Area roundup: Dixon boys win BNC opener at Byron, improve to 5-1

The Dixon Dukes won their Big Northern Conference opener on the road Thursday night, defeating Byron 59-50.

The Dukes (5-1, 1-0) trailed 22-15 at halftime, then outscored the Tigers 17-10 in the third quarter to tie the game 32-32. Dixon then pulled away with a 27-18 run through the fourth period.

Jacob Gaither scored 15 of his game-high 24 points after halftime, while Wyatt Wetzell added 10 of his 13 in the second half. Karson Glessner and Riley Abell both added eight points, all coming after the break.

Ryan Tucker led Byron with four 3-pointers and 14 points, and Jordan Croegaert had 11 points.

Winnebago 55, Rock Falls 37: The Rockets trailed 16-0 at the end of the first quarter and never recovered in a road loss to open the Big Northern Conference season.

Booker Cross had 14 points to pace Rock Falls (1-4, 0-1), and Chevy Bates scored 10.

Indian Creek 45, Amboy 39: The Clippers were outscored by just one point in three different quarters in a nonconference loss in Shabbona.

Tucker Lindenmeyer scored 17 points, and Brennan Blaine added 13 to lead Amboy, which trailed 11-10 after the first quarter, 21-17 at halftime, and 32-27 through three periods. Ian Eller chipped in seven points.

Blake Simonson’s 18 points paced IC, and Grant Schlorff had 12.

Orangeville 56, Polo 44: The Broncos slowly pulled away throughout the game to hand the Marcos an NUIC loss at home.

Carter Merdian finished with 15 points for Polo, hitting all eight of his free-throw attempts. Cooper Blake added 10 points, with Carson Jones and Kahlil Sankey both scoring seven; Jones hit a pair of 3-pointers.

Gunar Lobdell’s 22 points led Orangeville, while Nate Anderson finished with 15 and Brayden Cahoon added 12.

Girls basketball

Morrison 62, Riverdale 36: The Fillies rolled to a Three Rivers West win in Port Byron, grabbing a 21-12 lead in the first quarter and never looking back.

Camryn Veltrop had 22 points, and Shelby Veltrop scored 21 to lead the way for Morrison. Jordan Eads chipped in nine points, as eight different Fillies scored.

Alexis Duke led Riverdale with nine points, and Crystal Craigmiles added seven.

Orion 58, Erie-Prophetstown 55: The Panthers led throughout much of a Three Rivers West road game, but the Chargers used a 15-10 fourth-quarter scoring edge to pull out the win.

Sydney Schwartz poured in a game-high 30 points, hitting six 3-pointers for E-P. Kennedy Buck added eight points, and Shea Winters scored seven for the Panthers.

Mary Mohr had 17 points for Orion, and Jennifer Abbott finished with 14.

AFC 49, Durand 38: The Raiders rallied for an NUIC win in Ashton, outscoring the Bulldogs 10-2 in the second quarter and 11-5 in the third after falling behind 22-16 in the opening period.

Taylor Jahn had 22 points to lead AFC, with Tatum Stroh scoring 10 and Brianna Gonnerman adding seven.

Olivia Robinson’s 10 points paced Durand.

Galena 44, Eastland 35: The Cougars were outscored 29-20 in the second half of an NUIC loss in Lanark.

Chloe Sweitzer had 10 points and five rebounds for Eastland (1-5), while Addison Burkholder finished with eight points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Annika Myre and Quinc Haverland scored six points apiece, with Myre adding four rebounds and four assists, and Haverland pulling down three rebounds.

Addie Hefel had 11 points to pace the Pirates, with Gracie Furlong adding 10 and Maggie Furlong chipping in nine.

Pecatonica 61, West Carroll 41: The Thunder fell behind 27-15 by halftime after being outscored 16-4 in the second quarter of an NUIC road loss.

Tori Moshure had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds for West Carroll, and she added two assists and two steals. Cora Collins finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

Madison Carlson poured in 27 points to pace Pec, and Elaina Rager scored 17.

Girls bowling

Dixon 2,662, Sterling 2,333: The Duchesses picked up their first dual victory of the season, winning all three games over the Golden Warriors at Blackhawk Lanes.

Tiana Bryson opened her match-high 571 series with games of 200 and 223, while Leslie Pettorini added a 474 series. Abby Tate (434), Grace DeBord (431), Autumn Swift (417) and Olivia Gingras (335) also bowled for Dixon.

Hannah Conderman led Sterling with a 483 series. Katelynn Garcia (394), Brendy Gatica (384), Madison Schmitt (377), Regan Guinn (349) and Emily Doss (346) also competed for the Warriors.

Marengo 2,449, Oregon 2,373: The Hawks dropped a dual at the Glo Bowl in Marengo, winning the first game but falling in the next two.

Ava Wight led Oregon with a 579 series, including a 218 second game. Paige Beauchem had a 410 series and Mackenzie Alford added a 402, while Trinity Hultquist (366), Kendra Ehrler (338) and Kylie Krug (278) also bowled.

Grace Wzientek led Marengo with a 524 series and a 203 game.

Boys bowling

Dixon 2,606, Erie-Prophetstown 2,598: The Dukes won the third game by 39 pins to pull out a dual victory at Triple Play in Fulton.

Cody Geil closed out his 571 series with a 201 game, and Ethan Tate added a 537 series for Dixon. Wyatt Miller (445), David Laird (419), Oliver Haverland (350) and Owen Haverland (284) also bowled for the Dukes.

Michael Miner led the Panthers with a 586 series and a 231 final game, while Bryce VanDeWostine rolled a 519 series. Shawn Chandler (454), Robert Winters (408), Keith Goodson (332) and Dom Bray (299) also competed for E-P.

Marengo 3,370, Oregon 3,152: The Hawks kept it relatively close in all three games – including an 18-pin deficit in the second game – but lost a dual at the Glo Bowl in Marengo.

Brandon Rowe rolled games of 265, 211 and 203 for a 679 series to lead Oregon. Jackson Werren had a 537 series, Isaac Kaltenbrun added a 518, Brady Davis bowled a 508, and Gavvin Surmo had a second-game 243 in his 504 series. Bryan Immel (406) rounded out the Hawks’ lineup.

Hunter Pankow had games of 263 and 243 in his match-high 705 series for Marengo, while Collin Cassin had a 246 second game in his 614 series.

Wrestling

Sterling 63, United Township 15: The Golden Warriors went on the road and rolled to victory in their Western Big 6 opener in East Moline, improving to 2-0 on the season.

Oregon splits triangular at home: The Hawks lost to Colfax Ridgeview on tiebreaker criteria after the dual finished 42-42, and they defeated Fulton 48-24.

Oregon’s Lane Halverson (132 pounds), Jared Glendenning (138), Jackson Glendenning (145), Seth Stevens (152), Gabe Eckerd (160), Ethan George (170) and Briggs Sellers (285) all won by pin against Ridgeview, but the Hawks lost by virtue of giving up two forfeits to Ridgeview’s none.

Halverson (132), Jackson Glendenning (145), Stevens (152) and Sellers (285) notched pins against Fulton. The Steamers got pins from Broden Venhuizen (126), Ben Fosdick (138), Zane Pannell (182) and Chris Carroll (220).

Princeton 47, Morrison 24: The Mustangs dropped a dual at home, taking over hosting duties from Erie-Prophetstown in what was scheduled to be a triangular before the Panthers had to put their wrestling program on a two-week COVID pause.

Zach Milder (138 pounds), Kayden White (182) and Nathan Schaefer (285) had pins for Morrison, with White and Schaefer sticking their opponents in the first period.