Conference motions before post-season emotions

By Bob Kopp
BDR Sports Correspondent
ROCKFORD – Belvidere and Auburn played a game that kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout the second half.
While the Bucs thoroughly outplayed the Knights in the first half and through the first few minutes of the second half while building double-digit leads, the Knights won 48-46 on a buzzer-beater.
Of course, if you didn’t come to the sophomore game that began at 5:30 p.m., you missed it.
Led by Shawn Dean’s 12 points and ferocious rebounding at both ends of the court, the future of the Bucs looks very bright as “Always Revved” junior Austin Revolinski can look forward to a cast of sophomores about to rise to the next level with motors running and a thirst for victory to match his.
Dean was supported by Sam Arco’s nine points and solid, smart, and aggressive play at point, Phil Kolk’s eight and all-around tenacious play, Brady Hauser’s eight and Buc-tough attitude for winning, and take-no-prisoners Jeremy Ramos who added five.
Trent Roewer and Kalen Murray also logged solid minutes and hit for two points each.
The sophomore contest was so fast, physical, and furious that it became clear the IHSA and NIC-10 need to review its current policy of two officials rather than the three officials assigned to varsity contests. It is dangerous and unfair not to have three officials for both games.
The varsity contest was, well, uh, sigh, geez, uh, kinda listless.
With Boylan having already clinched the NIC-10 crown with a 15-0 record and punctuation point in holding off a rapidly improving Hononegah 60-58 at home across town, Auburn hosted Belvidere and went through the motions in a rather boring 67-51 triumph.
With conference kudos out of reach for both teams, they seemed to have saved their emotions, energy, and execution for the post-season.
Going through conference motions before post-season emotions was apparent to anyone familiar with these two teams that cannot be out-hustled, out-toughed, and out-coached when first-team all-conference players senior Trayvon Tyler from Auburn and Bucs senior Deante Barnes and Revolinski were invisible until the second half. Tyler had only 2 points at intermission while Barnes and Revolinski were shut out. Tyler finished with 11 points while Barnes and Revolinski ended with eight and seven points respectively.
Senior Juwuane Parchman led the Knights with a game-high 16 points and senior Eric Munoz topped the Bucs with 10.