KEN KARRSON: The spirit is moving T.F. South hoops fans

TINLEY PARK | As a couple of buses pulled into the parking lot at Tinley Park High School around 6:15 p.m. Friday night, I was a little perplexed.

It couldn't have been T.F. South basketball players aboard the vehicles, seeing as how the sophomore game had already begun and everyone travels on just one bus. Shortly after taking a seat at a media table inside the gym, I got my answer.

I was surrounded by T.F. South students, numbering at least five dozen. Several teachers were in attendance, too, as were school Principal Judy Whalen and District 215 Board President Rich Dust.

So prominent was the group that Titans coach D.J. Brown said afterward it seemed "like a home game for T.F. South. That's a credit to them and a credit to their school."

Rebels coach John O'Rourke was understandably moved that school spirit had enveloped such a large chunk of South's student body.

"The atmosphere was awesome," he said. "I think our fans owned the gym. My hat's off to everyone involved."

The Rebels didn't disappoint their backers, either. Sparked by a combined 36 points from Paul Pierce and Ira Crawford, South defeated Tinley 61-56 and improved its record to 12-7.

Both players agreed the unexpectedly high level of support made a big difference. As Crawford put it, "When things go bad, we have fans there, so they cheer for us and we get through it."

A couple things made this turnout especially impressive. One, of course, was that it ran counter to many other high school sporting events these days.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about an overflow crowd at Illiana Christian, which wasn't surprising since the Vikings were playing arch-rival Chicago Christian that Friday night and games between the two teams always draw heavy interest. The reason I made it my topic was because such sellouts are unusual on today's prep athletics landscape.

T.F. South wasn't playing a big rival, however, so Friday's circumstance was even more eye-opening. We're also talking about a sport that, quite honestly, has never quite captivated Rebels fans the same way as football and baseball have.

O'Rourke said that "when you have a good product with good kids, people want to come out and watch." There's certainly some truth to that, and beating the Titans should strengthen South's grip on hoops fans.

A bigger question is can the enthusiasm be sustained?

A win over T.F. North next Friday will help immensely in keeping Rebels Fever stoked, but that contest cannot be an end-all, be-all proposition. True fans ride the peaks and valleys, and they don't find something better to do at the first sign of adversity.

Friday night was a welcome sight for T.F. South players and coaches. Hopefully, they haven't seen the last of it.

This column is solely the writer's opinion. Reach him at kenneth.karrson@nwi.com.