Winnebago 64, Oregon 38: The Indians overwhelmed Oregon in the post with 27 points from Chas Cross and another 14 points from forward A.J. Thomas. Brad Reinke chipped in 11 points for Winnebago, while Nathan Todd scored 19 for Oregon (9-19).
The Indians led 29-19 at halftime and pulled away with a 22-11 run in the third quarter.
- Emily Tropp, rrstar.com
Oregon 63, Stillman Valley 51: Oregon earned a 63-51 victory over Stillman Valley on Tuesday in the first round of the Winnebago boys Class 2A regional. The Hawks play the host school Wednesday.
Oregon’s Nathan Todd tallied eight of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter when the Hawks outscored Stillman Valley 22-14. Drew Smith finished with 13 for Oregon, and Ryan Rosenbalm added 12.
Shay Bubnack (15) and Aaron Palmer (13) were the lone Cardinals in double figures scoring.
- rrstar.com
Winnebago 53, Oregon 52: Winnebago finished its regular season unbeaten, though Oregon gave the Indians their closest game of the season. The Hawks had possession in the closing seconds but missed a jumper and the tip-in putback. Chas Cross scored 14 points for the Indians (26-0, 10-0 BNW).
Byron 85, Oregon 81: Led by Adam Head’s 25 points, Byron survived Oregon’s 33-point fourth-quarter to earn the win. Byron led 63-48 after three quarters. Drew Smith scored 20 for Oregon.
- rrstar.com
Oregon 46, Winnebago 40: It was now or never for the Oregon girls basketball team to get past rival Winnebago in Monday’s Class 2A Byron Regional.
After two straight seasons of losing to Winnebago, including a 42-36 loss Tuesday, Oregon finally avenged it with a 46-40 victory.
“We played smart,” Oregon’s Carissa Oelke said. “We were more focused this time.”
Oelke’s 3-point conversion with 1:48 left gave the Hawks the lead for good at 41-39.
Before that, the teams hadn’t allow too much of a separation during the second half. Oregon led 32-30 at the end of the third quarter.
Rockford Lutheran 46, Oregon 34: Lutheran jumped to a 9-0 lead in the first 67 seconds of Tuesday’s 46-34 Class 2A girls basketball regional semifinal victory over Oregon.
“It could have been a totally different ballgame without that,” Lutheran’s Dawn Martin (11 points) said. “They play great defense. It’s hard to get good shots off against their 2-3 zone.”
Lutheran (21-6) rediscovered that quickly, shooting 1-for-19 the next 12 minutes.
“We knew our defense had to get a lot stronger if we wanted to win,” Oregon guard Carissa Oelke said.
Stillman Valley 64, Oregon 56: Shay Bubnack had 19 points and Aaron Palmer 15 for Stillman Valley.
- rrstar.com
Oregon 50, Rockford Lutheran 40: This was supposed to be a showdown for the Big Northern West title. But then Lutheran destroyed Oregon by 33 points, starting a five-game Oregon losing streak, three without injured star Carissa Oelke.
But just when Oregon looked dead, the Hawks rebounded in stunning fashion to shock Lutheran 50-40 Thursday and prevent the Crusaders from clinching a share of their first BNC title.
Lutheran (19-6, 6-3) is now tied with Stillman Valley (13-8, 6-3) with one game left. Lutheran plays at Byron (4-5) today while Stillman hosts Genoa-Kingston (1-8).
Winnebago 81, Oregon 58: Winnebago clinched at least a tie for the Big Northern West boys championship Thursday with a victory over Oregon.
The Indians (22-0, 7-0) led 27-11 after the opening period and 49-30 at the half.
Chas Cross scored 16 of his team-high 20 in the first half. Oregon’s Ryan Rosenbalm had a game-high 22.
Winnebago can claim the title outright with a win Saturday against Lutheran.
- rrstar.com
Winnebago 42, Oregon 36: Winnebago pulled out to a 12-3 first-quarter lead and clung to the lead from there, holding the Hawks to 36 total points.
’Bago’s Emily Myers led the way with 13 points while Oregon got 16 points from Erin Pederson, and 20 more from the rest of the team.
- rrstar.com
Lutheran 60, Oregon 55: Lutheran rallied from a two-point halftime deficit to overcome Oregon down the stretch. Oregon’s Ryan Rosenbalm scored 23 points in the loss, while Lutheran was led by Taylor Dixon and Jimmy Clark, who each scored 11.
Byron 49, Oregon 29: Byron recovered from a slow start to double up Oregon led by Emily Lehne’s 16 points.
- rrstar.com
Christian Life 55, Oregon 53: Jordan Peyton poured in 20 points for Christian Life, and Jacob Bach added 10. Ben Jacobs (18 points), Ryan Rosenbalm (13) and Nathan Todd (10) scored in double figures for the Hawks.
Dixon 72, Oregon 66: Ben Jacobs had a team-high 22 points for Oregon, while Ryan Rosenbalm and Drew Smith added 16 apiece.
- rrstar.com
Genoa-Kingston Tournament
GENOA — Molly Meier (24 points) and Lauren Strohmaier (17 points) combined to score 41 of G-K’s points in the Cogs’ 68-44 win against South Beloit. Kristen Saari poured in 28 points for the Sobos.
Byron 41, Stillman Valley 39
Keith tops R. Christian in semi-finals
Lamish Al-Basha scored a game-high 21 points to lead Keith past Rockford Christian 54-49 in the semifinals of the Rockford Christian Tournament.
