The major story in local sports last weekend was Stillman Valley’s stunning sectional victory against Byron in girls basketball. Were we expecting anything less?
Often, a game is hyped to the point where it cannot match expectations. It was certain to be a terrific game between these two clubs.
For starters, they were pretty equal opponents, as indicated by the 1-1 head-to-head record. There would be no quitting on either side, as evidenced by how intensely they pursued each other this year.
Throw in rivals who live five miles away, and you’ve got the makings of a classic high school basketball matchup.
The Cardinal faithful had to be concerned early on when Byron took a double-digit lead in the first half. This is a Tiger team that understands how to win and is unfazed in high-pressure situations, such as Tabor Gym in Rock Falls.
However, the Stillman players did not appear to be intimidated by the burden of producing a second-half comeback. That’s the steely drive that comes from months of training for moments like these, as well as the desire to be the ones on the ladder clipping nets down.
It still saddens me that girls’ sports took so long to emerge in Illinois. For those of you at the gym witnessing Byron and Stillman, imagine not having the same opportunity 50 years ago due to foolish, chauvinistic ideas.
The previous time these two teams met, Taylor Davidson of SV was restricted to six points. It was tough defense on her again, but she was able to make 5-6 shots in the second half. The Cardinals took their first lead in the final minute.
Again, the players showed resolve to move ahead, but as a fan, I would have been in cardiac arrest for the preceding 31 minutes.
How about the 2A boys sectional with the widest possible field? The No. 1 seeds were eliminated at regionals, leaving No. 2s Byron and Rock Falls, as well as No. 4 Princeton and No. 6 Winnebago, who defeated one of the No. 1 seeds, Rockford Christian.
Was it Winnebago’s tradition that got it done, or was RC overrated? RC deserves credit for being the only team in IHSA history to have two 2,000-career scorers on the same roster (Elijah Cummings and Elijah Daughtery).
What I found remarkable about the four regional championships was how close the scores were, with Byron and ‘Bago prevailing by identical 57-50 margins. Princeton was 59-53, while Rock Falls was 61-58. Does this imply that we will see scores in the 50s at the sectional?
If Byron plays as well as they did against Pecatonica during the regular season, they could advance to the super-sectional.
Anything can happen during the postseason, as evidenced by the 3A regional final between Rockford Boylan (6-26) and Rochelle (12-20). Neither should have been there, especially Boylan, who had lost 21 of its previous 22 matches.
Keep in mind that this was once a proud basketball powerhouse that ruled the northern Illinois basketball scene. However, Boylan has half the number of pupils as it did in the glory years of decades past.
In recent years, public schools like as Auburn, East, and Guilford have risen to the top of the NIC-10, replacing Boylan and Hononegah. Boylan was able to save its season by reaching the sectional round with a last-second 64-63 victory over Rochelle.
Hey, it’s called March Madness for a reason, and I wish I could have been in Bureau Valley to witness the Stillman Valley girls and Peoria Notre compete for a trip to the state tournament. I’ll be cheering you on from 1,300 miles afar via the NFHS network.
One regional final that puzzled me was Annawan beating Forreston 67-38. I really thought Forreston was going to be the type of underdog that nobody wanted to play. Apparently, Annawan surmised the situation differently and put the hammer down.
It has been over 40 years since tiny Ohio finished second in the boys Class A state basketball tournament. That was when there were two classes instead of four, and winning Class A meant winning both 1A and 2A. Finishing second with roughly 60 youngsters was impressive.
Unfortunately, there have been meetings about closing the school. With only 20 kids in classes 9-12, this has become an issue that must be addressed. If authorized, the remainder of the pupils will be bused to Amboy or Bureau Valley.
Even though Oregon’s wrestling team lost to Tolono Unity in the quarterfinal round of the 1A state duals, it doesn’t diminish its season. The Hawks are loaded with younger talent and could regain its lofty status of top dog of area small-school wrestling in the years to come.
