An Exciting Sports Year In Review

By Craig Lang, Prairie Advocate Sports

With the Christmas holiday just past and the New Year just around the corner, it’s been quite a year to remember in sports for this area. Some memorable moments on the various field of play occurred this past year and with a lull in the sports scene, I thought it was time to reflect and take a look back at the accomplishments of a remarkable year.

With the beginning of the year 2009, the basketball season was in full swing and the area boys and girls teams were all looking to make a trip to the south to play for a state championship. One team in particular stood out above the rest.

The 2009-10 Eastland Cougars were just that team. Led by head coach Tony Dunlap and assistants Larry Tigges and Scott Hartman, you knew if you saw this team play they were truly something special. Led by senior guard Tony Dunlap, the Cougars looked poised for a state title run. They cruised through the competition, compiling an outstanding twenty three and four regular season record.

The Fulton regional was their next stop as they moved past the host Steamers in exciting fashion and then topped the Forreston Cardinals to advance to the River Ridge sectional. They then beat Indian Creek by four and took out the Dakota Indian by nine to advance themselves to the DeKalb super sectional.

That game at NIU’s Convocation Center turned out to be one for the record books as the Cougars faced a very tough Newark team. But, once again Eastland proved they were more than ready for the challenge as they took out the Norsemen 70-57 behind Tony Dunlap’s record setting game. Tony, who averaged eighteen points per game, poured in thirty-six points to lead all scorers in the contest and in doing so set a building record by draining nine three pointers.

It was on to Peoria for Eastland and a semi final game with the Salt Fork Storm. A tall order indeed, as the Storm were led by 6’5” junior all-stater Joel Learnard. The Cougars looked like they were in good shape for the victory, leading Salt Fork by four at the end of one quarter and by one point after three periods.

Disaster struck at the end of the third quarter as scoring leader Dunlap went down with a separated shoulder while diving for a loose ball. The Norsemen went on to outscored Eastland fifteen to four in the final quarter to pull out the ten point victory.

The Cougars went on to play Madison for the third place trophy and fell to the Trojans by nineteen points to take the fourth place trophy.

Remember the standing ovation Tony received when he came back on the court in that contest to put up a couple shots with his opposite shooting hand? What a moment it was as we watched father and son hug as Tony’s high school basketball career came to a finish. Moments to be remembered for a long, long time to come.

Then as basketball faded and spring was around the corner, it was again time for the start of spring sports. The crack of the bats and the sounds of baseballs and softballs hitting gloves meant the start of another season on the diamonds. The two stories of the year in baseball and softball were again the Eastland Cougars baseball team and the Morrison Fillies softball teams.

The Eastland squad advanced to the Elgin Westminster Christian regional where they were defeated 6-4 by the host team who went on to eventually take the Class 1A state title.

And, Tammy Deter’s Fillies, after compiling a 12-12 regular season record, went on to defeat Mendota and host Riverdale in the regional and then continued their winning ways in the Rock Falls sectional.

Morrison took out Stillman Valley 3-1 and then dispatched the host Rock Falls Lady Rockets 13-4 to propel them into super sectional action. They then defeated Lisle 3-1 to advance them into the state tourney semi finals at the Eastside Centre in Peoria.

They fell to Johnston City 3-2 in their first semi final match up but regrouped to down Alton Marquette by the same score to take the third place trophy back to Morrison High School.

Volleyball had it’s share of thrilling moments also as tiny upstart Scales Mound derailed two time defending state champion Eastland and went on to take second place at Redbird Arena in Normal.

It was a banner year on the gridiron also as the EPC Wildcatz made the Class 2A playoffs and hosted the Bureau Valley Storm in a first round playoff game in Lanark. It was all EPC as they advanced to the second round with a convincing 21-7 victory over Bureau Valley and a meeting with defending the defending state champion Morrison Mustangs.

