Quarter century of memories: Technicals, ejections lead to Douglas getting one-night audition as head coach

Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman began covering the Quincy High School boys basketball program during the 1998-99 season, and with this being his 25th season following the Blue Devils, he put together a list of his 25 most memorable games. Here is today’s installment:

January 17, 2009 — Peoria Central 53, Quincy 46

QUINCY — Andy Douglas’ dream of coaching the Quincy High School boys basketball team ultimately became reality.

But five years prior to that happening, he unexpectedly took the job for a test drive.

A Western Big 6 Conference loss at United Township on a Friday night in 2009 came with a price. QHS assistant coach Tom Lepper received two technical fouls and was ejected with 1 minute, 42 seconds remaining in regulation. Three minutes prior to that, Quincy coach Sean Taylor had received a technical.

Taylor followed Lepper to the locker room after being informed by game officials three technicals on the bench results in the head coach being ejected as well. Suddenly, Douglas, who was serving as a varsity assistant coach, was elevated to acting head coach the next night when the Blue Devils traveled to Peoria Central.

“That was different,” Douglas said. “Stepping into that role, being an assistant stepping in for the head coach, the last thing you want to do is change a bunch of things. You want to stick to what you do. I remember that night we said in the locker room we’re going to run more than we’ve ever run before. The guys were like, ‘Let’s go.’ It was solid.”

For three quarters at least.

Playing in an inhospitable environment on Jan. 17, 2009, the Blue Devils led the Lions 32-27 heading to the fourth quarter. Peoria Central amped up the defensive pressure at that point, went 9 of 10 from the field while scoring 26 points over the final eight minutes, and emerged with a 53-46 victory.

The loss isn’t reflected on Douglas’ coaching totals, but the memory of the Blue Devils pouring their belief into him for one night is indelible.

“I don’t remember much about the game,” Douglas said. “But I remember the guys were willing to get out there and get after it. That was fun, but I didn’t realize that until it was over.”

The players sensed Douglas was comfortable guiding the team.

“That was the first seedling you saw of how he could motivate a group or a team,” said Zach Forbes, an all-state guard who was a junior on the 2009 team. “The guy is super special. We were playing that night for him, and we were also playing for Taylor and Lepp.

“We felt they were unfairly punished. Going around the Western Big 6 and playing at all the various gyms, sometimes the calls don’t go your way, right or wrong. So we were playing for something, and Douglas has a very good way of pulling something out of you that you didn’t even know was there.”

Forbes was familiar with that before that cold January night.

“Douglas was my coach my freshman year on the freshman team,” said the 30-year-old Forbes, who now lives in Elmhurst, Ill. “There are just certain people you meet in your life that you just know that are special and are different. He’s one of them. I owe my Quincy High career to him. There was a breaking point in my career where I didn’t think I was going to play and I was going to pursue soccer and things kind of weren’t working out for basketball. He made me stay.”

That was a good thing. Forbes became a 1,000-point scorer, while guiding the Blue Devils to a perfect home record his senior season and a WB6 championship.

It worked out well for Douglas, too. He’s won 162 games, two regional titles and a sectional crown in nine seasons officially as head coach.