Carol Wilson

Carol (Johnson)Wilson ,varsity basketball coach of the Taylorville Lady Tornadoes from 1994 through 1998, will be inducted into the Taylorville High School Sports Hall of Fame at a Banquet to be held at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, Saturday, April 19, 2008.

Before becoming the head coach in Taylorville, Carol Johnson began her basketball coaching career in 1986 at Brown County High School in Mt Sterling, Illinois. While at Mt. Sterling, Wilson guided the Lady Hornets to 147 wins against only 63 losses and also garnered two conference championships, two regional titles and a sectional championship.

In 1994, Carol Johnson became the varsity girls’ basketball coach at Taylorville high School. During her inaugural, season she guided the Lady Tornadoes to a 25-5 record and the first of five consecutive Central State Eight Conference Championships.

In 1995, the Lady Tornadoes continued to improve and compiled a remarkable record of 26 and 3, again winning the CS8 Conference undefeated. A regional championship followed the successful season and a semi final loss in the sectional tournament left the young team hungry for the next season.

To begin the historic 1996 season, Carol Johnson was married and became Coach Carol Wilson. After, the very successful 1995-96 season and returning Conference player of the Year Allison Curtin, three year starter and All- conference player Lora Weber, honorable mention all conference player Alexis Givens and special mention all-conference player Erin Maxwell, Coach Wilson had the nucleus of what proved to be one of the best teams in the state of Illinois and the standard for all future Taylorville girls’ basketball teams to be measured by.

The Lady Tornadoes’ pressing defense and fast break offense decimated almost every team they played, as they finished the regular season undefeated and out scored their opponents by an average of 28.5 points per game. Knowing that better competition would prepare the team for the state tournament, Coach Wilson took the team north during the holidays and beat Hinsdale South, Orr, Oak Park, Hersey and Elk Grove. During the Taylorville Tornadoes’ Shootout, annual powerhouse Chicago Marshall was invited to play in the local gym and became the Lady Tornadoes 24th victim of the year in a 71-50 loss.

Coach Wilson preparation for the state playoffs paid great dividends as her Lady Tornadoes continued their winning ways in the post season, advancing to the State Championship Game at Red Bird Arena with a 34 and 0 record. However, the season ended with a loss to Chicago Loyola Academy. Carol Wilson had coached the Lady Tornadoes to a second place finish in the state, compiled a record of 34 wins against on 1 loss and had four starters returning for the 1997-98 season.

For Carol Wilson and the Lady Tornadoes, 1997-98 was as a remarkable season, but one that ended too soon in a double overtime loss to East St. Louis Lincoln in the sectional Finals. The team ended up 30 -2, had been ranked in the top 25 nationally in USA Today, won a game in the Coca-Cola - KMOX shootout in St Louis, completed a 55 game winning streak in the Central State eight conference while losing only once during the season, to Chicago Marshall in the Chicago Public League Christmas Tournament.

During her four years at Taylorville High School, Carol Wilson coached the Lady Tornadoes to 114 wins against only 11 losses. Her teams won four conference championships, four Tornado tournament Championships, two Carrollton Tournament Championships, three regional championships, two sectional championships, one supersectional championship and finished second in the IHSA State Tournament. She helped develop two Division I college players and one Ms. Illinois Basketball in Allison Curtin.

Following the 1998 season, Carol Wilson accepted the head coaching position at Lincoln College in Lincoln Illinois, where she is still coaching today.