Winnebago sees early season win streak

By Chris Johnson
REPORTER
2019-2020 winter play began on Thursday, Nov. 21 for the Winnebago Lady Indians basketball team. The squad opened the new campaign, which closed in late winter of this year, as the defender of the Class 2A Sectional Crown.
It was the Lady Indians first Sectional Title and fourth Regional Award in the past four years. They’ve earned at least the Regional hardware since the close of the 2016 sports season.
A lot of people expected a lot of good things from Winnebago this season and so far, it appears, no one is disappointed. A slow start hasn’t seemed to affect how the team has come together.
.On Thursday, Nov. 21, a week before Thanksgiving, Winnebago lost to Stockton. The Lady Blackhawks start their NUIC-West schedule with a conference second best record of 5-2. Eastland stands ahead of Stockton out in the West. The Lady Cougars are a perfect 8-0 so far.
Eastland got to that perfect start thanks to a win over the defending Sectional Champion in game two of the regular season.
Winnebago dropped the Saturday non-conference match 56-31 and began to win regularly. Up to a Friday, Dec. 6 showdown with the Rock Falls Lady Rockets, things had progressed as planned.
During a stretch of success that began against the Morrison Lady Mustangs in Tournament play and ended in a win over the Forreston Lady Cardinals on Tuesday, Nov. 26, Winnebago allowed less than 25 points a game.
They outpaced their opposition by a better than two to one margin with a nightly scoring total hovering over 50 points a match.
Morrison was crushed by the Lady Indians attack when they met up following the loss to Eastland. The Lady Mustangs were held to 17 points and suffered one of their worst losses of the season, 69-17. Winnebago picked up its first win of the year.
Two nights later, Rochelle succumbed 39-26, helping to lock in their second win of the season. It moved Winnebago back to .500.
The team’s roll continued against Forreston, on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The Lady Indians put up their second highest scoring total of the season.
They would shift that position down one when December play began. Winnebago locked down the Princeton Lady Tigers, 51-21.
Additional challenges are waiting this week, as the team gets set for more holiday action.
The Hall Lady Red Devils will travel north to take on Winnebago this Saturday, Dec. 14. The Three Rivers East member was 0-2 in head-to-head matches so far this season. They carried a 3-3 overall mark..
Big Northern play resumes the week before Christmas. The North Boone Lady Vikings set sail for southern Winnebago County on Saturday, Dec. 21.
When 2020 arrives, Winnebago’s schedule will reflect a heavier load of Big Northern foes. They also will have to deal with teams they have already faced this season, giving them their shot at evening the score.
Eastland hosts Winnebago in the first non-conference match of the new decade, Jan. 9, 2020. After that, showdowns have been penciled in against Rockford Christian, Genoa-Kingston and Byron.