Colbert Column

SPORTS COLUMN COVID-19 basketball season was a “blasé” affair

What do we take away from the Covid-shortened basketball season?

Not much. Locally, it was rather a blasé affair. If you’re going to have as down year, this was the time to do it.

Polo had solid girls team, but what hope is there when the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the state are not only in your conference, but also in the same division? Brutal.

Here’s a neat story in boys basketball.

On Saturday, Scales Mound (enrollment 61) beat the No. 2 team in 1A, Indian Creek, 96-86. Scales Mound has the potential to be another Ohio, which also had about 60 kids when it finished second in the state in 1986.

Scales Mound, with the bulk of its scoring done by juniors, should be even better next season. Interestingly, Indian Creek came into the game with its only previous losses to powerhouses DeKalb and Rockford Lutheran.

DeKalb, a few miles up the road from Indian Creek is undefeated in 4A. Lutheran is ranked No. 1 in 2A.

Some schools have gotten very creative in taking on all comers, while other have relegated themselves to conference only games.

Lutheran rolled through the BNC and the future looks bright with a star 6-foot-9 freshman making an impact.

Not only that, but after being in 3A and 4A, the Crusaders have the good fortune of being in 2A based upon the IHSA’s success formula.

After Lutheran, there were about 6-7 teams fairly even and Oregon, North Boone and Mendota at the bottom of the pack.

Winnebago and Dixon topped out the girls side, with Byron, Rock Falls and Stillman close behind.

COMMENTARY Andy Colbert

OHS Bowlers State-Caliber

The most distinguished sport accomplishment this winter was by the Oregon girls bowling team, a genuine state-caliber program.

Most of the elite were assembled for an unofficial state tournament in Rockford a couple weeks ago and the Hawks took third to Lockport and Harlem, with Rebecca Meyers (1,305) only three pins away from the individual championship.

Oregon added to their resume with a win in the 9-team Dixon Invite, with Alysa Conley leading the way with a 6-game series of 1,245 to claim first.

This would have been the year for the Hawks to make a run for a state trophy, with a senior-laden group of Conley, Hannah Kaltenbrun and Rebecca and Sammatha Meyers. Credit to coach Eric Carlson for the excellent job in leading the way.

And, it is tough being a coach in a sport that is in a decline. A recent article in the Sauk Valley paper told of the Morrison bowling alley closing after 70 years because of declining play.

In the early 90s, there were 525 league bowlers. Now, there is less than a 100 and most of those are advanced in age.

Football Games Next Week

The first football games will kick off next weekend. One casualty is the Dakota-Forreston game because of Covid, which also shut down Cardinal basketball.

To allow plenty of time between basketball and football, the BNC will start a week later on March 26 and only play five games instead of the allotted six.

With natural grass conditions as they are, several BNC and NUIC teams are playing games on artificial turk in places like Freeport, Harlem, Auburn and Sterling. Galena is headed out of state to Hazel Green, Wisconsin.

Good to hear that the state is going from 50 people per sporting event to 20 percent capacity. Curious how capacity will be determined at various playing fields when bleacher and natural standing areas are combined.

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