhood school ( CPS initially told him he had to go to Harlan if he wanted to play this year), so he knows all about Ford and the Harlan freshmen.
“Those are my little brothers,” he said. “I live down the street from here. I went to grammar school with T- Baby [ Ford]. They are freshman. They have to get used to this.”
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