2000 Class 2A State Championship Boys Basketball Team

Team

This team, led by Head Coach Rich Fanning and assistant coaches Matt Rogers, Frank Johnson and Jared Johnson, included ten exceptional players:

Torre Finley '00
Jason Ford '00
Mark Johnson '00
Phil Lloyd '00
Jonathan Norris '00
Dan Oppland '02
Mike Oppland '02
Mike Palumbo '02
Matt Ryan '01
Todd Wallace '01

Managing the team that year were class of 2001 alumnae Annette Parker, Phabienne Parker Anderson, and Tsion Pichon.

As the only boys basketball championship team in Whitfield’s history, the Class 2A State Championship Team in 2000 did much to raise awareness for the school. As Assistant Coach Matt Rogers shared, the team’s growth in maturity, commitment to the program, and love for each other grew exponentially from the 1999 season to the 2000 season, enabling them to reach new heights of success on the court. 

The team won the District Championship against Berkeley by 30 points (103-73), with both Jason Ford and Jonathan Norris scoring 30 points each. Dan Oppland and Mike Oppland also each contributed 10 points to the score. This exciting win led the team to continued success throughout the rest of the season. 

The State Quarterfinal game against Scott City proved the team’s collective strength to overcome a challenge, with the team down 6 points at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Leading scorer, Jason Ford, fouled out early in the 4th quarter, scoreless! With 6 minutes left, Coach Rich Fanning rallied the team, and as Assistant Coach Matt Rogers remembers, “the boys came out like a pack of wolves and attacked Scott City with so much pressure that Scott City just folded.” Coach Rich Fanning recalls the team took its first lead with 1:30 to go, and won by 8, noting that zone press with corner traps forced turnovers leading to steals and layups to turn the tide. This was a total team effort with all players committed, and as Dan Oppland shared, this was a game that defined the integrity and heart of the team. 

The team ultimately went on to win the State Championship against Blair Oaks. Although tied 43-43 with 1:11 to go in the third quarter, Coach Rich Fanning’s fast break system led the team to victory with a final score of 74-59. The season ended with a winning record of 30-3. 

Off the court, the team members gave back with community service to the children of the Bob Costas Cancer Center at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, visiting patients there and raising awareness and fundraising to battle children’s cancer. 

Notably, six members of the team went on to collegiate athletics competition: Torre Finley, Jason Ford, Jonathan Norris, Dan Oppland, Mike Oppland, and Todd Wallace.