 That was the first time Derrick Schonauer did something heroic.
That night at Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium, the LCHS basketball team --
with Schonauer, a junior, as a starting forward -- took on a gifted
opponent from Chicago's Curie High School. The Railers, playing just
their second game of the season, struggled considerably for much of
the night against their bigger, stronger and faster opponent.
Heading into the fourth quarter, Lincoln trailed 47-36.
It was only in the final minutes that the Railers came to life. I
remember the game well, because I was a senior at LCHS that year
and, for most of the homes games that season, I sat in the front row
of the student section.
After a furious comeback, Lincoln had cut the lead to just two
points in the final seconds, 60-58, with possession of the ball.
With 3.2 seconds on the clock, Curie mistakenly fouled Lincoln
sophomore Matt Schick, sending him to the free-throw line for a
crucial "one-and-one" opportunity, with a chance to tie the game.
Schick toed the line, eyed the rim and released his shot.
Clank.
The ball caromed off the back of the rim. Lincoln senior David
Pickering leaped for the rebound, but wound up tipping the ball in
the opposite direction of the rim, along the baseline.
There on the wing, inexplicably, stood Derrick Schonauer.
In only his second game as a starter on the varsity squad,
Schonauer collected the loose ball and, without hesitation, launched
a high-arching 3-pointer.
Swish. The sound of a buzzer. Game over. Lincoln 61, Chicago
Curie 60.
"At that point, it was complete pandemonium," said Schick on
Wednesday night, recalling the game from eight years ago. "Our whole
team mobbed Derrick. The entire student section rushed the floor. It
was incredible. By the time we had all calmed down, we'd pushed
(Derrick) out into the lobby of the gym.
"He was the hero."
That momentous game-winning shot was just the first of many
magical moments that season. The Railers would eventually advance
all the way into the state tournament, setting a state record for
3-pointers in the process.
Flash forward now to Sept. 7, 2012.
On a gloomy Friday morning in Normal, Schonauer was once again in
a high school, but this time as a health teacher at Normal Community
High School. A recent graduate of Illinois State University, it was
only Schonauer's 12th day as a full-time faculty member.
A seemingly normal day for Schonauer turned disastrous toward the
end of first period. According to published reports, a 14-year-old
freshman reached into a book bag and pulled out a loaded handgun in
Schonauer's class, taking Schonauer and other students hostage.
Later reports revealed that the student in fact had multiple
handguns and ammunition in his book bag, along with flammable liquid
and a sharp object.
The student took charge of the room, addressing his peers and
Schonauer in an aggressive manner. At one point, a shot was fired
into the ceiling of the classroom.
Reports say that at another time during the crisis, some of the
students found an opportunity to escape the classroom. Schonauer did
not escape with them and was held at gunpoint with the remaining
students.
Precise details have yet to be publicized, but, at some point,
the armed gunman let his guard down and loosened his grip on the
weapon.
What Schonauer did next is simply stunning.
Risking his own life, Schonauer lunged at the armed gunman,
disarmed him and, with the help of other students, subdued him until
police arrived.
No one was injured in the incident. The armed student has since
been charged in McLean County Court with numerous felonies.
Were it not for Schonauer's actions, the outcome could have been
far different, far more tragic.
Again, Schonauer was the hero.
Except this time, he didn't win a basketball game -- he saved
lives.
Of all the acts a human being can undertake, there's none
comparable to that of risking your life to save the lives of others.
Making a game-winning shot in a basketball game is especially
incomparable.
But, let's just say that Schonauer's former teammates were not
entirely surprised by the character he exhibited on Sept. 7, 2012.
They had seen it before -- on a basketball court.
You see, character is primarily what put Derrick Schonauer on the
basketball court in the first place during that improbable 2004-05
season.
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Although he was a reliable shooter, on a team with heralded
marksmen like Pickering, Schick and John Harmsen, Schonauer's
offensive opportunities were few and far between.
Rather, Schonauer made his mark on the defensive end. Although he
was only 6-foot-1, Schonauer was frequently asked to match up
against taller, stronger players in the post for the Railers. But,
because of savvy instincts that allowed him to anticipate the
opposition's movements, he frequently was able to establish the
advantageous position in the lane and prevented Lincoln from being
picked apart inside.
Playing in the last line of defense in Lincoln's traditional
1-2-2 zone defense, Schonauer had multiple responsibilities: protect
the basket, defend the baseline, communicate with his teammates
about the opposition's movements within the zone and finally,
rebound.
He was, quite frankly, a role player.
But, in his role, Schonauer excelled.
"Derrick was the glue guy on that team," said Schick. "Pickering,
Harmsen and I did most of the scoring. Curt Courtwright and Brandon
Farmer did most of the ball handling. And he was our 6-foot-1 center
who did all of the little things that we didn't do.
"He was boxing out. He was hustling for loose balls. He was
taking charges. You could always count on him to be where he was
supposed to be, always in the right spot. He was making the extra
pass to an open teammate. He was setting screens and running the
plays correctly for other people to score. He was the guy who had
all of the intangibles."
Not only did Schonauer do much of the dirty work, but he took
pride in it.
He was what Schick called "the consummate teammate."
"He always put the team before himself. Always," said Schick. "He
could go an entire game without taking a shot, but if we won, that
was all that mattered to him.
"He was really a perfect teammate, especially for our team. You
always knew what you could expect from him. He consistently came to
practice ready to work hard, ready to do whatever it took in a game
to win. He was the complete opposite of a prima donna. I just
remember him as being so consistent, so hardworking and never caring
about anything but winning the game."
Unselfish.
Instinctual.
A fierce protector.
A loyal teammate who was willing to do whatever it took for the
benefit of others.
And opportunistic, as evidenced by that memorable game-winning
shot.
All of these were qualities of Derrick Schonauer displayed as
basketball player.
Those same qualities were displayed during his lifesaving
decisions on Sept. 7.
That's why Schick says he wasn't entirely surprised when he
started hearing from friends about Schonauer's lifesaving actions.
"I was stunned that there was a shooting at the school, but when
I heard about what Derrick did, I wouldn't say I was completely
shocked that he was the hero," said Schick, who has remained close
friends with Schonauer as both went to college in
Bloomington-Normal. "He put his life on the line. But, especially in
basketball, he would do anything for a teammate, anything for his
friends. If you needed some help in a situation, he'd be one of the
first people you'd call and one of the first to show up to pull you
out of a ditch. He's just that type of guy."
There's one final quality that Schick says has always defined
Schonauer: humility.
Recently, there's been evidence of that too.
Just as he never concerned himself with garnering attention as a
basketball player, Schonauer has given only one media interview in
the aftermath of the incident. That interview was reportedly cut
short when Schonauer said he needed to return to his students, to
give them a sense of normalcy in the aftermath of the chaos.
"It doesn't shock me one bit that he's been so humble about it,"
said Schick. "I've talked to him a little bit and he's not looking
for attention. To him, he doesn't see it as anything special. He
just sees it as part of his job, part of what he was supposed to do.
He'd say he's not a hero, that he was just protecting the kids.
"But he's a hero to me. As his friend, I'm just really proud of
him."
As are we all.
[By JUSTIN TIERNEY]
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