2020 Hometown Heroes

2020 Hometown HEROES Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS May 14, 2020 Page 81 A word from Teena Lowery: I really wanted to add something to this out of respect for the people above. First of all, my apologies for taking so long to put my thoughts down on paper if you will. Every time I sat at the computer to type, the tears flowed instead of the words. Second of all, the Railer basketball program is undeniably one of the classiest programs you will ever see and the way the players conducted themselves following the tragic news is evidence of that. Some might think the word “tragic” is a bit extreme, but in my opinion, for these young men to dedicate themselves to the game of basketball their entire lives and then have the opportunity at one shining moment ripped away from them due to unimaginable circumstances out of their control, well that’s a tragedy to a young athlete, whether it be high school, college, or even the Olympics for that matter now. Now if I could just share a couple more thoughts. Throughout the 2019-2020 basketball season I heard Coach Neil Alexander use the word “special” on many occasions when referring to this group of young athletes. He’s obviously coached a long time and he’s had a lot of great teams. But there was something about this group that made them special. This is my take. Prior to their junior year, Froebe, Whiteman and Ewald did not have much Varsity experience. But what they did have was a tough-as-nails work ethnic and a true friendship. They worked their butts off in the off-season to prove themselves to Coach Alexander and the rest of the coaching staff. After a very successful 2018-2019 season, they were left hungry and wanting more. They were determined to be quicker on the court. This season they proved to fans they could run, jump and shoot with the best of them. Actually they out-ran, out-jumped and out- shot the rest of them. This team was quick. They “read” each other well without muttering a word. They clicked like a well-oiled machine. They ran plays like a well-orchestrated performance. They hustled, they kept their composure, they never looked tired, and they simply had fun. They annihilated their opponents nearly all season long. On two occasions they lost by a point in overtime. They never ever quit. They made Coach Alexander’s job look effortless during the games. They were that good. They were a special team to watch play on the court. Off the court, they are outstanding young men who have already made contributions to the younger, up and coming future Railers. They’ve left a legacy. But these are all my opinions. So on Saturday, February 22, 2020 I was in Decatur at the Eisenhower versus Lincoln game standing next to Jared Phillips, a sports reporter for Channel 1450 in Springfield, and I wanted to get a second opinion on these Railers. I asked him, “What do you think of this Railer team?” Phillips didn’t hesitate when he said, “They’re incredible.” I quickly broke out in a smile. What he said next over the course of about five minutes was one of those CONTINUED u