Belvidere North Boys’ banking on big finish

By Chris Johnson

REPORTER

The Belvidere North Blue Thunder boys’ basketball team must bring home some big wins over the next few weeks to put themselves in a position to avoid a possible first-round exit in the upcoming Class 4A State Basketball Playoffs.

With games already scheduled, coming out of the Martin Luther King Memorial Invitational, Blue Thunder will head on the road to face Rockford Jefferson on Friday Jan. 20.

It will be a tough game and a major task for Belvidere North, statistically speaking. Jefferson is hot and playing better than they have all season. The J-Hawks have been limited in their losses since a defeat at the hands of 4A powerhouse Barrington.

Prior to a 103 point outing over Johnsburg in MLK Tournament play Saturday, Jan. 14, the J-Hawks averaged over 65 points a game in consecutive wins. Belvidere North has work to do to get ready for a very fast and offensively-explosive opponent.

Belvidere North’s schedule does highlight an opportunity for a night of fun as it features a Wednesday, Jan. 27 meeting with Belvidere High School.

The fun ends for Blue Thunder after the bragging rights game. Belvidere North heads out on the road for matches at Harlem and Guilford on Friday, Feb. 3 and will return home for a scheduled Wednesday, Feb. 8 game against the Hononegah Indians.

The schedule remains difficult into the final week of play as a game at Rockford East on Friday, Feb. 10 marks the final game away from home for Belvidere North. Friday, Feb. 17 Boylan plays in Blue Thunder territory and on Wednesday, Feb. 22 the regular season comes to an end in a senior-night game against the Freeport Pretzels.

The Class 4A State Playoffs is where Belvidere North will have to make its run in a post-season pursuit. The Elgin Regional-Sectional Complex involves two Sub-Sectional Tournaments covering Regional sites.

Jefferson and Hononegah will host one half of the Class 4A Sectional fill-in field. Jacobs High School and Elgin Larkin have been asked to host the second half of the regional duties. Belvidere North could go either way, depending on how seeding is determined.

All four Regional Champions will move on to Elgin High School for the Class 4A Sectional and a shot at earning a ticket to appear at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates Class 4A State Super-Sectional in mid-March.