100 Seasons Blog

My favorite Kahok player would have to be Brad Keene. He quarterbacked the great 87-88 team. This was, for my money, the best squad of the last 25 years. Their upset loss to Belleville West that year in the Sectionals still hurts me.
Brad also made 2 free throws that should have beat ESL Lincoln in the 86-87 Sectional matchup right before LaPhonso Ellis made an out of control bucket at the buzzer for the win. Lincoln went on to win State that season.
 

I can't forget the passes from Kevin Stallings. Amazing!
 

I am from a younger kahok era so I have to say Richard Keene. His ability to do everything and make it look effortless was amazing. A runner-up would be Cory Garcia. That turn around 10 footer was deadly. Not to mention the epic battles between Cory and Edwarsville's Chico Brown.
 

Tom Parker has to be the best all around player that I have seen. He could do it all. Rodger Bonhenstiehl, Dennis Pace, Bogie Redmon and Terry Bethel also were great players. I agree the Stallings and Keene were also in the top group.
 

Epic Battles against Chico Brown???? Chico shot it in the wrong basket in 8th grade....

#1. Jeff Steigelman...the jumper that owned 92-93..kid was automatic

#2. Richard Keene..the no look pass..behind the back dribble and 28-footer..and who could forget the hair.....

#3. Andy McFall....breaks his nose and still plays...hit 5 3-pointers in one quarter....tough as nails and always let the other team know he was sweet.

#4. Melvin Cochran.....best dunker in the history of Kahok hoops

#5. Kevin "Sweet River" Jones...best nickname of all time...huge fan favorite
 

I'm an Edwardsville graduate(1975), so my rooting for the Kahoks started every year after they'd beaten us in the regional.
Most of the Collinsville teams I saw were from 1967-1975.
1. Tom Parker-everybody's all-american.
2. Jerry Ahart-outstanding as both a Tiger and a Kahok.
3. Bob Bone-great floor leader who almost single-handedly beat New Trier East in '73 quarterfinals.
4. Rich Knarr-could score from anywhere.
 

I cannot believe that there has ever been a more entertaining player on the high school level than Kevin Stallings (well, maybe Isiah Thomas, but I digress). He was every bit the showman that Magic Johnson was on the college level at Michigan State in the same era. Unfortunately, he didn't have the footspeed and quickness to carry his success to the next level at Purdue, which demanded tough man-to-man defense. I still believe he would have been a star at many other schools and would have been ideal next to Magic during Michigan State's 1978-79 title season....Probably the most memorable play I witnessed by Stallings, ironically, would be frowned upon by most as unsportsmanlike, but I loved it at the time: One of those pesky all-hustle, no-talent little guards from Belleville West was trying to hang all over Stallings on the left wing. Stallings, about 8 inches taller than this gnat, bounced the ball off the kid's forehead, caught it on the rebound and in a fluid motion swished a 25-footer (only a 2-pointer in those good ol' days).
 

Denny Pace......
A friend of the family also...who traversed 240 miles up I-55 with Dandy Don Davisson (my dad!) and company for my wedding day.
What a reception...whew
Sandwiched in there was the always hard nosed Bob Bone.
Stallings and then Keene also standouts and the beginning of the end of the Golden Era of Kahok Basketball.
 

It is interesting which Kahok is the best depending on the generation you are from.

Bethel - first big man who could pas and shoot from the outside as well as post-up?

Bonhenstiehl - 66% lifetime FG percentage?

Parker - all time leading scorer and carried his team to the super sectional

Stallings - First of the modern day point guards

Keene - more athletic version of Stallings, second all time leading
scorer

I asked Coach Fletcher this same question once he said there were two Chuck Kraak ('50) and J.D. Anderson ('48)
 

d21996 You may to young to remember Michael "Magic" Hunter. I watched him touch the top of the sqaure one day in practice. Melvin was good, but the "Magic Man" was better. He was also deadly on the baseline. Against Belleville East he had the 7' Gary Leonard pump faking for fear of getting his shot blocked.
 

There have a lot of great players listed that make for great arguments I have been debating Keene vs Stallings for years. I saw both and they were fantastic. Garcia has to be one of the best "high school" caliber centers to play in this area in the last 25 years. We new he wouldn't take his game to major college level but he was sure automatic and unstoppable at this level. My favorite players was Terry Tessary. He played 100% the entire game. Teams played the box and one against us and he never stopped hustling and still got his 22 a game. He could shoot free throws. It was shame he didn't have a supporting cast around him. He kept his focus his senior year despite the distractions he brought upon himself.