Senior forward Remi Edwards is a double-double threat every game for De La Salle, but it was his assist Friday night that inspired the student section to storm the home court.
That was because Edwards flipped the ball to suited-up team manager Christian Shaffer, who banked in a 3-point basket at the buzzer to ignite the wild celebration.
“We wanted Chris to get in the game,” Edwards said. “He got into the game. He hit a three. He’s shooting 100%. He’s now the best 3-point shooter on the whole team.”
The play may end up as one of the biggest highlights of an up-and-down season for the Meteors.
Edwards did his part in other ways as well, coming through with 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead host De La Salle to a 69-53 nonconference victory over Marian Catholic in Chicago.
Chaden Harvey and Lucas Johnson each scored 12 points for the Meteors (15-16), while Caleb Henry added 11 and Scott Dixon finished with 10.
Shane Lunford paced Marian Catholic (13-15) with 14 points, while London Mays followed with 11 and Jayvion Yancey had 10.
The Edwards-to-Shaffer connection, meanwhile, caused quite a commotion. Shaffer appreciated getting his shot after he entered the game with 16 seconds left to fans cheering his name.
“I didn’t even know I was going to play,” Shaffer said. “I was just happy to suit up. A guy started guarding me, so I threw it down court to Remi and I went to my spot.
“I work on that shot every day. I was waiting for that moment since I was a kid. And it went in. It’s amazing that the student section ran out. This is a family. De La Salle is a family.”
Fans and teammates lifted Shaffer on their shoulders and Edwards stood nearby, getting a kick out of watching De La Salle’s four-year manager earning a taste of some big-time glory.
“It’s a great experience,” Edwards said. “I had the ball and he said ‘Remi’ and I turned around and he was right there. He’s a popular guy. As a manager, he does everything.
“He does all the behind-the-scenes work — work that we’ve never done in four years. We appreciate that a lot.”
Shaffer, who wants to become a manager next season in college for the Roosevelt men’s basketball team, has been watching Edwards develop over that four-year stretch.
“That kid’s a beast,” Shaffer said of Edwards. “He brings energy. He brings effort. He fights hard every day no matter what. Even if we are losing, he fights hard.”
The 6-foot-4 Edwards isn’t sure what his college future holds but he hopes everything will iron itself out.
Regardless, De La Salle coach Gary DeCesare has enjoyed having Edwards on the varsity for four seasons.
“He’s a rebounding machine,” DeCesare said of Edwards. “He’s been the heart and soul of our team. From the first day I saw him, I liked him. He probably played in every game for four years.
“They don’t make them like him. He’s definitely old school.”
And Edwards models his game after an old-school player. Edwards grew up playing football but coach Charles Brown, now an assistant at Marist, got him interested in basketball in sixth grade.
“He coached me from the ground up,” Edwards said of Brown. “At first, he told me to look at Dennis Rodman. That was one of the first films I ever watched.
“That’s why I get so many rebounds because Dennis Rodman wasn’t afraid of anything.”
The Meteors, who are the third seed in a Class 3A sectional they host, will open postseason play at 6 p.m. Wednesday against 14th-seeded Mansueto at the Schurz Regional.
Edwards is looking forward to the playoffs with a chance to reach the .500 mark.
“We try to keep it positive,” he said. “We have no negative energy. The goal is state, and at the end of the day, even though we had our ups and downs, we have to bring it back up.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.