Monday, February 23, 2009

Joseph Henson (Pasadena) & Anthony Dixon (Hyde Park) updates





Spartan signee 6-9 Joseph Henson and Pasadena High fell to Long Beach Poly 51-43 in the playoffs and their season is now over. The second and third photos are of Henson, courtesy of the PSN. The top photo is of Anthony Dixon.

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6-4 Anthony Dixon (10 points and 12 rebounds) and Hyde Park (Chicago) lost in overtime 54-51 and finished second in the Chicago City League championship game. Hyde Park now moves on to the state tournament. What's interesting is the following report contains some quotes which makes it sound like Lawndale pounded Hyde Park all over the court yet the reality is that HP led 45-39 at the end of three quarters.

North Lawndale wins 1st city title
Bob Sakamoto
Chicago Tribune
February 23, 2009


Jonathan Mills came sprinting down the court Sunday, went airborne and smashed Jerome Moore's apparent breakaway layup into the eighth row of the UIC Pavilion seats.

That game-changing moment along with his 13 points and 23 rebounds led No. 4 North Lawndale to a scintillating 54-51 overtime victory against No. 5 Hyde Park and its first Public League championship...
Go here for the remainder.

Here is another snippet on Hyde Park:

Who would have thought?
Joe Henricksen
Sun Times
February 18, 2009


If you would have told a high school basketball fan four or five years ago the Chicago Public League Championship game in 2009 would include North Lawndale and Hyde Park you would have received a few, "Say what?" But that's the matchup this Sunday at UIC after Hyde Park dismantled Foreman and North Lawndale got its revenge and knocked off Whitney Young in Wednesday night's semifinals.

Who would have thought? After all, Hyde Park will be making its first city title game appearance in more than a half century, while North Lawndale will be playing for its first-ever city title. This is another example of how the Public League is a little different than it once was, when city powerhouses Simeon, King, Marshall and Westinghouse dominated the better part of two-plus decades of Public League playoff basketball.

Hyde Park will now get its chance at some payback. Coach Donnie Kirksey's team, which continues to impress, fell to North Lawndale 70-57 back in early January. North Lawndale's Terry Johnson was the catalyst in that first matchup, scoring a game-high 21 points. No matter how high you are on Hyde Park or how skeptical you might be, everyone should learn a lot about this team and how far it has come after its Sunday showdown against North Lawndale...
and

Here are a few thoughts following the city semifinal games Wednesday evening.

• Despite the impressive record and all the success Hyde Park has enjoyed this season, no one seems to include the Thunderbirds in state title conversations. Is it time to? Malcolm Griffin and Anthony Dixon typically get a lot of the headlines for Hyde Park, but big man Jerome Moore has been particularly big in the second half of the season and throughout the city playoffs. Hyde Park is the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A Hinsdale Central Sectional, where they will be trying to hold off the likes of Vocational, Simeon, Mt. Carmel, Curie and Downers Grove South. Then it would get a shot at the Morton Sectional winner in the Chicago State Supersectional. Hyde Park, which has beaten Seton Academy and Marshall this season, is oozing with confidence right now and playing together...

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