Opinion: Friday was a win for all South Bend Clay alumni
SOUTH BEND — There was no way Lee Nailon was missing this event.
Clay High School means too much to him. Clay Township means too much to him. The city that raised him means too much to him.
The decision to drive up from southern Illinois was an easy one to make.
Nailon was there, his 6’9” stature towering over most, as the last high school basketball game on the court he helped make famous was played Friday night. Nailon was one of hundreds of Clay alums in attendance to see the Colonials win, 70-38, over New Prairie, less than four months before the school closes its doors for good.
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“Growing up in these hallways, I feel like a kid again,” Nailon said. “This is like when, as a kid, you have a favorite toy, and you don’t want it to leave you. After a while, your parents are like, ‘You’ve got to grow up now, time to get rid of it.’ I guess this is me getting rid of my toy as a kid.”
While there were expressions of frustration with the school’s impending closing, it was mostly drowned out by smiles, laughs and old stories.
Connie (Palmer) McCain graduated from the school when it was still Washington-Clay in 1961. Twenty years later, her daughter, Ann, received her diploma from Clay as well.
Connie was hoping to see people from her graduating class. Ann made sure to buy a new purple sweater for the event.
“It’s great to be back,” Connie said. “I wish I was starting over again.”
“It’s exciting to see everyone so happy,” Ann added.
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Current Clay students were giving guided tours of the building to alums. One of them quickly broke down into the former students telling the current ones about all the teachers, classes and shenanigans that happened when they were there.
Stories about dead skunks being put in the freshman hallway as a prank. The pictures on the wall triggering memories, good and bad. “Mr. Baldwin was awesome” was an opinion shared by everyone in the group while walking past the workshop classroom area.
Friday was a celebration of Clay, not a funeral.
Halftime of the game saw each decade of Clay alums in attendance be introduced, from the 1950s to 2020s. The court flooded with people, the biggest classes being from the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Nailon, of course, was a 1994 grad, where he was the starting center for the state-champion boys basketball team. Teammates like his brother, LeShawn, Jaraan Cornell, Michael Lee, Charles Bonds and John White were among those in attendance. Coach Tom DeBaets addressed the crowd, donning a t-shirt honoring the late Chad Hudnall.
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“It hurts to see Clay close; it hurts all of us,” DeBaets said. “They can take the school away from us, but they can’t take away all our great friendships and all our memories. No one can take those away.”
Everything was perfect for Clay Friday. They scored the first 16 points of the game and never trailed. They made it an easy night for the three referees, all of whom are Clay alums (Nick Mark 1975, John Walczewski 1978 and Greg Humeston 1986).
“The last couple of days, I knew how important it was to get a win and go out on a good, positive note,” Clay coach Doug Barnbrook said. “It was very humbling to see all the Clay alumni come back and the former coaches in the building. Just a special night for the proud Clay tradition that laid the groundwork for decades before us.”
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Friday wasn’t the season finale for Clay. They still travel to LaPorte next Friday before sectionals begin the week of the 26th.
The sense of finality cloaked the entire gym, though, when the final horn sounded.
As senior Brad Hicks walked off the court, he raised his arms up, saluting the crowd. It felt like a microcosm of the night, waving goodbye to the school that meant a lot to those wearing purple and gold.
“It was the last home game, so I just wanted to leave it all on the floor tonight,” Hicks said. “We get to leave on a win.”
It was a win for all Clay alumni Friday.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Opinion: Friday was a win for all South Bend Clay alumni before doors close
