1 school, 2 undefeated basketball state titles: How Christ Lutheran built its championship teams

Two undefeated seasons. Two state championships. One school.

Christ Lutheran won a pair of Lutheran Sports Association of Illinois state titles within weeks of each other, capturing both the 2024 boys and girls crowns. These unbeaten teams will now play in their respective Lutheran Basketball Association of America national tournaments in Ft. Wayne, Indiana starting March 21.

“(Winning those state titles) was real big for Christ Lutheran,” Christ Lutheran girls coach Paris Gulley said, noting the national tourney brackets will be released Monday.

Here are how the boys and girls teams won those state championships.

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‘Probably one of the better teams … in the state’

In winning the ‘24 state title on Feb. 18, the Comets have their 17th LSA state championship in the program’s history. The 2023-24 edition of Christ Lutheran, which is 26-0 and looks to win a fifth national championship next week, isn’t much different from those past teams.

In fact, this year’s edition might be one of the most dominant

“This is one of our more talented teams that I have been around,” Christ Lutheran boys coach Terry Mooney Jr. said.

Mooney coached 2020 Illinois Mr. Basketball Adam Miller, while being a part of former Christ Lutheran teams that featured future Peoria prep legends like Mike Robinson, Sergio McClain and Brandun Hughes when his dad, Terry Mooney, was at the helm.

The makeup of the Comets this season includes a squad that goes seven to eight deep along with being big, athletic and having a high basketball IQ.

“I do put this team up there with those groups,” the younger Mooney said.

Don’t just take his word for it. His team handed two Illinois Elementary School Association eighth-grade state champions their lone losses this season. Class 3A winner Metamora Grade School (28-1) and Class 4A champ Markham Prairie-Hills (28-1) were victims of Christ Lutheran.

“I knew at that time,” Mooney Jr. said about beating Prairie-Hills at a shootout, “I thought we were probably one of the better teams private or public in the state. … When I say, ‘We will play anybody’, we try to play anybody.

“I’m always trying to get our hands on playing bigger, better schools that eventually going to make us better later in the year.”

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That strategic scheduling paid off in the boys state tournament. The average margin of victory in four state wins was 36 points highlighted by a 56-35 title game victory against Palatine Immanuel.

Nigel Moore picked up tournament MVP honors, scoring a tournament-high 16.8 points a game. He made the all-tournament team along with Kaylen Hardy, Corey Hearn and Anfernee Moore.

“The March time of year is really exciting for us,” said Mooney Jr., who is the Peoria Heights high school principal, “because we do get to play teams from all over the country.”

Not only does Mooney Jr. get to volunteer his time coaching alongside his dad, but former Bradley great Marcellus Sommerville, whose son, Lawson, is on the team, is also on the staff.

“I do have some really good basketball minds surrounding me,” Mooney Jr. said.

‘The best feeling’

Last season, the Comets girls team finished second at LSA state followed by a LBAA national runner-up finish. This season, there is unfinished business.

Christ Lutheran, which plays local-sanctioned schools during the season, entered the postseason with an 18-0 record, then went on a tear through the state tournament. In four victories, the Comets won by an average of 31.5 points, culminating with a 49-22 title win over Palatine Immanuel.

Winning state was a first for the girls program.

“It was a tough weekend,” Gulley said. “The girls all finished out with a lot on the line.”

Eighth-grader Amiyah Gulley was named tournament MVP, averaging 15.3 points a game and was joined on the all-tournament with teammates Saniyah Jones and Makya Maxwell.

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Gulley is the daughter of the former Manual all-stater.

“That probably was the best feeling,” the elder Gulley said, “hands down, I could say in my basketball career that I had being able to win state with my daughter while me coaching her.”

Now, this 22-0 squad faces the final leg on its redemption tour at the national tournament. Gulley says the keys for Comets to play for another national championship is simple: Stay on the same page, continue to trust the process, play hard and stay healthy.

“If our girls come to play like how they’ve been doing all year,” he said, “I expect us to win it.”

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Grade-school basketball teams from Peoria Christ Lutheran win LSA state titles