WRMJ spoke with longtime Goreville High School boys basketball coach Todd Tripp in Champaign on Thursday after the Blackcats defeated Lawrenceville 55-47 in the IHSA 1A state semifinals.
Tripp is in his 22nd season leading Goreville, which has never played in the state championship game in boys basketball. The Blackcats finished fourth in 2018 and were a state qualifier in 2020, but never took the floor at the state finals that season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Goreville, which is located in the deep southern portion of the state in Johnson County, has an enrollment of 165 students. The Blackcats have made 332 three-pointers this season, which is the 14th most in IHSA history.