Football gives way to basketball in both colleges and high schools, and yet there is an overlap.
North Central College and Wheaton College continue in the NCAA Division III footvall playoffs, and Aurora University ends its successful season, the latter in its first postseason game since 2008. Aurora was sidetracked in a shootout by host St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn., 51-47. First-year head coach Don Beebe is author of the Aurora offense. He took the job he said on the condition that he would be allowed to hold team prayers. North Central defeated visiting Wabash, 51-15, and host Wheaton College defeated Martin Luther of New Ulm, Minn., 51-7. Wheaton will play host to Central (Ia.) at noon. Saturday and North Central will play at Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio.
High school football: Eight Batavia and St. Charles East players on each team were all-DuKane Conference selections.
• “(We had) a senior class of 22 kids who were outstanding that led us to a great season (that ended in the quarterfinals),” said Wheaton Warrenville South head coach Ron Muhitch.
• South Elgin head coach Dragan Teonic led his team to a 9-2 record. He was most pleased to “their resilience, their investment into the program and each other, and their overall play over the course of the season. We won the Upstate Eight Conference and set school records in scoring and defense.”
• Boys basketball tournaments started this week and girls basketball started last week. More in this space next week. West Aurora High School boys will seek to surpass 20 victories again this season after a 28-6 record last season. Kelvin Balfour is the only player with major varsity experience, although Logan Mont, all-State selection in football this year was a basketball reserve last season. See thevoice.us/boys-high-school-holiday-basketball-tournaments-2