Co-Athletes of the Week: Coleman, Funkhouser Thrill Bengal Nation
Oak Forest track star Tevin Coleman and pitching ace Kyle Funkhouser spark the Bengals in the postseason.
Oak Forest High School’s graduation has come and gone, but the school’s athletic teams are still making the community proud.
On Saturday, two Bengals had masterful performances, earning them recognition as Patch Co-Athletes of the Week.
At the Class 2A boys state track and field meet in Charleston, junior Tevin Coleman placed second in the long jump and fourth in the 100-meter dash.
Meanwhile, at Howie Minas Field in Midlothian, Oak Forest’s baseball team claimed the Bremen Regional championship, defeating Morris 2-1 behind a 14-strikeout performance from junior pitcher Kyle Funkhouser.
With two outs and a Morris baserunner on third base in the seventh inning and Oak Forest leading 2-1, Funkhouser got a strikeout to end the game. The Oak Forest fan base erupted.
“I just went right at him with my fastball and didn’t throw anything off-speed,” Funkhouser said. “That’s my number one pitch. I just went right at him and got him to chase.”
Oak Forest moves on to face Rich Central in the semifinals of the Lincoln-Way West Sectional on Wednesday.
Gary Middendorf
3:32 pm on Monday, May 30, 2011
Great article. I've been privileged to cover a couple games with Funkhouser on the mound, great pithcer.