Railers win over Lanphier answers unfinished 2020 business
- Dylan Singleton scores a career-high 26 points
- Big game interviews
 

[February 07, 2021]  The Lincoln Railers marched into the Lions Den on Saturday afternoon for a non-conference game against their former Central State Eight rivals, the Lanphier Lions. And what a matchup it was. No doubt the rivalry is still there. 

In the end, Lincoln prevailed with the 56-49 victory and it was oh so sweet, especially for seniors Dylan Singleton and Landon Hullinger. The only two returning starters from last season combined to score 48 of the 56 points for the Railers. It was quite the afternoon matinee for these two and with a brilliant supporting cast around them, they delivered an award-winning performance. Let’s get to the action without further ado. 

Lincoln was awarded the ball to start the game, being the visitors per IHSA Covid rules. But a quick turnover led to Lanphier getting on the board first. T.J. Price would be the first Lion to strike and he was quickly followed by 6’10, 240 pound force-to-be-reckoned with K.J. Debrick. The two men put Lanphier on top 4-0 early and Coach Neil Alexander had already seen enough and called a timeout.

The Lions were just getting started. After a few missed opportunities by Lincoln, the Lions’ Ty Banks took advantage on a pass thru the lane from Debrick and he delivered with a basket to stretch the lead to 6-0.

It would take a while before Lincoln scored, but when they finally did it was a huge three by senior Adam Grunder to cut the lead in half.

Landon Hullinger quickly followed that up with a move in the lane versus Debrick and Lincoln was closing the gap 6-5.

After a Lions miss on the next possession, Lincoln was off and running with the rebound.

Brody Whiteman would pull down an offensive rebound at the Railers end and go back up strong for two points and the first Lincoln lead of the game. This 7-0 run by Lincoln put the Railers out front 7-6 and it was now time for the referee’s timeout.

Dubbed a mask break by some, a timeout is called by the referees during each quarter after the first dead ball around the five-minute mark. 

Both teams were held scoreless over the course of the next few minutes of play. Lanphier’s Cameron Kincade put the lead back in their favor after he connected for a three with 2:12 to go in the quarter.

On the other end, it was Singleton and Hullinger combining to make things happen. A pass from Singleton to Hullinger in the lane allowed the 6’5 senior to go up and over Debrick for the bucket. Nice work by Hullinger to tie the game 9-9.

Moments later a three by Banks put Lanphier out front 12-9. As the clock ticked under thirty seconds, Lincoln was holding out for that last shot and it would be Hullinger delivering a buzz worthy moment.

Set up in the corner, waiting for moments like this his entire life, Hullinger would rise to the occasion and knock down a three at the buzzer. Ring it up for the 12-12 tie with Lanphier in the Lions Den.

Stay in your seats for the second quarter.

Debrick would put Lanphier out front 14-12 early. But here comes Singleton busting into the scoring column with a move thru the lane and it’s a tie game, 14-14. Debrick, who is a tough one to stop given his size, put Lanphier back on top 16-14.

Singleton is very familiar with Debrick’s game, as the two used to be Predator teammates back in their AAU days. Size aside, both are tough competitors and pound for pound Debrick does hold a huge advantage but Singleton has grit and determination as big as Texas. Singleton tied the game 16-16 with another move in the lane against Debrick. These two players and their teams were showing early on they were ready to do battle til the end.

Michael Ousley connected for a three to give the Lions the lead back, but Singleton was quick to nail a turnaround jumper and keep his team right in the thick of things. In fact, Singleton was on a stretch of delivering eight straight points for Lincoln, and with his steal and layup around three minutes the score was tied 20-20.

With a minute left to play Ousley put the Lions on top 22-20. Price would add a couple free throws after he was fouled by Jaden Klopp and Lanphier could boast a 24-20 lead. But leave it to Hullinger to deliver another award-winning moment. “Lando” hit a long three as the halftime buzzer sounded and this gave the Railers some pep in their step as they trotted to the locker room, down by just one point, 24-23 the score. 

Third quarter

The third quarter would prove to be a dandy. Put the popcorn down and enjoy the show because Elijah Pollice is going to hit a jumper in the lane and Lincoln is going to take the lead, 25-24.

