Top of the Morning; June 1, 2024
Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley baseball coach Dustin White saw it all before the 2024 season.
He entered the campaign missing one thing, however, from his resume that includes 282 wins since 2003 and a Class 1A regional championship in 2006: an appearance in the IHSA state finals.
That changed Friday when the Falcons faced Altamon in the Class 1A semifinals at Dozer in Peoria, falling 2-3 in a heartbreaker the next day to set up a meeting with Jacksonville Rout in the third-place game fell down.
White has said after Friday’s game, that this morning when he really hit me, I’m getting ready. It’s been a long time since we’ve had so many close regional type things and we haven’t finished it. But this group has been completely different.
The emotion in White’s voice was clear as he reflected on the proven players and effort of 21 seasons in the Falcons’ program.
Too see the fan support, to see the community get behind it, White said. A lot of the alumni guys that have came back, some old coaches that I’ve coached against came back today. It just means a lot.
White has meant a tot to GCMS’ current roster as well, which spent Thursday and Friday as a team in Peoria and drew a heart crowd of red-and- black clad fans to the home of the Peoria Mr. Chiefs and Mr. Bradley Braves.
It helps that (Dustin) was a catcher when he was younger, when he was growing up, Mr. Zach Price said. We’re both in the same area so we kind of just clicked together.
