The Indian Creek boys basketball team went 37-1 in 2019-2020, falling in the supersectional round. There’ve been ups and downs since that year, with 2025-26 being the biggest up.

Unfortunately for the Timberwolves, the season ended the same way as the 2019-2020 year did, with a loss just short of the state tournament.

Indian Creek faced off against Marshall Monday night in the Class 1A Joliet Central Supersectional, the Timberwolves’ first ever trip to state on the line. They’ll have to keep waiting at least another year as Marshall got the better of them 45-31.

After a successful, albeit COVID-shortened season a year after 2020, 2017 grad Nolan Govig took over as head coach. Years 1 and 2 were about rebuilding before solid improvement in Years 3 and 4. This year saw Indian Creek finish 27-8 and reach the supersectional for the first time in six seasons.

The magic of this season ran out in the second half against Marshall as the offense was unable to get much of anything going outside of junior Isaac Willis’ 16 points.

Still, after the year they had, Govig felt nothing but pride for his group afterward.

“I’m incredibly proud of them,” Govig said. “Obviously it didn’t go the way we wanted it to tonight, but we fought through a lot of adversity this season. Just to be here I think is a huge accomplishment.”

After Indian Creek got out to a 5-2 advantage, Marshall closed the opening period on a 12-2 run, holding the Timberwolves scoreless the final four minutes. The Commandos led 14-7 entering the second.

The scoreless drought continued for Indian Creek until 5:10 remained in the half when Willis made a layup to cut it to 18-9. However, that triggered an 8-0 run that got Indian Creek as close as 18-15 with 1:20 to go. A layup by Amari Kennedy and a buzzer-beating 3 by Rayvon Myles, though, gave Marshall a 23-15 midway edge.

The third quarter started ugly for both teams as no one scored the first 3:12 of play. Only 10 points were scored in the period, but eight of them went to Marshall as it carried a 30-17 advantage going into the fourth.

The Commandos only stretched their lead from there as Indian Creek’s search for the program’s first state tournament berth in its 33 year history continues.

Again, though, the team was as proud as it could be for the excellent effort on the year.

“Ever since I came into this program Coach Govig has emphasized just giving it all we’ve got,” Willis said. “This year we really capitalized on that. Every single day from 5:30-7:30 we gave it everything we had. I’m just really proud of this group of guys.”

Parker Murray had eight points for the Timberwolves, all in the second half, while Payton Hueber added five. Marshall was led by Darrin Laye Jr. (11 points) and Quinton Gibson (10 points).

While Hueber and five others will depart as seniors, Willis and Murray will be back. Govig expressed excitement about that prospect.

“(The future’s) looking up,” Govig said. “We’re going to be losing a few key seniors, but we’ve got a really good core coming back from this group so it should be good.”

Willis thanked the seniors as well, saying they taught him how to be a leader. Both he and Govig believe that if they follow that group’s model, it won’t be long before Indian Creek is back in the supersectional.

“This group of guys has taught me leadership,” Willis said. “Underclassmen having been willing to listen has been key to this run. ... I think the program is heading in the right direction. I trust Coach Govig and I think we should be back here one day.”