Then it’s Hullinger’s turn, again. He hits another long three and it’s 28-24 all of a sudden.

After Singleton sinks a couple free throws, it’s Hullinger again and no second-guessing here, the three is good and the Lincoln lead now rests at 33-27 with 5:13 showing on the third quarter clock.

After the referee’s timeout at 4:45 the Lions scored on a layup, but the Railers were quick to answer. Singleton, who proclaimed after the game his favorite move is actually his jump shot, proceeded to hit back-to-back jumpers. Nothing but net from the senior and he was certainly in the running for that Emmy or even the Tony, as Lincoln was on top 37-29.

Let’s hear it again for Hullinger because around the 1:25 mark he delivered another three and Lincoln had stretched the lead to 40-32.

Kincade would finish the third quarter scoring on a couple free throws and the Lincoln lead was in the books 40-34. 

Fourth quarter

What would the fourth quarter bring? How about Singleton in the paint. Debrick under the basket. Hullinger for a corner three. A theme here. The story is writing itself now. After that three off the hot hand of Hullinger, his sixth of the game by the way, the Railers were on top 45-36. After Singleton hit a couple free throws the Lincoln lead was 47-37. There are now four minutes remaining in the game.

Price made good on a three for Lanphier to close the gap a bit, but Singleton had a lot of fight left in him and he wasn’t about to let this game slip away. Down the lane he goes for two and the Lincoln lead is back up to 49-40.

Time after time Singleton was instrumental in making big plays in this game and the next move was no different. Following a Lincoln steal, Singleton went up against Debrick in the lane and was fouled. With 2:48 left to play in the game, Singleton would step to the free throw line and hit both shots. This would give Lincoln their biggest lead of the game, 51-40.

The Lions were riled up. In fact, Singleton and Debrick would exchange pleasantries. Although it almost looked like they were arguing over who ate all the butter on the popcorn. Nonetheless the big guy came down the court in the next Lions possession and threw down a dunk. With the Debrick slam the Lions still trailed 51-43.

Singleton had an answer, not a dunk, but a bucket in the lane regardless. The lead was up to 10 points again for the visiting Railers. Debrick was then fouled by Singleton and this time after he made his free throws the Lincoln lead was 53-45.

This next move by a Lincoln player drew rave reviews. Grunder truly took one for the team when he stepped in front of a quick-moving bulldozer, Debrick, and drew the charge. It was a big play. And it sent Debrick to the bench with his fifth foul. 

With under a minute left to play in the game, the Lions were forced to foul, sending Singleton to the line. He was a perfect 2-for-2 and the lead was double-digits again.

Kincade would go on to score a couple Lions baskets in the paint and that would be all the offense left in Lanphier.

Grunder would be the final Railer at the line and he made 1-of-2 baskets. With 10 seconds left the Railers just ran out the clock before waving goodbye to the Lions. No handshakes allowed. Just a friendly wave.

Let the celebrating begin! The Railers won the game 56-49 over Springfield Lanphier. Not just a longtime rival, but the team that Lincoln was scheduled to play on March 13, 2020. It was the Sectional title that didn’t happen. And for almost a year fans have wondered “What would have happened in that game?” 

Now you know.

The Railers left no doubts on Saturday. Was it an even-playing field? Lanphier lost one senior to graduation. Lincoln lost three outstanding seniors to graduation, who are each on college basketball rosters to this day. It was going to be an epic game last March. 

Post game review

Back to Saturday’s contest, it was Dylan Singleton, who did not score in the first quarter, leading Lincoln with a career-high 26 points.

Landon Hullinger was hot from the outside with six threes and a total of 22 points for the victorious Railers. 

K.J. Debrick led Lanphier with 17 points.

Lincoln improves to 3-0 on the season. 

Following the Railer victory, the entire team and coaching staff was obviously pumped up. But the two guys who really deserve the spotlight and every award possible for their amazing performance on Saturday are Dylan Singleton and Landon Hullinger. It’s time to hear them speak. 

Per IHSA covid rules, reporters were not permitted in person access to the non-conference game.

