Hall of Fame Inductee - 1997-98 Boys Basketball Team

The Quincy High School boys basketball team's last appearance at the Class AA state tournament is one fans of the Western Big Six Conference won't soon forget.

That winter, both Quincy and Galesburg made it to Peoria, marking the only time two WB6 schools have won trophies at the same state tournament.

The Blue Devils' third-place finish- the 13th state trophy in program history - was highlighted by remarkable postseason victories against the toughest of odds.

In the sectional final, Ryan Kelly's effort defending Lincoln's Brian Cook - Kelly was 11 inches shorter than the 6-foot-10 Cook- helped Quincy survive 55-53 in double overtime as Luis Rivas hit a 12-foot jumper for the lead with six seconds remaining.

In the super-sectional, the Blue Devils dismantled four-time defending state champion Peoria Manual as Rivas piled up 30 points and 13 rebounds in the 72-52 victory.

That sent Quincy to the state tournament for the first time since the venue changed from Assembly Hall in Champaign to Carver Arena in Peoria.

A victory over Joliet in the quarterfinals guaranteed the Blue Devils a trophy, and a 66-63 victory over Maine West in the third-place game wrapped up a season in which Quincy finished 27-6 while winning the QHS Thanksgiving Tournament and the Collinsville Schnucks Holiday Classic.

Team members were: Kori Douglas, Kevin Douglas, Luis Rivas, Ryan Hintz, Ryan Kelly, Adam McNett, Isaac Miller, Tyler Tomlinson, Peter Bond, Tim Leeds, Keith Bockhold,   J.D. Summers, Andy Douglas, D.J. Douglas and Jake Moore.

The Blue Devils were coached by Loren Wallace, Jose Quintero, Dan Sparrow and Chris Boller.