Hall of Fame Inductee - 1986-87 Boys Basketball Team

It’s an indelible image, one Quincy High School basketball fans will never forget. It’s Jimmy Bailey dancing down the Assembly Hall floor, eyes fixed on the overhead scoreboard, arms raised in celebration as one of the most improbable upsets in state tournament history was nearly complete. Bailey hit the shot, 27 or so feet from the basket, that gave the 1986-87 QHS boys basketball team a 61-59 overtime victory against No. 1-ranked Peoria Manual in the state quarterfinals. The Blue Devils finished fourth, one of five state trophies won during Quincy coach Jerry Leggett’s tenure, but their ability to win even when mismatched set this team apart. It happened in the super-sectional as Lockport took a 42-41 lead with 1:14 remaining in regulation before Quincy held the ball for the final shot. Taking a timeout in the closing seconds, Leggett called for Jason Gay to get the ball on the block. With 6-foot-6 Dave Mitidiero hounding Gay, Bailey delivered a perfect entry pass to the left side of the lane. Gay took a power dribble and turned to the middle where Mitidiero had his arms stretched out. He pump-faked to get Mitidiero in the air and ducked under for the layup and 43-42 victory. One of the most balanced teams in school history — five players averaged between 8.0 and 14.7 points per game, and overall, the Blue Devils shot 51.7 percent from the field — Quincy finished 26-7. The Blue Devils won the Western Big Six Conference with an 8-2 record and took third at the Collinsville Holiday Classic. Team members were Chris Jones, Larry Loethen, Bruce Bias, James Bailey, Chris Doane, Jason Gay, Kelcey Clark, Rod Rudd, Steve Berry, Keith Oliver, Todd Thompson, Lyle Martin, Mike Connell, Mike O’Connell, Todd Wemhoener and Carl Steele. The coaches were Jerry Leggett, Mike Hellenthal and Tom Berry.