EUREKA — It’s never easy to move schools. You leave behind friends, memories and a place you once called home. Moving to a different school district ahead of your senior year can be even more difficult.
Not only has Eureka’s Cohen Alstat accepted the change of scenery, he’s blossomed into it as one of the team leaders for the Hornets basketball team.
After spending his entire life in Greenville, Illinois, which is 153 miles south of Eureka, Cohen and his family made the two and half hour move to their new home.
Cohen’s dad, Joe Alstat, accepted the athletic director position at Washington Community High School, a role he previously held at Greenville High School for 17 years.
“It was definitely a tough decision in the summer. I really didn’t want to leave,” Cohen said. “I’ve been with my friends from Greenville for a long time, and I didn’t want change to happen, especially for my senior year.”
“You don’t know what to expect,” Joe said. “It’s a big risk moving when we have two sons in high school and one that just graduated high school, so that’s not the normal time to move your children. But we felt like God was calling us here and we felt like things were lining up to make this happen.”
Uncertainty quickly changed into opportunity for the Alstats. The Central Illinois area welcomed the family with open arms and the Alstat’s feel the richness of the area.
“The communities just have really good people and they’re excited by their sports,” Joe said. “I’ve been in high school athletics for a long time and it’s fun to watch communities come together, which is the beauty of high school sports.”
“The people, like I feel like everywhere I go it’s a compliment, someone waving to you,” Cohen said. “It’s just different than a lot of places I’ve been. Everyone’s kind to you, whether they know you or not.”
While Joe spends his days working in Washington, Cohen and his brother, Teague, go to school at Eureka. It’s the first time Joe and his sons haven’t been together in the same building for school.
What helped Cohen get acclimated to the new environment was a familiar face. Cohen’s cousin, Connell Roth, is a junior on the Hornets basketball team.
“I’ve obviously known him my whole life, so he’s definitely helped me a lot,” Cohen said. “[He] introduced me to new people. He’s definitely helped me settle into the move no doubt.”
Summer open gyms were also monumental in Cohen’s process of getting comfortable in Eureka and Washington. He would attend sessions at both schools, but Eureka’s helped him learn more about his teammates and coaches.
“Both teammates and coaches always encouraged me and cheered me on,” Cohen said. “It’s been good competition as well.”
“Even when Cohen comes with me to some games that [Washington] has, he’s pretty well known in our school with our teachers and coaches and even some students here,” Joe said. “He got to know some guys from our school. It’s different not being in the same school, but people in both towns have been so welcoming to us and we’re very thankful.”
One of the biggest relationships Cohen has built has been with his head coach Aaron Dohner. Cohen spends his afternoons and evenings on the basketball court with Dohner. He also is Dohner’s teaching assistant for the elementary PE classes at 9:30 every morning.
“It’s just given us a chance to have a little bit of a stronger relationship,” Dohner said. “That aspect has brought us closer together being able to see him daily and see him around elementary school kids.”
“I see [Dohner] every day,” Cohen said. “I would shoot with him over the summer. I would go to open gyms and I know him pretty well. He’s a really good guy.”
Dohner knew when he first met Cohen that he could shoot the basketball, but the other traits that a great player and kid possess quickly came to fruition as well
“I think that he just has everything that a coach would look for,” Dohner said. “When he came to us this year, kind of unsure how it was gonna look, but he’s been great… He came in with the right attitude, just a get it done type of mentality. He works hard on and off the court.”
Cohen’s impact on the Hornets this year cannot be overstated. The program graduated its all-time leading scorer in Tyler Heffren, who now plays at Carl Sandburg College and Cohen has stepped up to fill the scoring void.
Alstat earned all-tournament honors at the Ken Colmone Classic in December, helping the Hornets finish fourth. In Eureka’s game against Tremont on Jan. 23, Cohen scored 39 points and tied the school record for three-point makes in a game with seven.
“Yeah, it’s something that I’ve been told a lot is that I just filled the role,” Cohen said about replacing Heffren. “It feels really good being able to score a lot of points which is what people look at, but credit to my teammates too for getting me the ball when I’m hot.”
As for Joe, it makes him feel proud to watch his son compete at a high-level in something Cohen enjoys.
“There’s not much better than watching them play well on the basketball court or the baseball field, either way it’s very rewarding,” Joe said. “It doesn’t even matter how many points he scores, it’s about doing your best to help the team win.”
“When your child has a passion for something, you want them to reach their full potential,” he continued. “As parents, Lori and I have tried to talk about that with all our boys. As you’re trying to figure out your future career plans, do something that you really enjoy and do the best at it and make it your passion.”
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