From Super Bowl to high school sports. The fast conveyance of competition keeps sports interesting. Ageless 43-year-old Tom Brady of Tampa Bay stays in good shape, physically and mentally, and received the benefit of a young and improving defense and a coordinated offense to capture the Super Bowl Sunday over last year’s champion, Kansas City, 31-9. The Storybook ride continues and Brady vows to return.
High School basketball, which in nearly all seasons starts prior to Thanksgiving Day in November, began late last week, a February initiation. February usually is preparation for regional and sectional tournaments, followed by the State tournament. Now, a half-loaf is better than no games, even knowing that this year there will be no State tournament. Last season the boys tournament play was interrupted in the middle of sectional tournaments. East Aurora High School boys did not lose a game in tournament play, however, following its victory over West Aurora in a sectional semifinal game, the season was ended by COVID-19. See below for a modest list of results and games on the horizon through the weekend.
We break out of full COVID-19 inhibitions, even though the delayed start offered photos of players wearing masks.
We saw high school photos late Tuesday evening sent by Al Benson which verified players wore masks and only a few persons were in attendance by directive of host school policy.
Visiting Yorkville defeated host West Aurora, 53-50. Al Benson celebrated a birthday Tuesday by shooting photos of teams’ game. The season is expected to come to an end in April. In the meantime, the half-loaf motif must be accepted. It is superior to the alternative of no games. Delight danced for many boys and girls just to be back on the court. Football will begin in late March following the stat of practice March 3.
A few boys high school basketball scores Monday evening included South Elgin, a victor over St. Charles East, 61-58; Wheaton North 62, Hampshire, 38; Bartlett, 63, Lake Park, 37; South Beloit, 50, Parkview Christian of Yorkville, 18; and the Elk Grove game at Elgin, canceled. Nonetheless, we move on and offer optimism that conditions will improve.
• Greg Burks last week let us know that the oldest high school conference boys tournament in the State, the Little Conference Tournament, in its 102nd annual tournament, is under way this week, with the championship game at 6 p.m. Saturday at the highest seeded team remaining.
The boys teams in seeded order, from first to 10th: Indian Creek, Somonauk, Hinckley-Big Rock, Earlville, Serena, Newark, LaMoille-Ohio, DuPue, Hiawatha, and Leland.
The girls will play their 40th annual tournament, February 18-20. Serena is seeded No. 1 and followed by Indian Creek, Newark, and Hinckley-Big Rock.