Things didn’t go as smoothly for the ‘Catz as they were downed by the Mustangs 42-9 ending EPC’s fine season. The Mustangs would go on to face the Sterling Newman Comets at Roscoe Eades Field in Sterling. What a classic game that was as the Comets went on to defeat Morrison 22-19 and eventually traveled to Champaign where they down Maroa-Forsyth 48-7 to claim the Class 2A title.

In Class 1A, the Le-Win Panthers demolished Tuscola 47-14. In Class 3A the Stillman Valley Cardinals were edged by Carthage (Illini West) 22-10 and in 4A Rock Island Alleman lost to Rochester 24-7. In Class 6A Rockford Boylan rolled over Aurora Marmion 48-19 to take the championship in that class.

The coming new year sees the basketball teams back on the courts to conclude their seasons and compete for a spot on March Madness and a state title for their respective schools.

Hopefully, 2011 will be a successful year for all the area teams and here’s hoping that the coming new year brings joy and prosperity to all. See you all at the game!

HS Basketball Schedule

6th Annual Prophetstown Tournament

Pools: Black-Prophetstown, Orion, West Carroll & Riverdale

Orange: Kewanee, Hinckley-Big Rock, Pearl City & Hall

Tuesday, December 28

Pearl City vs. Hall - 3 p.m.

West Carroll vs. Riverdale - 4:30 p.m.

Hinckley-Big Rock vs. Kewanee - 6 p.m.

Prophetstown vs. Orion - 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 30

Black 4th vs, Orange 4th - 3 p.m.

Orange 3rd vs, Black 3rd - 4:30 p.m.

Black 2nd vs. Orange 2nd - 6 p.m.

Orange 1st vs. Black 1st - 7:30 p.m.

Warkins Classic Tournament at Erie

December 28

Morrison vs. Peoria Heights-1:30 p.m.

Erie vs. Stockton- 1:30 p.m.

Eastland vs. Annawan- 4:30 p.m.

Mercer County vs. Knoxville- 6 p.m.

Orion vs. Riverdale- 7:30 p.m.

Wethersfield vs. Kewanee - 7:30 p.m.

December 29

Knoxville vs. Morrison- 3 p.m.

Stockton vs. Annawan- 4:30 p.m.

Erie vs. Wethersfield- 6 p.m.Riverdale vs. Mercer County- 6 p.m.

Kewanee vs. Eastland- 7:30 p.m.

Peoria Heights vs. Orion- 7:30 p.m.

December 30

11th place game- 1:30 p.m.

9th place game- 1:30 p.m.

7th place game- 3 p.m.

5th place game- 4:30 p.m.

3rd place game- 7:30 p.m.

1st place game- 7:30 p.m.

December 28

(B) Sterling Newman tourney

(G) Dixon Varsity tourney

(B) Warkins Christmas tourney at Erie

December 29

(B) Warkins Christmas tourney at Erie

(B) Sterling Newman tourney

(G) Dixon Varsity tourney

December 30

(B) Sterling Newman tourney

(B) Warkins Christmas tourney at Erie

January 3

(B) West Carroll at Eastland

January 4

(G) Eastland at West Carroll

(G) Prophetstown at Morrison

(B) Morrison at Bureau Valley

(B) Pearl City at Milledgeville

(G) Forreston at Freeport Aquin

(G) River Ridge at East Dubuque

NFL Schedule

Sunday, January 2

Carolina at Atlanta-noon

Pittsburgh at Cleveland-noon

NY Giants at Washington-noon

Cincinnati at Baltimore-noon

Jacksonville at Houston-noon

Minnesota at Detroit-noon

Chicago at Green Bay-noon

Tennessee at Indianapolis-noon

Oakland at Kansas City-noon

Miami at New England-noon

Tampa Bay at New Orleans-noon

Buffalo at NY Jets-noon

Dallas at Philadelphia-noon

Arizona at San Francisco-3:15pm

St. Louis at Seattle-3:15pm

San Diego at Denver-3:15pm