Warren vs. Simeon
Simeon players hoist the 4A state championship trophy for the second consecutive year after the Wolverines defeated Warren 48-39. (David Pierini, Chicago Tribune / March 20, 2011)
By Mike HelfgotSpecial to the Tribune
11:07 p.m. CDT, March 19, 2011
PEORIA —— 
His numbers haven't really matched the hype, but then again, Jabari Parker isn't about numbers.

Or hype.

The sophomore that sometimes seems too good to be true would not let his teammates feel blue Saturday night, when he scored a game-high 12 points and had five rebounds and three blocks to lead Simeon to a 48-39 victory over Warren in the Class 4A final at Carver Arena.

The state championship is Simeon's second straight and fifth overall, and with Parker in tow the next two years, it might not be too early to start talking four-peat.
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"I'm very happy, but not satisfied," Parker said. "Getting two state championships is a tremendous accomplishment, but I'm going to keep working, and I hope we win more. Warren is a wonderful team. Their bigs and their guards are hard to match up with. I couldn't have done it without the help of God and my teammates."

Warren (31-4), which pushed Simeon (30-2) to the limit before falling in the Pontiac Holiday Tournament final on Dec. 30, once again was long and strong enough to hang with the Wolverines for most of the night.

An 11-1 run late in the first half brought Warren within 22-20 before a block by Parker led to a basket by the 6-foot-7 forward on the other end, turning a possible halftime tie into a four-point Simeon lead.

Parker, who averages just more than 15 points a game, had four points early in the third quarter to help the Wolverines extend their lead to 35-25 after three.

Warren managed a late surge, scoring four straight points on a steal and dunk by Darius Paul (11 points) and a layup by Jeremiah Jackson. A 3-pointer by Warren's Brandon Ferguson made it 43-38 with 30.2 seconds left, but for the second straight night, Simeon was cool under free-throw pressure.

"We played well defensively. We just didn't finish our shots," said Warren coach Chuck Ramsey, who also led the Blue Devils to a second-place finish in 1999. "We were getting to the basket and missing easy shots. We couldn't finish like we needed to."

While Parker, junior Steve Taylor (eight points, 11 rebounds) and sophomore Kendrick Nunn are the Wolverines' most talented players, Simeon will undoubtedly miss the steady contributions senior starters Darien Walker and Rashawn McElrath gave all season.

McElrath, the hero of Simeon's 56-53 victory over Glenbard East in Friday night's semifinal, had nine points and four rebounds in the final, while Walker finished with 10 points after scoring 12 Friday night.

"It's great to go out on top," Walker said. "Even before the season started, we knew we had the talent to do this. We are so deep that they are still going to be real good next year. They have players that will be able to step up and replace us."