BBCHS wins Special Olympics Unified Basketball state title

CHAMPAIGN – Following last year’s third-place finish at state, Bradley-Bourbonnais Special Olympics Unified basketball forward Anthony Boyce and his Boilermaker teammates vowed to not only make it back to state this season, but to also bring home the state championship trophy.

And with a 43-34 win over Mt. Vernon in Saturday’s IHSA Division 1 State championship game, that’s exactly what the Boilers did.

“It means everything,” Boyce, a junior Special Olympian, said. “Coming back, last year we got third place. This year, we tried out, got some new players, got to practice, and we won.”

Saturday’s win marked the second championship in three years for the Boilers, who followed up a 2022 runner-up finish with the Division 2 championship in 2023 before moving up to Division 1 ahead of last year’s third-place run.

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From left, Bradley-Bourbonnais' Anthony Boyce, Zyrie McCoffin, Carter Borneman and Calvin Kohl celebrate the Boilermakers' 43-34 win over Mt. Vernon in the IHSA Special Olympics Unified Basketball Division 1 State championship Saturday, March 15, 2025 at the University of Illinois Activities and Recreation Center. (Shaw Media/Mason Schweizer)

Boyce is one of several players that’s been a part of both championship teams, as has fellow junior Special Olympian, guard Nate Corder. Corder, who was hoisted in the air in the middle of the team’s postgame celebration in what he called “pretty cool,” said that as some of their teammates have come and gone, they continue to find a way to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

“We found a good [way] to get to know everyone, and what they’re good at and finding out who to pass to in what situation,” Corder said.

And that’s exactly what Unified basketball is about. The sport pairs Special Olympic athletes with their Unified partners at school. While their state success has been an added bonus, junior forward and Unified partner Calvin Kohl said it’s no coincidence that they’ve practiced exactly what the sport is all about to achieve those victorious goals.

“I think that’s what’s so great about Unified basketball, is that no matter what your background is, how you look, if you have a disability or not, everybody’s welcome,” Kohl said. “I think creating that environment has allowed us to be successful over the years.”

And all of that chemistry and camaraderie culminated in a commanding championship game effort. The Boilers never trailed, plunging ahead on Kenvontae Sutton’s early and-one and never looking back.

Carter Borneman had 12 points to lead the way, followed by nine apiece from Sutton and Jeremiah Jones. Kason Bynum had seven points while Mason Shaul, Everett Schierholz and Kohl had two points apiece.

But even with the collection of offense they got Saturday, it was the defensive end where the Boilers made their mark. They held the Rams to a single point in the second quarter, turning a 10-7 lead after a quarter to a comfortable 20-8 lead at the half.

Mt. Vernon cut its deficit to as close as 38-32 with just under two minutes to go, but defense and free-throw shooting – they went 4-for-6 down the stretch – allowed the Boilers to hold off the Rams' late rally.

“The whole weekend, all I told them is there are two boring things that are gonna win this – defense, which is effort, and rebounding," Boilers coach Paul Drake said.

Several players that chipped in for Saturday’s win, like Jones, Schierholz, Borneman and Sutton, were some of this year’s new additions to the program. Sutton, a Unified partner, said that as a member of the school’s Best Buddies program, he wanted to help do his part in showing that no matter what kind of differences people may have, they’re all the same.

“The main idea of Unified is to push Unified to become a societal norm, and I had to learn to not worry about what others think of me, just stay true to myself,” Sutton said. “Unified and them taking me into the family, I’m very much appreciative. The lessons they’ve taught me and I’ve taught them, it’s all like a family, and I really appreciate that.

With the new faces and program growth has come a desire to get all possible areas of special education involved at the school. Coach Sam Soosh said that several new Special Olympians came from direct instruction and co-taught programs.

But wherever they come from, and whether it’s winning another state championship or the school being recognized as a national banner school, which comes from excellence in a myriad of Special Olympics areas, Soosh said it’s the Special Olympians and their Unified partners that are responsible.

“They just care, really. It’s internal. We do the best we can as coaches, but it’s all them. It’s all their heart.