Keith will play Indian Creek in today’s 8 p.m. championship game.
Trinesha Cornell added 14 points for Keith.
Rockford Christian, led by Amy Hicks’ 18 points, outscored Keith 26-25 in the second half, but was held to six points in the third quarter. Brianna Hellyer also had 10 points for the Royals.
Winnebago 72, C. Life 27
OREGON — Midway through the second quarter of its 3A playoff game with Peru St. Bede (6-4), Oregon (10-0) only had one first down and trailed 7-0. Then, a friendly ghost came to the rescue for the Hawks.
Nick McKeown hobgoblined free for 47 and 55-yard runs before the half ended, setting up the first two touchdowns in a Oregon 34-7 win.
“I think on Halloween, he’s a ghost the way he hid behind his line,” St. Bede coach John Bellino said.
“We couldn’t find him.”
“The first time, three guys tackled (Nick) Snyder,” McKeown said. “I was just following my line and found an opening.”
STILLMAN VALLEY — Stillman Valley’s first couple turnovers were forgivable. Field conditions were less than perfect, after all, and Oregon was bound to make the same mistakes.
But the Hawks, being every bit the two-time defending conference champs they are, did not.
Oregon capitalized on five Stillman Valley turnovers to beat the Cardinals 28-0 Friday and win its third straight Big Northern West title. The Hawks (9-0, 5-0 BNW) became the first Big Northern team since 2004 to finish the regular season undefeated.
ROCKFORD — Nick Snyder ran for 162 yards and three touchdowns on only five carries as Oregon blew out Lutheran 41-0 and set up a showdown with fellow unbeaten Stillman Valley for the Big Northern West football title next week.
Oregon, ranked No. 8 in Class 4A, outrushed Lutheran by 356 yards. The Hawks had 338 and Lutheran minus-18. Jake Koehler completed 16 of 31 passes for 93 yards for Luthearn.
Oregon plays next week at Stillman Valley, ranked No. 6 in Class 4A.
— rrstar.com
OREGON - Oregon scored 21 points in the first quarter and went on to beat Winnebago 49-11 at Oregon on Friday.
The Hawks (6-0, 2-0 BNW) rang up 330 rushing yards and had rushing touchdowns from Nick Snyder (15 yards), Carson Andrew (3 yards), Nick McKeown (80 yards), and Andrew Smith (52 yards).
Oregon also scored a 57-yard punt return by Ryan McWethy, a 12-yard pass from McWethy to Smith, and a 79-yard kickoff reutrn by Robbie Brink.
McKeown finished with 109 yards on four carries.
OREGON - In a 42-0 loss to Oregon, Byron gift-wrapped and gave the first half to the Hawks. In the second half, Oregon (5-0) didn't need any generosity.
Capitalizing on four first half turnovers by Byron (1-4), the Hawks took a 21-0 halftime lead and then started the second half with a 16-play, 97-yard drive to show a packed homecoming crowd at Landers-Loomis Field it could also earn points the hard way.
"The turnovers set up scores for us, but having that long drive to start the third quarter broke (Byron),"
Oregon coach John Bothe said.
Oregon is known for smashmouth football.
It’s been a huge part of the Hawks’ success in coach John Bothe’s career. The Hawks tackle and hit so well, you’d think they practice it all the time.
That’s not necessarily the case.
“The big thing with tackling at practice, and I think most would agree, is you just make sure people aren’t going to the ground,” Bothe said.
Many do agree with Bothe. Full-out tackling at practice for some is a thing of the past. Most high school football teams save their hits for Friday nights to avoid injuries during the week.
BURLINGTON - Ethan Gale had 95 yards and one TD run of 45 yards on 11 carries to lead the Hawks.
Oregon (4-0) also scored on a 3-yard run by Nick McKeon and a 54-yard kick return by Carson Andrew.
- rrstar.com
OREGON - In a game plagued by fumbles and slippery field conditions, Oregon needed a field goal in double overtime to edge Hampshire 11-8.
After Hampshire failed to convert on a fourth-down play in the second overtime, Jeff Yount kicked a fourth-down 22-yard field goal for the Hawk win.
"The longer the game went, I had a feeling it was going to come down to a field goal or extra point,"
Yount said.
Yount's kick was dead center off the hold of Ryan McWethy, who moments earlier scored a touchdown and extra point in the first overtime for Oregon.
OREGON - If Oregon's 44-19 win over North Boone (1-1) wasn't convincing enough, fair warning needs to be given to the remaining seven teams on its schedule.
Starting next week, the Hawks (2-0) will be at full strength as starting quarterback Ryan McWethy and two-way lineman Ben Bruns return after sitting out the first two games for disciplinary reasons.
Coach John Bothe also hopes to have injured defensive spark plug Robbie Brink back, as well.
"Once those guys get their feet under them, we'll be a better team," Bothe said.
Oregon’s athletes don’t complain about injuries or rehab.
It’s hard to when the man tending their wounds is one who has battled with so much himself.
John Cain, Oregon’s athletic trainer for 19 years, is nothing short of an inspiration for the Hawks. After receiving a kidney and a pancreatic transplant three years ago, Cain has recovered and competed in the U.S. Transplant Games twice.
The Big Northern West flip-flopped last year.
Teams that typically are on top of the conference were at the bottom, while teams that have struggled finally dug themselves out of the basement.
But one thing remained the same — Oregon.
The Hawks repeated as champions last year with a 4-1 conference record and finished 8-3 overall.
