When I was given the assignment to choose the story in 2016 that made the greatest impact, it took me about five seconds to make a selection.

That's not to say there weren't other memorable stories.

Like, say, Providence becoming the first team in the 77-year history of the IHSA baseball state tournament to win three straight championships. The Celtics, led by coach Mark Smith, completed the unforgettable, yet improbable, three-peat in June.

Or how about Lincoln-Way West's astonishing playoff run to the Class 3A boys basketball state title game? The undersized and undermanned Warriors played the role of David to perfection, upending Goliaths Hillcrest, Morgan Park and Peoria Manual before falling to Belleville Althoff in the championship.

However, the story that had the greatest impact on me occurred on Saturday, June 11 at Silver Cross Field in Joliet.

Lemont was playing Springfield in the Class 3A baseball state championship game.

The Indians handed the ball to ace pitcher Garrett Acton, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound right-hander.

Garrett's father, Gordon, had died unexpectedly in October 2015.

Father and son were extremely close. The elder Acton, like many fathers, coached his son's youth baseball teams through the years.

Gordon had made a major impact on his son's life, well beyond the athletic spectrum.

Garrett wasn't pitching exclusively for Lemont. This performance was much more personal.

This game was for his father.

In the biggest and most emotional game of his young life, Acton was nearly unhittable.

His fastball had a little more giddy-up, his breaking ball a little more movement.

It was as if Garrett had an angel perched on his right shoulder, making certain the weight of a heavy heart would not overcome the thrill of the moment.

“I know my dad was out there with me,” Garrett Acton said. “There was a lot of emotion. He was a great man.”

As impressive as Garrett's performance was — he fired a three-hitter during Lemont's 10-0 win — I was more amazed at the maturity by which he answered questions after the game.

I had asked Garrett if he was comfortable talking about his father. He had no issues.

I walked him down the left-field line away from his teammates and media.

It was during the middle of our interview that I calmly put my arm on his shoulder and requested a few seconds to take a break.

It wasn't because I could sense Garrett was getting too emotional talking about his father.

It was because I was getting emotional.

Listening to Garrett speak so eloquently and fondly about his father, realizing the bond the two shared, caused me to get choked up.

That's a first in my 26-year career.

I apologized and we eventually finished the interview.

Garrett then walked back to his teammates and family.

A few hours later, the Chicago White Sox drafted him in the 35th round of the Major League Baseball draft.

A St. Louis Cardinals fan, Garrett called being drafted a “dream come true.”

He decided, however, to put his professional career on hold and honor his commitment to Saint Louis University.

There was a college degree he wanted to pursue and college baseball memories he had a desire to chase.

“I look back at all the things my dad did to help me get to where I'm at,” Garrett said. “He did so much for me. I couldn't be more proud to have him as my dad.”

I'm pretty sure Gordon Acton couldn't have been more proud to have called Garrett his son.

pdisabato@tribpub.com

Twitter @disabato