Southland Prep’s David Shaw played the final game in his home gym.
The senior guard, the all-time leading scorer in program history, scored just six points Monday night and had troubles putting the ball through the net. He was scoreless in the first half.
So, of all the memories he has had in three years of work on the varsity, what is his favorite?
“This game,” Shaw said.
Despite his offensive struggles, Shaw’s teammates rallied around him and the host Eagles made history by winning their first playoff game with a 54-51 victory over Reed-Custer in a Class 2A Coal City Regional quarterfinal in Richton Park.
Freshman guard Tristan Garner led Southland Prep (18-9) to its seventh straight win with 19 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Gabryel Patterson added 16 points, while senior power forward Jaylin Remmer pulled down 12 rebounds.
Jacob Reardon finished off a monster night for Reed-Custer (11-20) with 25 points, 15 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
The fifth-seeded Eagles, who have their best record in program history, face host third-seeded Coal City (20-10) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the regional semifinals.
Shaw, meanwhile, is just happy to be able to play another game in the postseason.
“My team picked me up, for real,” he said. “I was able to keep working on my defense.”
That was a factor in the second quarter as the Eagles held the Comets to four points and took a 28-16 halftime lead.
But the 5-foot-11 Shaw is noted for his offense, especially during a senior season that saw him recently pass the program record of 1,017 points set by Tim Barnes.
“I met Tim when I was a freshman,” Shaw said. “He was a good mentor and taught me a lot. I never thought I would break his record. But this year, I found out how easy it is to score.”
This season, Shaw picked up notice for averaging 31 points a game while being named first team all-tournament at Proviso West. He also scored 41 points on Feb. 5 against Walther Christian and then 38 points on Jan. 27 against Illinois Math and Science Academy.
And he also has been a good mentor to the younger players, including Garner.
“He means a lot to me and the program,” Garner said of Shaw. “He brings a lot of energy and a good attitude. He’s become a fan favorite over here.”
Barnes, who is living in Houston and is still under contract with a team in Morocco, said he thought Shaw would give his record a run for the money.
“I knew he had a chance,” Barnes said of Shaw. “I saw him early in high school career and saw how much confidence he had. He reminded me of myself. Even more so.
“He’s not scared to miss and he’s not scared to make mistakes. He was pretty raw as far as his talent when I first met him. It’s great to see what his career had turned into.”
Barnes confirmed that he’s not sad his record didn’t stand, either.
“Records are made to be broken,” Barnes said. “I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Shaw wouldn’t disclose the college interest he has received, preferring to concentrate on the playoffs.
Southland Prep coach Justin Johnson, who started three seasons ago when Shaw was a sophomore, knew he had something special right away.
“He took it on to carry the team as a sophomore,” Johnson said of Shaw. “That was a tough year. We only won six games. His junior year, they only won eight games. At this age, to be that mature and deal with the frustrations of a program being built is great.
“He believed in me and I believed in him. I promised him that we would see a change. He weathered the storm and battled through the adversity and I’m extremely proud of him.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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