Benet Academy, of Lisle, IL, made national headlines this year when the boys’ basketball team beat Simeon in the City-Suburban Showdown. The win catapulted the undefeated Redwings to sixth in the USA Today national poll and first in the Illinois 4A state poll. Unfortunately, their season ended early with a loss to East Aurora in sectional semifinal play, ending their dream season of going undefeated and winning a state title. But this year’s run may not be the most memorable in school history.
Between November 26, 1975 and January 24, 1987, the boys' basketball program won 102 straight home-games in their “old gym”. The streak ended when Benet lost to Naperville North High School 46–47. When visiting with coach Gene Heidkamp in October 2010 he mentioned that on that night in January, the Naperville North fans decided that they would take away Benet’s home court advantage and showed up early to fill the small gym. Heidkamp said that Naperville North fans packed the bleachers, almost making it an away game for the Redwings. The rest is history.
Benet’s IHSA record still stands today, and I do not see it being broken anytime soon. The closest any team has come is Aurora (A. Christian) from Feb. 9, 1988-Feb. 11, 1997 with 80 consecutive home court wins (Quincy is 3rd with 70).
As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, a team’s gym can play a significant role in the home winning percentage. Benet is a great example of that but it is not what the teams did decades ago that caught my attention, it’s what the school did years later that intrigued me most. The Redwings continued to play basketball in their Alumni Gym until the end of the 1994 season, when a newer athletic facility was built down the hall. It wasn't until years later when Marty Gaughan, who coached Benet from 1989-2008, decided to honor the school record by playing one home game each year in the Alumni Gym, where the streak was recorded. The Redwing coaches and Academy administration continue the tradition because they too understand how special the record and gym are for their program, team, and fans, due to its historical relevance and electric game-night atmosphere.
This gesture was also the catalyst that drove our family to visit it last October. Look at the list of schools and gyms that fall below Benet for top honor and you too would be impressed. But what’s most impressive is that this annual game keeps the streak “alive” for future generation of players so they know how special it is to play for Benet and in Alumni Gym.
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