Boys’ Basketball Team Teaches How to Play & Win
Playing your heart out for school and team
Fennville Michigan is a small town with a population of about 1,400 in southwest Michigan near Lake Michigan; the town may be small, but their boys’ basketball team is “large.” The team just finished the regular season of play with an undefeated 20-0 winning record.
The team’s star player, Junior Wes Leonard plays with all of his heart in the game, never lowering his expectations or standard of excellence. He wasn’t overly impressed with his performance during a recent game: “I’d give myself about a five,” Leonard said afterwards when asked to rate his level of play on a 1-10 scale. Before the game Leonard had been battling the flu but refused to accept that as an excuse not to play well: “I stayed home from school all day yesterday,” he said, “but I felt a little better today.”
“We have to come out stronger” and “It takes great teammates”
“I don’t know if we played our best tonight,” added Fennville coach Ryan Klingler after the game which was their 19th win on the road to their 20th. “The bottom line is that even though I don’t think we looked our best tonight, we still found a way to win. So even if we’re not necessarily happy with the way we played, and we’re happy with that we found a way to win.”
Leonard, who entered the game averaging nearly 20 points per game, was only able to score a below average 14 points. “There were times we looked a little tired, and this wasn’t one of Wes’ best games,” Klingler said. “He’s been recovering from the flu for a few days, and I probably rode him a little harder than I should have, and that’s on me.”
“We just didn’t play very well to start the game,” Leonard said. “We have to come out stronger than that.”
In a ceremony before the game, Leonard was awarded a plaque for becoming the eighth team member to score 1,000 or more career points. Coach Klingler said Leonard would have not reached the milestone if it wasn’t for his friends: “It takes great teammates willing to maybe give up some of their own points to do what’s best for the team.”
Leonard too credited his teammates: “It feels good. It’s a great honor to score 1,000 points,” Leonard said. “I credit my teammates for this.”
Legacy of greatness: Inspiring those who follow
While eight of Fennville’s senior players have achieved career scoring highs over 1,000 points, there are up-and-coming players in the team’s pipeline following the legacy of greatness. Sophomore Pete Alfaro, for example, finished the game in which Leonard only scored 14 points with a career-high of 30 points. “I wasn’t trying to steal the thunder from Wes,” Alfaro said. “I was on fire tonight and the guys kept feeding me.”
Leonard was very pleased to see Alfaro light up the scoreboard: “The more the better,” Leonard said of Alfaro and all of his teammates contributing to the team’s latest win. “I was very happy for Pete. It was great to see him light it up like that.” Coach Klingler added that Alfaro’s day to shine in the spotlight as the team’s main character will come.
The final game: A lasting legacy
In the final game of the regular season, March 3rd, the score was tied 55 all with just seconds to play. Leonard received a pass and went in for a layup, scoring the final two of his 21 points that game, leading the undefeated Fennville team to a 57-55 win. The team surrounded Leonard, hoisting him up on their shoulders.
"Wes made the shot and then the game was over, we had won, everyone rushed the court," said a Fennville senior attending the game. "He did the team lineups where they all shake hands, the basketball team held him up, he started walking, then collapsed."
Wes Leonard gave his heart to the game and his team. Within seconds of his pushing the team to their final—and undefeated—victory of the season, the 16 year old collapsed and died on the floor of the game he loved. Leonard died of an enlarged heart.
Monday the team paid tribute to Wes on the eve of his funeral by continuing the undefeated season in post-season tournament play. In tribute to Wes, Fennville sent just 4 players onto the court before the opening tip. The fifth player took the court after a dramatic pause to wild cheering from the crowd. Some players flashed Leonard's jersey number, "35" - holding up three fingers on one hand and five on the other - at moments before and during the game. Wes Leonard gave his heart to the school, the team and the game. His legacy of greatness will live on.
What is your legacy of greatness?
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