Jules Williamson of East Aurora High School and Traevon Brown of West Aurora High School are rivals, which was in the East-West spotlight Friday, Dec. 21 part one at East. Game two will be Feb. 1, 2019.
The two senior high school boys basketball players on their respective teams are rivals, and still best of friends. Brown played his first two years on the varsity at East Aurora and is in his second year on the varsity across the Fox River for West Aurora.
Their friendship did not deter them from playing hard for their respective schools in the rivalry game won by visiting West Aurora, 83-76 (see the photo on page 1 of the two friends, rivals).
“Yes, we are friends and we talk,” Williamson said after the offensively-geared game Friday. “We played hard against each other.” Williamson is a 6-5 guard/forward. Brown is a 6-0 point-guard. Williamson scored 28 points against West Aurora.
Their games shared the spotlight with Marquise Walker, first-year player for West Aurora who is a senior. Walker played two seasons for St. Joseph in Westchester and last year played with Curie High School in Chicago. He has moved to different schools for personal and family reasons.
Walker scored a career-high 29 points, including four consecutive three-point field goals, ultimately difference-makers, in the first quarter, six overall. He responded to a question after the game about the East-West rivalry and the venerable East Aurora gym. Walker was positive in all facets. “This East-West rivalry is right there with Curie-Simeon in Chicago. It was enjoyable playing at East Aurora.” Walker is a 6-0 guard.
• Other boys rivalries Friday, Dec. 21 included Geneva 65, Batavia, 51; St. Charles East 49, St. Charles North, 45; Wheaton North 40, Wheaton Warrenville South 36; Oswego East 67, Oswego 49 (Thursday, Dec. 20); Glenbard South 47, Glenbard East 40; Elgin 55, Larkin 52. The Elgin victory snapped the Larkin winning streak in the rivalry at 16 games.
• Oswego East head coach Ryan Velasquez said, “I thought our focus and fast start was encouraging.”
• The Geneva girls defeated host Batavia, 43-42, in their rivalry game Friday in a game between two good teams. Geneva has won State championships the last two years. In the boys game, Geneva remained undefeated (9-0 overall and 3-0 in the first-year DuKane Conference) with the victory.
• The West Aurora girls defeated East Aurora, 64-50, Friday prior to the boys game. High school holiday basketball tournaments (see page 10) this week give those rivalries a break.
• West Aurora boys improved to 9-2 overall and 6-0; in the Upstate Eight; improving East Aurora fell to 2-10 and 2-4. Oswego East improved to 8-1 and 2-0 in the Southwest Prairie. Oswego went to 6-5 and 1-1.