For one basketball game, these neighboring IESA schools both left winners

Some things are bigger than sports.

Sportsmanship took center stage last week in an eighth-grade boys basketball game between East Peoria Robein and Washington Beverly Manor, both located just outside Peoria.

With Beverly Manor in need of an opponent for their eighth-grade night, neighboring Robein stepped in and had its seventh-grade team play back-to-back games as a way to give Beverly Manor's soon-to-be freshmen a proper sendoff.

“It was more than basketball that night,” Beverly Manor coach Chad Wilson said. “It really brought us all together, especially in that moment.”

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Robein has low numbers and does not field an eighth-grade team, but its coach Chris Stephens was willing to lend a hand to the neighboring school district. The first-year coach understood disappointment: His high school senior night didn’t happen for reasons that were out of his hands.

He wasn’t going to let that happen to opposing Beverly Manor.

“I really wanted to just let the players get the recognition,” Stephens said, “that they deserve for working their butts off all year, because I know how crappy of a feeling it can be to have something taken away that you have no control over.”

Although they were playing against players a year older and even more skilled, Robein was focused on showcasing all the hard work it had put in throughout the year, according to Stephens.

And because of the unique nature of the game, both teams benched the regular starters in favor of reserves who had not scored this season. Three of those four reserves scored in the first half off of plays designed for them.

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“For me at least, it was awesome to see how our players reacted to their classmates,” Stephens said, “and their teammates getting playing time and actually getting to score in a game.”

Beverly Manor got four players who had not seen the floor a chance to get a bucket. One of the school's fifth graders, who played for the seventh-grade team but was bumped up for eighth-grade duty, even got his chance to get in the scorebook. Several of his free throws fell short before he made his final attempt. Moments later, he added to his point total with a steal and a layup.

“We both fed off each other while the game was going on," Wilson said, “It just started playing out. A couple of kids that have never scored in their career started scoring.”

But the overwhelming highlight of the night came in the game’s waning seconds.

One final Robein player had yet to score when time was starting to run out. A missed shot ended up in the hands of a player from Beverly Manor, who graciously handed over the rebound. That kid's last shot went in, and the crowd exploded in cheers and applause.

“It was the loudest I had heard a gym for one of our games all year really,” Stephens said. “It was really awesome to see.”

“I was just elated,” Wilson added of his reaction to his player’s selfless act. “It really came to a moment where realizing the good that we’re doing with this program and how unselfish the kids are and how big of hearts that they actually have. It really hit me and hit us in the locker room. We all celebrated. … It was just a really great moment, and hearing from all the parents after the game and the tears that were displayed."

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Social media took notice, as well.

The Illinois Elementary School Association got a hold of the story and posted on their Facebook page as one of its "Good Sports Reports!" That original post was shared 28 times including by both the Washington District 50 Schools page, which garnered 68 more shares, as well as the Robein School District #85 page.

Commentors sang the praises of both teams, calling it "one of the best games" and "such a special night for all the kids parents and coaches."

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: IESA basketball: Beverly Manor, Robein share moment of sportsmanship