Dylan Singleton was the first to be interviewed Saturday night via a phone call. 

“Our team gelled today,” Singleton began. “We played really well. We executed the game plan that Coach Al had and it worked.” 

The game plan Singleton mentioned sounded simple. 

“We had to stop them in transition, we had to play defense and we had to rebound,” he said. 

Pretty big assignments against an highly physical Lanphier squad. 

Lincoln pulled it off, but from the start it was a bit rocky, as Singleton alluded to. 

“Right off the bat they really stuck it to us and then we called a timeout,” Singleton said. “We came back out with some fire and we at least got it tied before the end of the first quarter. And then I think the turning point was right at halftime when we had like seven straight points. Landon hit a couple big threes back-to-back.”

With the Railers trailing by one at halftime, Singleton knew they had their work cut out for them in the second half. 

“We played some great defense in the third quarter,” said Singleton. 

This allowed the Railers to grab the lead for good.  A 40-34 lead at the end of the third quarter was solid and with the confidence to hold their own in the fourth quarter the Railers just added to the lead and walked away with the win.

How does this win feel, Dylan?

“This win feels good because that was the team that we were supposed to play at the end of the season last year and this really shows us what we could have done last year,” he said.

“They only lost one senior last year and we lost three huge seniors,” he continued. “It felt really good,” he said, with happiness in his voice. 

And what did Coach Alexander have to say after the game to the team in the locker room?

“He was excited because he realized what we could’ve done last year,” said Singleton. “We were playing the same exact team basically. He was just excited because it was a huge win for us this year. This win gives us some confidence. He just told us to keep working hard.”

Singleton also credited the entire coaching staff. 

“They always helped us with scouting,” he said. “The JV coaches do a great job at practice helping us out with the game plan. They are all great help. Coach Gregg, Coach Farmer and Coach “E” (Ewald) are all a huge part of our success.”

And it’s great to see Singleton earn the success he’s had at the high school level. He’s the floor general, with all eyes on him looking to make the next move and he delivers time and time again. He just plays smart. 

Of the huge win Saturday he said, “It felt good and gave me some confidence.”

Finally he added, “A lot of people are excited about this one. It’s always good to beat Lanphier. They are our rival. It feels good every time you get a win against Lanphier.” 

Yes it does.

Landon Hullinger was also available for a phone interview Saturday night and he was still pumped from the win and excited to talk about the game.

“I’ll tell you what,” Hullinger kicked off the conversation, “It was something. It was just a lot of great team chemistry this afternoon from the guys. The offense was clicking. The defense was clicking. We got rebounds. It just synced so well out there and the score proved it.” 

Do you think Lanphier was surprised?

“Oh yeah, we surprised them big time,” he said, with glee in his voice. “When we walked in, I mean they are big guys, and we were not intimidated at all. We were just ready to go. We knew that by it being a rivalry, we gave it our all.”

What was the atmosphere like being the visitors in that gymnasium without any Railer fans? 

“It’s such a difficult environment,” said Hullinger. “We haven’t played in Lanphier’s gym - ever. This was the first time that I’ve ever played in that gym my whole high school career since we’re in the Apollo Conference. And it’s quite a change because there was nobody there. It’s almost like a practice because there’s no crowd noise. You have to rely on your bench. It’s different, but it didn’t take too long for us to adapt to that environment.”

With the Railers down by a point at halftime, Singleton gave Landon Hullinger the credit for being a game changer, hitting those threes in the third quarter to put Lincoln on top.

Hullinger responded, “Oh, I’m gonna give Dylan (Singleton) credit, too.  I mean, I was there and the shot felt really good coming off my hands. I was in a great rhythm. But I give credit to Dylan because he can get in the paint and he can kick it and he can create his own shots. Dylan did a great job, especially getting to the hole and there is nobody else I’d rather have in that paint to just pull up and shoot. He’s deadly. Ten times out of 10 it’s going in.”

It’s a consensus that Singleton runs the show on the court very well. He has a gift to make the players around him better.

Hullinger agrees, “Yes, he does.  He makes me a lot better. He makes me look good, especially shooting threes. I give him a lot of credit.”

As a varsity leader who has reached the senior level, what pressure does Hullinger feel?

