TriCounty On Sept. 9, the Richwoods football team was 0-3. On Nov. 26, the Knights played for the Class 6A state championship. The three losses equaled Richwoods' total in Roland Brown's previous two seasons as head coach, when they made back-to-back appearances in the Class 5A semifinals. On. Nov. 26, Knights lost the 6A title game 35-14 to Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge to finish the season with a 10-4 record.
Dawdy Hawkins "Dawdy" Hawkins, one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in the nation, directed his teams to state titles in two different states. His Lincoln Northeast High School team won a Nebraska state prep crown in 1948, just before he left to take over at Peoria Central. He quickly forged a powerhouse at Central, his 1952-53 team, led by brilliant center Hiles Stout, making it to the championship game of the Illinois state finals at the University of Illinois' old Huff Gym before bowing to LaGrange, 71-60. Hawkins took three other Peoria Central teams to the state tournament (1954, 56, 59) and then, switching to Pekin, had five other state appearances (1964, 65, 66, 67, 73), including state championship teams in 1964 and 1967. | ![]() |