Mere seconds remained when star guard Wes Leonard grabbed the ball at the top of the key. The overtime score: 55-55. The Fennville High School Blackhawks were 19-0 and on the brink of a perfect season, but they needed a basket.
As the star of not only the basketball team, but also the quarterback of the football team, Leonard knew the crucial shot fell to him. Without any hesitation, he drove right, found an open lane and easily scooped the ball over the front of the rim.
The last seconds ticked off the clock, and Fennville was perfect. Leonard’s teammates hoisted him up in celebration as fans rushed the court.
Then tragedy struck as the Blackhawks’ star guard, quarterback and hero collapsed on the court. And an hour later, Wes Leonard was dead, his fate determined by an enlarged heart, doctors said.
The story instantly hit national news. Affiliates around the globe showed the Blackhawks’ head coach, Ryan Klinger, and Leonard’s teammates sobbing during a press conference held at the school.
Despite the grief, the basketball season continued, as Fennville was scheduled to play Lawrence High School in the district tournament on Monday. Realizing the magnitude of the situation, Lawrence school officials offered to give up home-court advantage, to play the game at nearby Hope College, a gym that could accommodate far more than 3,000 people. Sure enough, the game was a sellout.
The Blackhawks wore black warm-ups that read “Never Forgotten” on the front and,” “Leonard 35” emblazoned on the back. The team walked onto the court arm-in-arm with Wes’ little brother, Mitchell. Fennville and Lawrence fans alike stood and clapped in respect when Wes’ parents entered the gym. Fennville even started the game with four players in honor of Wes.
The game stayed close throughout, but a late run by the Blackhawks sealed the win. After the game, handshakes were forgotten, as the teams instead hugged each other on the court.
Fennville played again on Wednesday night against rival Bangor High School, and again Fennville emerged victorious despite the loss of the Blackhawk’s best player. They will play in the Class C district final against Covert High. The game will again be played in a large venue, DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland, Mich on Friday evening.
Wes was a larger-than-life student and athlete. His funeral on Tuesday was broken up into quarters and even split by a halftime. Hundreds attended.
The fact that this small school continues to play basketball at a high level, despite such a tragedy, is nothing short of inspirational. They continue to win games in memory of Wes. In sports today, we hear too much of millionaires whining and not enough heartwarming tales. Wes’s life obviously has had a major impact on the lives of people around him, and I can only hope my life has and will do the same.
