With nail-biters, thrillers and ‘the Brawl in Boylan,’ this high school basketball season had it all

After 57 games, hundreds of miles traveled and dozens of players photographed, the high school basketball season (at least for this photog) is one game away from wrapping up.

This year, the area seemed poised to send someone to state, seeing five teams make the sectional final. Sterling and Dixon girls went head to head in a final in what I now like to call the “Brawl in Boylan.”

It was arguably the most physical game I’ve seen (boys or girls), and the referees, to their credit, let them play. The aftermath showed angry bruises, gouged eyes and a 39-30 Sterling win. Sterling went on to play a thriller against Washington at the supersectional in Rochelle, tying the game up with seconds left after trailing almost the entire game. Luck just wasn’t on Sterling’s side, as the team lost in overtime.

The Rock Falls boys team clearly was sponsored by some Big Pharma. Anti-anxiety meds should have been given out with every ticket purchase. With an uneasy but seemingly big lead with a minute or so to go in their regional final against Riverdale, a pair of suspect (in my eyes anyway) technical fouls were called on the Rockets, leading to a Riverdale shooter sinking five of six free throws and getting the ball back.

After a Rams bucket to tie the game, RF turned the ball over for what seemed like a breakaway win for Riverdale, but a pass bonked “off the dome” of a Riverdale player, thus sending the game into OT. A three-point dagger by Kuitim Heald sealed the deal and reset everyone’s heart rate back down from bass drum.

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Newman’s Tyson Williams is fouled by Hall’s Luke Bryant below the basket Friday, Jan. 17, 2025 at Newman High School. (Alex T. Paschal)

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the gymnasium, Rock Falls and Winnebago went back and forth all night in the sectional semifinal.

Tied at 40 with mere seconds left, ’Bago missed a shot, got the rebound and had another shot blocked. The Rockets’ Nehemiah Menendez gathered the loose ball and outlet it to Ryken Howard for a layup at the buzzer. The Rock Falls team played another nail-biter without the theatrics against Princeton to take the sectional title.

The run of the green and black came to a close, however, in front of a raucous crowd at Sterling High, which was hosting the supersectional. The hometown crowd showed up in droves but couldn’t cheer their team to a win.

Eastland will represent the Sauk Valley in the state tournament this weekend in Champaign. I’ve covered the team a handful of times this year, most recently in the sectional semifinal in Pecatonica. Clearly talented, with a top-notch coach calling the shots, the team definitely has a chance to bring back the hardware.

Alex T. Paschal is a Shaw Local photographer.