Pecatonica prepares for Thanksgiving travels

By Chris Johnson
REPORTER
Comparing the success between different sports programs, over different sports seasons, working within a parent school district, isn’t always a good gauge as to how things could go next for those previously-successful participating members.
At smaller school districts, there is a pretty good chance athletes who play football in the fall, have plans for the winter and sometimes that means basketball.
The combined efforts of student athletes at Pecatonica and Durand High Schools helped send the fall sports athletes to the Class 3A second season.
The Rivermen battled their way to a showdown with Class 3A Final Four representative Byron, where they eventually succumbed.
Now many of those athletes had to make the jump directly into wrestling and basketball drills. The first matches and games of the winter are here and there are a lot of things to get to over the next few weeks.
As is the practice for many area basketball teams, the Indians join with many others who take to the road to tip-off the basketball season. Many choose that path in tournament style.
Coaches often say the tournament design is often preferred when a season begins. It gives them and their staffs a picture of how ready a group of athletes are.
Conditioning, running and avoiding early season injuries are a major concern. The tournament design offers the chance to get a handful of games in over a short period of time, with the goals of season awards still on the minds of many of the players who had experienced it a season ago.
The winter sports season will feature a heavy focus on games played within the NUIC-North and that action tips-off in early December.
Following the Monday, Nov. 25, 2019-2020 premiere by the Pecatonica Boys’ Basketball Team, the Indians get set for a showdown with River Ridge. They will travel to Hanover for the Dec. 6 meeting.
Nine teams make up the NUIC-North this season and many feel good efforts will be put on the court nightly, throughout a lot of the schedule.
Focus will be played on former champions such as Dakota, Aquin and Forreston.
The Pecatonica Lady Indians opened their winter sports season already. This past week a trip to Oregon was in order.
Some concerns were brought up about recent health-related topics, prior to the squad making the short trip south for the season openers.
Pecatonica got things started on Wednesday, Nov. 20, as they faced down the Lady Missiles. Milledgeville came away with the five-point win, 45-40.
The Oregon Thanksgiving Classic continued in similar fashion for Pecatonica. The three-senior led Lady Indians fell to Mendota 67-34. Weekend tournament games wrapped up on Saturday, Nov. 23, with the Lady Indians scheduled for two.
Regular season play came back to court on Tuesday, Nov. 26. The pre-Thanksgiving meeting sent Pecatonica to the northernmost reaches for a meeting with non-conference South Beloit.
Details on that match are unavailable at this time. North Boone opens the December schedule for Pecatonica. The two teams face off on Tuesday, Dec. 3.