J-Hawks fly over Bucs

By Bob Kopp

BDR SPORTS CORRESPONDENT

The NIC-10 may be among the most competitive conferences in Illinois with every team in contention for post-season laurels.

A very talented, talkative to taunting, and young Jefferson flew into Belvidere to prove that point and flew away with a hard-fought 56-48 win to reiterate the emergence of the NIC-10 in the IHSA.

While everyone was looking at major-college prospects, juniors Quillin Dixon and My’Quion Garrett, to dominate action, 6’3″ sophomore Alishawuan Taylor burst on the scene and overwhelmed the Bucs inside, outside, up, and down en route to leading all scorers with 22 points.

While there are teams in the conference with as much depth as the J-Hawks, these triplets will trip up teams for two years with explosive offensive skills, tenacious defensive prowess, edgy confidence, and an unmatched high ceiling of potential.

When the Bucs came back from the first (11-6) and the second (23-15) quarter deficits to take a 29-28 lead on a foul shot by senior Nate Horton at 3:53 of the third period, Dixon, held scoreless deep into the third, started launching NBA three-pointers, directed traffic, kept the Bucs at bay, and finished with 14 points.

Belvidere seniors Austin Revolinski (17) and Will Morris (13) led the Bucs in scoring; and while football scouts for the next level who fail to recruit them should be fired for their sins of omission, they are looking like all-conference locks with determined leadership by example and Buc-tough play.

Completing the scoring for the hosts were seniors Xavier Dent (six), Horton (five), Austin Brockmann (three), Joey Hernandez (two), and junior Shawn Dean (two).

The schedule doesn’t get easier as Belvidere hosted a tall and hungry Hononegah on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Varsity action tipped-off after the end of the sophomore game beginning at 5 p.m.