“It’s not as much pressure because last year I was mentored by three amazing seniors and they taught me how to play the game the right way,” stated Hullinger. “It’s nice to have that knowledge because now I can pass it along to these guys and then hopefully they can pass along my information to their underclassman because it was quite the feeling to be able to play for those three seniors last year. Now that I have the opportunity to give the knowledge that they had to them, it’s truly incredible.”

Recalling the game that was supposed to take place on March 13, 2020, Hullinger noted, “That was our next step. This team we played today had almost everybody from last season, except for one person. We definitely proved that we would have made that next step in getting to at least the super-sectional.”

About the 2021 matchup with the Lions, Hullinger offered, “It was very physical as opposed to Friday’s game with Teutopolis. Teutopolis was big and kind of physical, but with Lanphier we dealt with athletic and physical players. Which was quite a difference. K.J.(Debrick), their big guy, he likes to hit people. And a lot of them really like to hit and attack the ball and we didn’t back down. Me and Brody (Whiteman), we didn’t back down. Brody was such a champ today. He was not scared to go up and get a rebound. None of us were. We were just locked in and we did what we did to win.” 

And rolling right into doing what a team has to do to win, Hullinger brought up Grunder’s charge late in the game that took Debrick out of the game with five fouls. 

“Yes, he (Grunder) took a ginormous charge with about two minutes to go. K.J. is about 6’9 or 6’10 and Adam, you know, isn’t the biggest kid on the court and he steps up for a charge. He took the charge and just as soon as I saw the referee signal that charge, I just screamed. That moment is when I knew that, wow, we had the win in our hands. I was ecstatic.” 

Hullinger, too, had nothing but great things to say about the longtime Railers coaching staff. 

“I give them all the credit in the world,” said Hullinger. “They’ve got a system that has worked for so long. They just know how to tailor the offense and defense to our strengths, different rotations, different plays that we run and especially with the offense today. They knew that we could run some plays where we could get a clear out and get Dylan to the hoop."

The strategies for Hullinger were plays that gave him some wide open shots.

Hullinger credited the coaches, "They just know what to call and when to call it. That’s something that just screams great coaching. It’s truly incredible to play for.” 

Walking out of the gym today what were you feeling, Landon?

“I felt a huge sigh of relief,” he said. “It was a feeling like no other. It truly was amazing. Even though we are in the Apollo Conference we want to prove to everybody that we are still strong and talented enough to play these CS8 teams. We want to prove to everybody that Lincoln is still the CS8 team it used to be and we’re still with everybody and we’re not lagging behind, especially with losing three seniors last year. With me and Dylan having to step up, it’s just nice because we can use this momentum into the rest of the season.” 

Momentum is in the favor of the Railers as they faced three tough opponents in the opening week and handled all three to charge out to a 3-0 record. 

The final thoughts from Hullinger were well-scripted even though off the cuff. 

“I am just extremely proud of our guys today,” he said. “It was such a team effort. Everybody did what they had to do in order to win and we just fought til the end. For the full 32 minutes we played just outstanding basketball. We were competitive and it was just an amazing team effort.” 

Well said.

Congratulations, Railers, on this big win!

In the JV contest on Saturday, Lanphier edged Lincoln 55-52. Payton Cook led Lincoln with 18 points. Camden Nelson hit double-figures with 13 points for the Railers. 

The Railers are back in action Tuesday night to host Mattoon at Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium. The JV will start at 6 p.m. The Varsity will start at 7:30 p.m.

Varsity scoring

Lincoln 56

Singleton 26

Hullinger 22

Grunder 4

Whiteman 2

Pollice 2

Lanphier 49 

Debrick 17

Kincade 9

Banks Jr. 8

Price 7

Ousley 5

Jackson 2

Robinson 1

JV scoring 

Lincoln 52

Cook 18

Nelson 13

Bivin 8

Kingsley 5

Sasse 4

Gowin 2

Stevens 2

Lanphier 55

Kyles 15

Patterson 12

Davis 10

Rice 5

Criss 3

Doolin 3

Horne 3

Douglas 2

Bates 2

[Teena Lowery]