Basketball Hall of Fame

Coached by Tim Meiss, the 1993-94 Eureka High School boys’ basketball team finished as the runner-up in an exciting IHSA Class A State Championship game in Champaign. The Hornets trailed 65-60 with 39 seconds left, but they didn’t give up. Matt Koeppel made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 65 with seconds left, but Pinckneyville was able to score at the buzzer to win, 67-65, ending Eureka’s dream of winning a state championship. The Hornets ended their regular season with a record of 23-1, losing only to Normal U-High. They were ranked 6th in the state and averaged more than 70 points per game prior to the IHSA state tournament. The Hornets went on to win their first regional championship in over 50 years (since 1942 when a player named Dick Van Scyoc led the Hornets to the regional title) by beating Normal U-High in a rematch. But they did not stop there. They breezed through the sectional at Clinton “amid the cheers of loyal fans packing the stands full.” Momentum was in their favor as they next traveled to Redbird Arena, where they walloped the Warriors of Watseka to win Eureka’s first-ever supersectional title for a trip down to Champaign. Eureka then defeated tournament favorite St. Martin dePorres in the state semifinal to advance to the championship game. The Hornets finished the season with a record of 30-2. Nathaniel Meiss was named first team all-tournament with sophomore teammate Bob Wettstein being named second team all-tournament. Assistants in 1993-94 were Bob Gold, Mike Raney, and Scot McMullen.