HIGH SCHOOL

Crispus Attucks' state title shows 'excellence is possible'

Clifton Brown
Crispus Attucks Tigers' Teyon Scanlan speaks to his fellow students during a school pep rally on Monday, April 3, 2017, in honor of the Attucks' varsity boys basketball team's recent state championship victory.

INDIANAPOLIS - The students at Crispus Attucks High School are still celebrating, while  the school's faculty is still educating.

The significance of Attucks winning its first state basketball championship since 1959 goes beyond the court and beyond the bleachers, where students showered the team with more affection Monday during a midday pep rally. The high school that Oscar Robertson led to back-to-back state titles in 1955 and '56 is back in the spotlight, after Attucks' thrilling 73-71 win over Twin Lakes in the Class 3A title game on March 24.

But while the basketball team provided a storybook ending, others view the championship as a symbolic new beginning.

"I hope this tells our students that excellence is possible," said Attucks principal Lauren Franklin, standing in a hallway.  "I hope this gives them motivation to be the very best. It's not just about being the best in basketball. It's about being the best in everything we attempt."

First-year coach Chris Hawkins conveyed that message of excellence to his team during the season, winning a state title that he boldly envisioned when hired. When Hawkins told Franklin that he would deliver a championship to Attucks, he was convincing.

"I just had a feeling about coach Hawkins,"  said Franklin. "We had two excellent candidates for the job. But while the other person could have said we'd win the state title, coach Hawkins did say it, and that impressed me.

"All four of my grandparents went to Crispus Attucks. My parents went to Crispus Attucks. They met here. I've got a lot of different pressures in this job. But the pressure I feel comes from family. I cannot mess up their school."

Winning another state title after a 58-year wait has given Attucks its latest landmark achievement. Named for a black man killed in the Boston Massacre, Attucks has a racially-charged history, designated specifically for black students in the 1950s when they were not allowed to attend any other high school in the city. Led by Robertson, Attucks became the country's first all-black team to win an all-comers state title. Robertson and his teammates overcame obstacles during the 1950s that only made their accomplishments more legendary. Imagine the thoughts going through Robertson's mind over the last few weeks, thinking about both the present and the past.

HISTORY: The origins of Crispus Attucks High School

The presence of Robertson at the title game only made the scene more emotional. Today's students at Attucks resonate with the school's past. Before seeing Robertson at the championship game, they saw his jersey hanging from the wall of the school's gymnasium.

On Monday, that gymnasium was the site of more celebrating. Other accomplishments during Attucks' winter season were recognized, but the championship basketball team was the star of the show.

As the players enjoyed Monday's pep rally, they also recognized how much Attucks means to their generation, and to generations before them.

"It's been a great feeling since we won it," said senior guard Teyon Scanlan. "We've fed off the energy of our families, our friends, both during the season, and now. It's just all love. We thank them for that.

"You come in this gym, you see his jersey, you see the state title banners hanging. From the first game, you're taught about our legacy. I mean, we did something we haven't done since 1959. It's crazy."

Only 33 years old, Hawkins believes he must serve as a mentor to his players as they handle  life's success and failures.

"I tell them that if their character is right, it opens a lot of doors, especially coming from this school with its history," Hawkins said. "I think they hate that I'm a stickler for certain things, but I also think it opened some eyes. I expect my  players' academics to be in order."

Hawkins knew it would draw huge attention if Attucks won the championship. But the response has been even more than he expected.

"To see Oscar and some of the '55, '56  and '59 players speak to the team after we won was just unreal," Hawkins said. "They saw Attucks rise up again. Seeing Oscar there had to do something to you. And I've heard from so many alumni since we won. The support we've gotten from the community is incredible. When I was walking off the court after we won, I already had 255 messages. The kids recognize this is big now. They're realize that it's even bigger 25 years from now."

Winning a state title in his first season leaves Hawkins with a difficult encore. But he's not shying away from that challenge. He talks openly about going back-to-back and wants his returning players to embrace that goal.

"With our kids and what they went through this entire year, they know what you have to do," Hawkins said. "They understand sacrifice. Why not?"

The banner for this year's championship team will go up on the gymnasium wall during a ceremony prior to next season's first game. Between jerseys and banners, the Attucks wall is getting crowded.

"We'll figure out where to put it," Hawkins said, smiling.