BY CHAD DARE
PEORIA — Old and bad habits die hard.
In the case of the Salt Fork athletic program so do good habits.
When the Storm boys basketball team takes the floor this afternoon at Carver Arena in Peoria for an IHSA Class 1A state semifinal contest against the Lanark Eastland Cougars it will be another accomplishment for the Catlin-Jamaica co-op.
In the past 18 months, Salt Fork has had a football team reach the final four in Class 1A, the Storm baseball team advanced to elite eight and this fall, Salt Fork placed fifth in the state golf tournament.
At least two members of all three of those teams will dress today for Salt Fork and junior Mat Bowen was a member of both the baseball and golf teams.
“I definitely think our success in other sports have carried over,’’ Bowen said. “Once you get that feeling of what winning is like, you don’t want to lose it.
“It’s really addicting, it’s almost like a drug.’’
Salt Fork assistant boys basketball coach Brian Plotner, who is also the school’s football coach, believes the experiences that these kids have gone through in other sports benefits them when they get on the basketball court.
“(Salt Fork head coach) Aaron (Hird) always talk about how success breeds success,’’ Plotner said. “In every sport as you go along the playoff series, you get yourself involved into some pressure-type situations, with bigger crowds and higher intensity.
“Those situations have made these guys stronger.’’
Salt Fork junior David Keenan, who placed 11th in the state golf tournament, says it’s hard to explain.
“When you get into close game-time situations, you just know what it takes to win,’’ he said. “If you can handle pressure in one forum, it helps you handle pressure in another.
“We’ve had a really special group of athletes come through with the senior and the junior classes.’’
Senior Jake Manning, who was a starter on back-to-back playoff football teams at Salt Fork, including the 2009 state semi-finalist, believes their success has as much to do with chemistry.
“It’s like a family, when one member, or in this case a team, has success it carries over to the next family member or team,’’ he said.
And Manning pointed out that Salt Fork has had a different attitude this year.
“We’ve seen teams this year that are just excited to get to that next level,’’ he said. “We were the same way last year in the sectional finals against Meridian.
“This year, we came into the postseason with an attitude of expecting to be here and expecting to win.’’
So far, so good for the Storm (31-1) as they prepare to play the Cougars (28-4) in the state semifinals.
Salt Fork is just two wins away from Vermilion County’s first-ever state basketball championship and the Storm are the first county school since 1993 to reach the state tournament.
“There is nothing wrong with expecting to win,’’ Hird said. “I’ve always said that I’m a pretty good winner, but I’m not a good loser.
“Maybe that has worn off on the kids.’’
One thing is for sure, success continues to breed success at Salt Fork.
