Sterling boys basketball program gets 1,500th win: Saturday’s Sauk Valley Roundup

Boys basketball

Sterling 91, Rochelle 74: The Golden Warriors scored a season-high to notch win No. 1,500 for the program.

Kaedon Phillips also scored a career-high 31 points to follow up his 30-point performance against Rochester. He is the first Golden Warrior with back-to-back 30-point games since Kelly Preston had three straight in 1990, according to Golden Warrior TV. Phillips finished 8 of 12 from the field with two 3-pointers and a 13 of 16 performance at the free throw line. Nico Battaglia (14 points), Maddux Osborn (12), Bryce Hartman (11) and Will Ports (10) also scored in double figures for Sterling (8-7).

Eastland 60, Forreston 45: Adam Awender scored a game-high 23 points for Eastland in the win. Kendall Erdmann led Forreston with 16 points.

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Eastland's Parker Krogman (35) reacts as he draws a foul against Forreston on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025 at Forreston High School. (Earleen Hinton)

Warren 57, Amboy 48: The Clippers fell short on the road after leading by nine at halftime.

Rock Falls shootout

Rockford Christian 71, Newman 51: Garrett Matznick had 15 points, Evan Bushman scored 14 and John Rowzee had 10, but the Comets fell short on the road.

Bureau Valley 64, Oregon 63 (OT): The Storm snapped a five-game skid in the win over the Hawks (8-8).

Princeton 60, Rock Falls 52: The Rockets fell to 10-5 as Princeton’s Noah LaPorte had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Kuitim Heald had 18 points and Neo Menendez had 14 for Rock Falls.

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Rock Falls’ Kuitim Heald makes a pass against Princeton Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, at the Rock Falls Shootout. (Alex T. Paschal)

Girls basketball

Dakota 37, Polo 31: Camrynn Jones led Polo with 12 points and six assists and Carlee Grobe had 10 points and six rebounds in the road loss.

Boys wrestling

Dixon goes 4-0: Dixon had an undefeated showing at its home dual event, beating Morton 36-32, Morris 49-26, Sycamore 36-30 and Galesburg 39-22.

Will Howell went 4-0 at 190 pounds for the Dukes, earning every win by fall. Dylan Bopes was also 4-0 at 285 with three pins and a decision.

Jack Ragan went 3-1 at 113, taking just his first loss of the season by a 5-4 decision to Morton’s Noah Harris. Charlie Connors also went 3-1 at 138 pounds.

Boys bowling

Oregon takes second: The Hawks posted a season-best 6,380 six-game series at the Belvidere invitational at The Cherry Bowl, taking second by only 13 pins in the final frame to state power Harlem.

Dixon (5,679) took 11th, led by a sixth-place finish by Wyatt Miller (1,324).

Gavvin Surmo’s 1,375 was good for second place to lead the Hawks and Ethan Smice rolled a career-high 1,356 to take third. Caleb Brooks (1,303) also bowled a career-high to take 10th for Oregon and RJ Keene rolled a solid 1,212 (23rd).