How important was Oregon’s regional title in boys basketball?
Considering that male athletics at the high school have been in a down period for over a decade, it was a huge boost to morale. Not only that, but the sectional they are in is quite winnable.
None of the teams, Aurora Christian (22-7), Johnsburg (22-11), Rockford Lutheran (18-15) and Oregon (24-9) received any votes in a final A.P. basketball poll.
In fact, the Hawks may be the consensus favorite. They’ve already beaten Lutheran, 63-50 in league play and creamed a Rock Falls team that had beaten Aurora Christian. Johnsburg lost to 1A Indian Creek, while Oregon beat IC. North Boone was another common opponent that the Hawks beat by 43 points compared to 17 for Johnsburg.
Yes, one does have to be wary of comparing common foes, but there is some value in it. However, Oregon is on a roll, as evidenced by blowing right through the regional against two decent opponents.
Aurora’s two regional wins (Erie-Prophetstown and Byron) were at the same quality level, but did not come as easy as they did for Oregon.
Veteran coach Tom Guse of Lutheran has the experience of competing at this level and will get the most out of his talent. Stepping onto a bigger stage can be daunting and Lutheran won’t be fazed.
Oregon’s last regional basketball title was in 2006 and it would be remarkable to add a sectional crown this season. With a record below .500 over the past 25 years, it’s been a long time coming.
Oregon’s last football playoff win was in 2015 and its last track and baseball sectional title in 2013. Wrestling is making some inroads, but is still seeking to reach the glory years of 1995-2005. Cross country hasn’t been downstate since 2008.
Certainly the talent level has been down, but the mental toughness has also been missing. That’s where a school’s culture needs to be changed and maybe success in basketball can ignite that.
Whereas Oregon’s sectional is one of the weaker in 2A, which one is the toughest? How about at Monticello, where state-ranked No. 1 Teutopolis (29-3), No. 3 Tolono Unity (30-2) and No. 6 Warrensburg-Latham (29-4) are all vying to make it out.
As much as us northerners complain about how one-sided the football pairings are, let’s remember the opposite can be true in other sports. The central and south part of the state have traditionally been better than us in basketball, though we’ve had our moments, like when Rockford West won back-to-back titles in 1955 and 1956.
Famously, the 1955 team scored 6 points in one second to help secure the title-game win over Elgin. Down 57-51 with a couple minutes left, Nolden Gentry scored and was fouled after the shot. On top of the basket, he made 2 free throws. On the inbounds pass, Rex Parker (who later went on to manage the Clock Tower) was fouled and given a pair of free throws, which he converted to make it 6 points without any time off the clock.
For the first time since being escorted out of the Chicago Stadium by the police for disrupting a Blackhawks hockey game almost 50 years ago, I made a return to an NHL arena last weekend. My son-in-law took me to a Utah Mammoth game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
Oddly, the visiting opponent was the Blackhawks. Upon entering the arena, I reflected on the differences in watching professional sports then versus now. Hockey is hockey and the product, which is so much better in person than on television, was what I remember it.
The venue is certainly more sanitized, with far more children in attendance and greater food offerings. I don’t recall fans wearing team jerseys like they do now, but pro teams weren’t into all the marketing like they are now.
Parking and concessions are overpriced, but that’s always been the case. A bigger difference is the increase in ticket prices and of course, the same applies to concerts and the like. We are an entertainment-starved populace with willingness to pay the piper.
Security is much tighter, unlike the era when one could bribe a ticket-taker to get in the arena for standing room only or sneak booze in.
I don’t know if the new United Center has it, but the old Chicago Stadium had a separate holding area for fans like me, who got caught throwing a roll of toilet paper from the upper rafter onto the ice during a faceoff. Though proud of my accuracy, I do recall being relieved to be taken there instead of Cook County jail.
• Andy Colbert is a sports writer for Shaw Local covering high school sports in Ogle County.