CHICAGO HEIGHTS | Marian Catholic's Wes Fleming wasn't just excited to be getting his first start Tuesday night.
It was kind of special for him because it was at M'Cann Gym, where his grandfather, the late Wes Mason, turned out some great Bloom teams. Wes Mason, for whom Fleming is named, coached the Trojans from 1967-1982 and won 13 regionals, five sectionals and two supsersectionals. His 1973-74 and 1974-75 teams finished second in the Class AA tournament, and he was 317-122.
Mason built a following among Bloom supporters that exists to this day. From the 13 all-state players to the big postgame celebrations at the Savoy, Mason left his mark in Chicago Heights.
"When Coach (Mike Taylor) told me I was gonna start, I was a little surprised," Fleming said. "It's kind of an honor because I heard all the stories about my grandfather and the great tradition of the Bloom program and M'Cann Gym.
"I was a little surprised about the floor."
Before the game, it was announced the floor will be renamed "Wes Mason Court" on Sept. 25, as part of Bloom High School's 110th anniversary. The Blazing Trojans came out strong and held off a third-quarter comeback attempt by Marian as Bloom Twp. won the Battle of Chicago Heights 47-32.
Marian (6-19) lost its fourth consecutive game and the Blazing Trojans (11-12) avenged a 57-56 loss to the Spartans at the Chicago Heights Classic in November.
Bloom Twp.'s Phillip Andrade had 10 points and said his team's 11-0 run in the first half was crucial.
"We always are the ones who start slow and get behind 10, 12 points and it's hard to catch up," Andrade said. "We took control early and it was nice going into the locker room at halftime with a 12-point lead (28-16)."
Teammate Deron Perkins led all scorers with 14 points. Torean Ratcliff added 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Spartans closed within six, 32-26 with a Robert Coles 3-pointer with 1:50 left in the third quarter. Bloom Twp. pulled away in the fourth quarter. The Blazing Trojans have let teams back into games this season, and Perkins said they didn't want that to happen again.
"We thought we had the game won and maybe underestimated them a little bit," Perkins said. "Coach (Jasper Williams) talked to us and told us to get out there and put them away."
Marian was led by Pat Healy's 11 points and Rich Pinto's nine rebounds. The Spartans had a hard time getting anything established inside against a bigger Bloom Twp. team, but they also had several unforced turnovers.
"We were not aggressive and let them control the tempo of the game," Taylor said. "We need to be the aggressor and take charge on the floor."
BOYS BASKETBALL
Bloom Twp. 47, Marian Catholic 32
Marian's Rich Pinto had six blocks.
