Thornridge

About the Book

In the early 1970s, the United States was much the same as in the radical '60s; Americans dying in Vietnam, anti-war demonstrations on college campuses, conflict between blacks and whites in most major cities.

In predominantly white Dolton, a south Chicago suburb, busing had come to Thornridge High School. Black students from nearby Phoenix now attended school with whites from Dolton and South Holland. They were not warmly received.

Then, the Thornridge basketball team started winning…

Fans in black and white communities came together as Thornridge captured consecutive Illinois championships.  Led by the national high school athlete of the year, Quinn Buckner, the Falcons stormed to a perfect season in 1972.  No team even came close.

This is their story told in their own words.

THORNRIDGE is about prejudice and acceptance, adversity and triumph, and a team that changed attitudes while the players were having the time of their lives.

About the Author

SCOTT LYNN (BETZELBERGER) is an award-winning Radio/TV Sportscaster who has worked the last 33 years in Illinois, Florida, and Oregon; the last 20 years as Sports Director of KEX Radio in Portland, OR. He has been recognized as the Oregon Sportscaster of the Year seven times and has won a prestigious regional Edward R. Murrow Award on three occasions.

Lynn was born and raised in Lincoln, Illinois.  He captained the 1972 Lincoln High School team that was ranked second in the state, and he was a scholarship basketball player at Southern Illinois University before graduating from SIU-Edwardsville in 1976.  He and Sharon have been married for 32 years and live in Beaverton, Oregon.  They have two children.

Scott Lynn is a colon cancer survivor.  He wrote much of this book while undergoing chemotherapy in 2009.  This is his first book.