Sobos Staying Strong as NEA Battles Grow

 By Chris Johnson, REPORTER

 South Beloit still looks to be going the right direction as it prepares to enter the travel-heavy Northeastern Athletic Conference schedule. With a recent third place finish at the annual Pecatonica Thanksgiving Turkey Tourney notched already this season, it became evident that good days are still waiting for the Sobos this season. In recent matches against Faith Lutheran and Christian Life, it was apparent again. The chances to score appeared on many occasions, when things were working well in South Beloit.

On Tuesday, Dec. 6, the Sobos dropped a 64-55 decision to the Christian Life Eagles. After trailing by two points after one period of play, 18-16, South Beloit hung with the high-flying Eagles as each team tallied ten in the second. At the half, Christian Life held the 28-26 lead. South Beloit exploded offensively in the third quarter. It appeared the pieces were coming together. They did. The Sobos scored 25 points, nearly half their entire game total. Christian Life however, did even better. The Eagles flew through the period and put 31 points on the score sheet. Beginning the final minutes of the game, South Beloit trailed 59-51. Both offenses were slowed in the final period. Whistles and player-exchanges kept the two teams contained, scoring less than ten points in the fourth quarter. South Beloit scored four points in the fourth. Christian Life scored five.

A match with Faith Lutheran Thursday, Dec. 8 preceded a boys’-girls’ double-header on Tuesday, Dec. 13. Scheduled appearances for the Sobos this Friday, Dec. 16 at Rockford Christian and this Saturday in Clinton, Wis., have yet to be played out. There is hope that entering the NEA Conference schedule, a lot of things are going to continue to go right for the Sobos. The team will be coming together even more. Scoring opportunities, by nature, increases with a better functioning machine. A hot streak during any game would mean scoring disadvantages would be replaced by possible double-digit leads. In eight minutes in the loss to Christian Life, the Sobos scored 25 points. In four periods, that’s 100 points a game. Few can stand against that kind of a number. Few could dream of reaching it. Over the first few weeks of the season South Beloit has handled some good teams. Right now the outcome hasn’t been “consistent” wins. It does appear that those types of win streaks can happen this year, if the team continues to grow.

Perhaps more evident with South Beloit than with other programs from the NIC-10, NUIC and Big Northern Conferences, success will come for the Sobos, based on how well the team leaders play. An offense piloted by Seniors Dillon Hagstrom, Troy Walmer and Eddie Quince running at a level, synchronized with the attack plan in place, will mean a lot of wins are going to be available. On Tuesday, Dec. 6, the Sobos slipped to Christian Life 64-55. They scored a lot in a hurry however. Game play continues this week as the Sobos settle in on the final days of 2016.

In January, tournament games will be worked through, before all of the attention shifts to the Conference race in place in the Northeastern Athletic. South Beloit hosts the Martin Luther King Memorial Invitational beginning Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. The annual event concludes on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. The NEA battles resume following the tournament’s final whistle on Friday, Jan. 20 at Elgin-Harvest Christian Academy in another boy-girl double-header.