By FRED KRONER
I started writing about Mahomet-Seymour athletics in November, 1968, for Mahomet’s weekly newspaper and at the beginning regularly reported on the exploits of the junior high school boys’ basketball team that season.
I can’t begin to estimate how many Bulldog contests I have seen over the years, not only while with the Mahomet Sucker State, but also with the Champaign-Urbana Morning Courier, the Bloomington Daily Pantagraph, the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, the Mahomet Citizen and, most recently, the online Mahomet Daily.
It would be dozens and dozens, easily in the hundreds.
Two of the prominent boys’ basketball memories didn’t even occur in the past quarter-century … or even the 25 years immediately preceding this one.
I vividly recall a junior varsity boys’ basketball home game during the 1970-71 season. Late in the first half, the ball was in-bounded to Terry Shoemaker a few feet from the end line.
The point guard turned and heaved the ball downcourt in the direction of the goal on the west end of the court.
It went into the basket and two points were added to the M-S scorebook. This was 16 years before the advent of the three-point shot was introduced by the IHSA.
Years later, at a class reunion, I praised Shoemaker for his accuracy from that distance.
He laughed and shook his head.
“Actually,” he said, “it was supposed to be a pass to John Sinnes.”
During the height of my coverage for The News-Gazette, I was attending more than 125 total basketball games a season throughout Central Illinois.
I saw all sorts of shots from the free throw line. Some players would stand to the left of center to shoot. Others would stand on the right side when releasing the ball.
Occasionally – but never at M-S – I witnessed a few struggling free throwers employ the underhanded, granny-style technique.
Usually, all of these players wound up reverting back to the traditional free throw shot while standing in the center of the free throw lane.
One exception took place during the 1971-72 school year and featured a senior from M-S.
Steve Rinkel was a jump shooter, and not just when he had the ball while on offense on either side of the basket. He jumped on his free throw attempts.
I can’t verify that every free throw was attempted in that manner, but I know that many were. He also knocked down a majority of his free throws, 66 of 116 in his final year of high school ball.
Rinkel was the holder of one school-record that held for 48 years. He scored 42 points in a regional tournament game against Saybrook-Arrowsmith in 1972. That tally remains the school’s postseason scoring record. However, the single-game mark has belonged to Grant Coleman since January 14, 2020, when he erupted for 44 points at Mattoon, opening the game with 17 points during the first eight minutes.
I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge Brett Melton, the all-time M-S scoring leader. He posted highlight-reel plays virtually every game with spectators commenting, “I can’t believe it,” until a few minutes later an even slicker move replaced the previous unbelievable one.
While Shoemaker and Rinkel did not play this century, Melton was a 2000 M-S graduate and the player who set the standards for those who followed.
Without further ado, the Mahomet-Seymour Quarter-Century boys’ basketball team.
NOAH BENEDICT, Class of 2018. 6-4, G. Two-time News-Gazette All-Area second-teamer. Three-year starter on teams that never won fewer than 20 games (63-31 overall) and he didn’t miss a game. For his 94-game career averaged 8.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and – significantly – just 2.2 turnovers per game. Made 71 three-pointers in his varsity career. Averaged 9.6 points per game as a senior and 9.3 as a junior.
JACKSON BOHM, 2026, 6-2 G. News-Gazette All-Area first-teamer as a junior averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He made 41 three-pointers. As a sophomore, he averaged 13.4 points and hit 26 three-pointers. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A all-state third-teamer as a junior.
GRANT COLEMAN, 2020, 6-7 F. All-Area first-teamer as a senior and All-Area second-teamer as a junior. As a senior, averaged 21.6 points with a school-record 44-point game at Mattoon. As a junior, averaged 21.3 points per game with 51 three-pointers. Fifth all-time at M-S with 1,537 career points. Set a season record for points (678) as a senior and also ranks fourth for points in a season (618) as a junior. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A all-state first-teamer as a senior.
CONNER DIEDRICH, 2015, 6-1, G. All-Area first-teamer as a senior and second-team All-Area as both a junior and a sophomore. Averaged 16.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and hit 26 three-pointers as a senior for the third M-S team in school history to win a sectional championship. As a junior, averaged 12.6 points, 3.2 assists, hit 40 three-pointers and made 81.2 percent of his free throws (65 of 80). As a sophomore, averaged 14.1 points and 2.5 assists per game and made 19 three-pointers. Sixth all-time at M-S with 1,255 points, 10th all-time for 536 points in a season. A career 76.7 free throw shooter (230 of 300). Three-time Illinois Basketball Association Class 3A special mention all-stater.
REID FARCHMIN, 2012, 6-5, F. Two-time All-Area first-teamer. As a senior, averaged 17.1 points and 7.5 rebounds. As a junior, averaged 16.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. As a sophomore, averaged 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Seventh all-time at M-S with 1,131 points. Two-time Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A special mention all-stater.
NATE HALM. 2003, 6-4, F. All-Area first-teamer as a senior, averaged 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds per game and hit 41 three-pointers as a senior. As a junior, averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and hit 10 three-pointers per game. Set a school-record for 20 points in one quarter against Monticello.
BRETT MELTON, 2000, 6-5, G. All-Area first-teamer as a senior, as a junior and as a sophomore. Two-time Area Player of the Year. Career record-holder with 1,872 points, No. 1 with 267 career three-pointers, 94 season three-pointers and is also first for three-pointers in a game (nine). Third with 645 points in a season and 11th with 534 points in a season. As a senior, averaged 23.9 points, 4.9 rebounds per game and hit 94 three-pointers. As a junior, averaged 22.9 points, 4.0 rebounds per game and hit 68 three-pointers. As a sophomore, averaged 21.4 points and hit 75 three-pointers. Two-time Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A second-team all-stater.
CORY NOE, 2018, 6-2, G. All-Area first-teamer as both a senior and a junior. Third at M-S with 1,615 career points, second with 650 points in a season and tied for sixth with 612 points in a season. Averaged 21.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a senior. As a junior, averaged 19.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A all-state fourth-teamer as both a senior and a junior.
RYAN OHL, 2010, 6-3, G. All-Area second-teamer as a senior, averaged 12.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for a 22-win team. Hit 21 three-pointers and made 79.6 percent of his free throws (78 of 98). Averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game as a junior. Hit 11 three-pointers. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A special mention all-stater as a senior.
LUKE RADLIFF, 2009, 6-5, F. All-Area first-teamer as a senior, averaged 17.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and made 41 three-pointers. As a junior, averaged 15.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and made 46 three-pointers. Ranks 13th for points in a season (500). Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A honorable mention all-stater as a senior.
JASON SEAMAN, 2007, 6-4, F. All-Area first-teamer as a senior and All-Area second-teamer as a sophomore. Averaged 14.3 points and 9.7 rebounds. As a junior, averaged 14.6 points and 9.6 rebounds. As a sophomore, averaged 11.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A honorable mention all-stater as a junior.
ELI WARREN, 2021, 5-10, G. All-Area first-teamer as a senior. Averaged 15.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game as a senior. He hit 16 three-pointers. As a junior, averaged 6.8 points per game and hit 20 three-pointers.
BLAKE WOLTERS, 2023. 6-3, F. All-Area first-teamer as a junior, averaged 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He hit 38 three-pointers. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.2 points per game and hit 17 three-pointers. He did not play basketball as a senior.
