Rochelle 62, Wheaton Academy 57: Shortly after clamoring out from beneath the celebration scrum that had developed at midcourt Tuesday night, senior Andy Wilkinson’s head began to shake back and forth.
“I’m stunned,” he said, staring up at the rafters of the Rochelle gymnasium just minutes after the Hubs, still below .500 on the season, shockingly advanced to the sectional finals with a 62-57 win over Wheaton Academy. “I can’t believe it. We believed in ourselves, but this ... this is amazing.”
Rochelle 52, Freeport 49: Late-game struggles have hampered the Freeport boys basketball team at times during the season, and Friday night at the Sterling Regional, the Pretzels had another case of late-game issues.
After leading throughout, Rochelle stormed back and stole a 52-49 win and a regional championship.
“It was a real heartbreaker,” Freeport’s Wes Gastel said. “We had them down big and they came back.
“We all had shots we feel we should have made.”
Rochelle 77, Sterling 76: Sterling’s Joseph Bertrand gave the Fighting Illini fans in attendance a taste of what’s to come with a smooth performance, but it was the Rochelle Hubs who were celebrating a 77-76 upset victory at the end of Wednesday’s Sterling Regional semifinal matchup.
Rochelle 79, Yorkville 61: Andy Wilkinson (18), Brandon Svela (16), Ben Schwartz (13) and Nate Eyster (11) combined for 58 points for the Hubs.
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Rochelle 91, Sycamore 76: Andy Wilkinson scored a game-high 34 points to lead the Hubs. Wilkinson went 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Kevin Fane added 18, Ben Schwartz had 17 and Nate Eyster had 10 for Rochelle, which outscored Sycamore 28-14 in the third quarter.
Shane Carnahan scored 25 points and Michael Buckner scored 16 for the Spartans.
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ROCHELLE — After starting Western Sun play at 0-6, an old friend was just what the Rochelle basketball team needed to reverse its fortunes.
The Hubs (7-12) defeated former NCIC conference mate Dixon, 67-54. The win snapped a 4-game losing streak for Rochelle, which last won against Streator, another NCIC team.
BELVIDERE — Boylan coach Steve Goers is one game away from tying the IHSA’s record for career coaching wins.
Goers’ 82-53 win against Belvidere on Friday put the Titans at 10-3 on the season and gave Goers his 825th career win.
Dick Van Scyoc holds the record with 826. Goers could tie the record with a win tonight at Auburn.
Michael Morman’s 12 points led the Titans, who had 12 players score.
Belvidere’s Tyler Barr scored 16 of his team-high 19 points in the first half, hitting four 3-pointers. Teammate David Delacy contributed 14.
Boylan built a 42-26 halftime lead.
CHICAGO — On the third play of its 5A playoff game against Chicago Robeson, Rochelle defensive back Shane McCluskey absolutely drilled Martinez Young on a pass reception, forcing a fumble. That was just a taste of many more hits to come by a vicious Hubs defense in a 40-13 win over previously unbeaten Robeson.
“As a 5-4 team, we had to let them know we meant business,” McCluskey said. “In the playoffs, you have to come out swinging.”
For the third time in four years, Rochelle came in as a 5-4 team and whipped a No. 1 or 2 seed.
ROCHELLE — Needing a win before even thinking about getting into the playoffs for the 11th straight year, the Rochelle Hubs took care of business in a big way Friday with a 44-8 home win over DeKalb.
GLEN ELLYN - Rochelle’s late comeback attempt fell short, and the Hubs will have to fight for their playoff lives next week when they host DeKalb.
Glenbard South (6-2, 5-1 Western Sun) jumped out to a 10-0 first-half lead and took a 17-0 lead on a 43-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter. But Rochelle’s Ben Schwartz (18 carries for 106 yards), one of two Hubs to rush for more than 100 yards, plowed in from five yards out on the next possession, and Dan Ruppenthal (26-116), the other in triple digits, dove in for a 3-yard TD late in the game.
ROCHELLE - In a 35-14 loss to Geneva, Rochelle took a moral victory of sorts.
Consider: Geneva (7-0) is No. 3 in 7A, while the Hubs (4-3) are unranked in 5A. Rochelle had 23 healthly varsity players compared to a 75-man roster for Geneva. Rochelle's line was outweighed 35 pounds a player.
The Vikings had all-stater Michael Ratay (24 runs for 256 yards), while Rochelle's best runner Devon Mancillas was on the sidelines on crutches.
"I thought we played good," said Rochelle quarterback Nate Eyster. "They were just too big, fast and experienced."
ROCHELLE – It was Yorkville’s aerial attack versus Rochelle’s smashmouth ground game Friday, and it was no contest.
Rochelle fumbled away possession four times in the first half and allowed Yorkville quarterback Luke Parece to air it out for 271 yards passing on the night, but the Hubs’ homecoming game was never in doubt. The defense had two goal-line stands - one to close out the first half on the 3-yard-line - and surrendered only one late TD as the Hubs notched their first Western Sun Conference win of the year with a 29-7 whipping of Yorkville.
