Whether he’s cracking a joke or single-handedly breaking a press, senior point guard TJ Tate has a calming influence on his Marist teammates.
And when the RedHawks really needed someone to lower the tension in the biggest moment of the season, it’s no surprise that Tate was up for that Friday night. He drove to the rim and scored a crucial basket in the third quarter that ended a 12-0 run for Homewood-Flossmoor.
“I wanted to calm things down,” Tate said. “We were starting to speed up a little bit. I just wanted to slow us down. That was a big basket. After that, we just settled down.
“We just had to play at our own pace, not let them speed us up. We all came together and calmed down.”
With Tate navigating the way, Marist retook control and broke a decades-long drought, winning the second sectional title in program history and first since 1980-81 with a 55-49 victory over the Vikings in the Class 4A Joliet West Sectional championship game.
Charles Barnes poured in 31 points to lead the second-seeded RedHawks (30-5). NC State football recruit Stephen Brown finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Kendall Meyers added 10 points and Tate chipped in with six.
Marist’s TJ Tate (2) throws a pass against Homewood-Flossmoor during the Class 4A Joliet West Sectional championship game on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
Marist advanced to play at 7 p.m. Monday in the Class 4A Illinois State Supersectional at CEFCU Arena in Normal against Peoria Richwoods (26-7), which beat Edwardsville 59-58 to win the Rock Island Sectional.
“This feels awesome,” Tate said. “We haven’t won a sectional in so many years. Seeing everybody so happy, seeing everybody cry, it’s awesome.
“We’re not done yet.”
Danny Ruffin scored 23 points for top-seeded H-F (29-4), which had an 11-game winning streak snapped. John Brown IV finished with 14 points and Jeffrey Cade added 12.
Marist’s TJ Tate (2) brings the ball up the court as Homewood-Flossmoor’s Darrius Hawkins Jr. (4) defends during the Class 4A Joliet West Sectional championship game on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
The Vikings trailed 43-28 at halftime but fought back in the third quarter behind a big 3-pointer from Cade and four quick points from Ruffin. That sparked a 12-0 run, cutting the deficit to 48-45.
Tate came through with Marist’s first basket in over four minutes to stop the spurt.
“That was huge,” Barnes said. “TJ is our floor general. We believe in him in those moments to slow the game down for us and make crucial plays.
“If you ask anybody about TJ, he’s one of a kind. There’s not another TJ.”
Marist’s TJ Tate (2) goes up for a layup while guard by Homewood-Flossmoor’s John Brown IV (14) during the Class 4A Joliet West Sectional championship game on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
Marist coach Brian Hynes also spoke on Tate’s uniqueness.
“When TJ is done with basketball, he should be a stand-up comedian,” Hynes said. “He’s one of those kids that doesn’t know how funny he is. He wears goofy outfits to practice. He thinks it looks good. It looks terrible.
“He’s such a nice kid. I’ve never heard him raise his voice. And in the biggest games, he comes through.”
Tate considers himself a pass-first point guard. He doesn’t always take many shots. But when his team needs a spark offensively, he’s confident he can provide that.
“Everyone on the court can score and I love getting everyone involved,” Tate said. “But I feel like if I want to go get a basket, I can.”
Marist’s TJ Tate (2) works the ball up the court past Homewood-Flossmoor’s Jayden McDonald (15) during the Class 4A Joliet West Sectional championship game on Friday, March 6, 2026. (Troy Stolt / Daily Southtown)
In addition to producing the key shot, Tate steered the ship home for the RedHawks. His ball-handling down the stretch was vital as the Vikings swarmed with pressure.
Marist let H-F get no closer than seven points in the fourth quarter.
“TJ’s our one-man press-breaker and he never turns the ball over,” Hynes said.
And now he, and his teammates are part of history.
“Before the game, we were looking at the banner and the 81 up there and coach said, ‘We’re changing that banner — we’re putting a 26 up there,’” Barnes said.
Indeed, they are. In large part because Tate always provides calm amongst the chaos.
“Breaking the press, I’ve been doing that for a while,” Tate said. “Dribbling through traffic, that’s fun.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/06/tj-tate-marist-homewood-flossmoor-basketball/
