Coach Alexander get 1,000th career
win, Komnick gets 1000th career point as Railers beat Lanphier 60-32
[February 09, 2026]
LINCOLN -- To hear Lincoln head coach Neil Alexander talk
about it, there was little doubt he’d prefer the game itself be the
focal point. But when one has amassed 999 coaching wins in a career
and there is only one other boys basketball coach in Illinois who
has won at least 1,000 career victories, basketball fans tend to
notice and take interest in the uniqueness of such an
accomplishment.
Consider that a coach would have to coach for 50 years and win an
average of 20 games per season to reach 1,000 wins. Or if they
managed to average 25 victories per season, they’d hit the 1K mark
in only 40 years.
So while Coach Alexander would have much preferred the spotlight be
solely on the players and what happened on the court, it was obvious
that word of his approaching milestone drew a crowd to Lincoln’s
game against Lanphier.
Numerous radio, television, newspaper and online media outlets were
on hand for the occasion. And the largest crowd in the last several
years packed Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium to witness the event.
And they did not come away disappointed.
Three Railers scored in double figures, including Karson Komnick
notching his 1000th career point as the Railers never trailed and
were never seriously challenged in a 60-32 win over Lanphier.
Tate Aue
Tate Aue hit a three pointer and then hit a field goal after picking
up a loose ball deflected by Brody Tungate, giving Lincoln a 5-0
lead and causing Lanphier to call its first timeout with only one
minute elapsed in the game.
The Railers continued to play hard through the first period, and
when Komnick converted a conventional three-point play for the final
LCHS points of the quarter, Lincoln had built an 18-8 lead.
Brett Hayes
Lanphier opened the second frame with a basket by Soriano Hayes, who
led the Lions with 11 points on the night. But the Railers went on a
6-0 run as Brett Hayes answered with a field goal on a nice pass
from Preston Short. Tungate followed that with an acrobatic jumper
as the shot clock was close to expiring, then picking a Lanphier
pass out of midair and converting it into a layup. That pushed the
Railer advantage to 24-10.
LCHS outscored the Lions 9-8 in the quarter to give Lincoln a 27-16
halftime lead.
In the third quarter, Tungate hit a pair of free throws to grow the
Railer lead to 29-16. Lanphier answered with a field goals by
Camarie Richmon and Hayes to cut the lead to 29-20. The nine-point
deficit was as close as the Lions would get to LCHS for the rest of
the game. The Railers got three pointers from Tungate, Aue and Short
in outscoring Lanphier 18-10 in the period to hold a 45-26 advantage
heading into the final quarter.
Karson Komnick opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a layup on a
nice backdoor cut and pass from Short. The scoring ebbed and flowed,
and four straight points by Tungate ballooned the Lincoln lead to
51-30 before Bryce Vlahovich hit consecutive three pointers to
extend the LCHS advantage to 57-30, Breon McKinnie finished off the
scoring with another trey, and the Railers won 62-30.
The win moves Lincoln’s overall record to 22-6. Springfield Lanphier
drops to 12-15.
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A pair of “1,000 milestones” occurred during the Lincoln Railer
basketball team’s 60-32 victory over Lanphier on February 7. LCHS
senior Karson Komnick scored his 1,000th point of the season and was
presented the game ball following the win. Lincoln head coach Neil
Alexander was presented with a plaque to commemorate his 1,000th
victory in his career as a basketball head coach. Alexander ranks
second on the Illinois High School Association career wins list for
basketball coaching, trailing only Gene Pingatore. During a 50-year
career at Westchester St. Joseph, Pingatore amassed 1,035 career
coaching victories. Photo provided by Loyd Kirby.
After handshakes and pleasantries between the teams following the game, Karson
Komnick was presented with the game ball from Coach Alexander as Komnick tallied
his 1,000th career point during the game. Next, superintendent Dwight Stricklin
presented a plaque to Coach Alexander to commemorate Alexander’s 1000th career
coaching victory.
“Playing Lanphier, and the rivalry we have…Coach Turner is an outstanding
individual. I will never forget who I got the thousandth win against,” Alexander
said after the game. “But it’s only because of our rivalry we have and so forth.
Coach Turner’s been a part of that for several years. He’s got a good team. We
played pretty darn good tonight. The kids came out and performed and I’m proud
of them.
Alexander said the effort of his players has played a significant role in the
success of the teams he has coached.
“I tell the kids that I don’t know about X’s and O’s, but I do know that you win
a lot of basketball games if you play hard and play together,” he said. “That’s
what we try to do. What makes this a great game is that there’s so many ways to
play it. We’ve found the formula that works and has been very successful for us.
I can’t say enough for our kids, and the former kids that have play and been
part of those thousand wins.
“And my coaching staff; you don’t do it without surrounding yourself with top
notch people. And those guys really put the time in. And sitting next to my son
and talking to him as the games are coming down, I’ll never forget those
minutes.”
Alexander said his wife of 53 years, Denise, has been a key factor in helping
him achieve the success he has.
“We started dating in high school in my sophomore year,” he said. “She never
missed a high school game. In college where I played, she never missed a game
there. The only games she’s missed is when she chose to go watch our kids play.
But she’s been to a lot of games and she’s watched her grandkids and everybody
play.
“A coach can’t do what I’ve done without a special individual in your life, and
she’s been there the whole way.”
Alexander added that it made the night even more memorable that Karson Komnick
notched his 1,000th career point during the game.
“That’s a feat that not many make, so congratulations to Karson,” Alexander
said. “It’s a ‘thousand night.’”
Alexander now stands at No. 2 on the career coaching wins list in Illinois High
School Association history with 1,000 victories. He trails Gene Pingatore, who
amassed 1,035 career wins during a 50-year career at Westchester St. Joseph.
Alexander will go for Career Win No. 1,001 on Tuesday night against East Peoria.
Lincoln’s remaining schedule of regular-season games include:
• Tue 2/10/2026 @ 7 PM @ East Peoria
• Fri 2/13/2026 @ 7 PM @ Springfield Southeast
• Fri 2/20/2026 @ 7 PM vs. Champaign Central
[Loyd Kirby]
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