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• -- - /' SECTION 2. PAGE 18 » Pf.AllNDEALER-HER ALP, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20,19*5 Sports Never a doubt Oeffling, DuBeau rally JHS into sectional final, 51-47 By Chris Juzwik Plalndeator-Herald sport* editor ROCKFORD - Whew. Hiat was a collective sigh of relief that was heard among the T n l % « i M / « C l y o n i i r n ' ̂ 1 r l S ' after win over Rockton Hononegah Monday night at the Rockford East Class AA Sectional Tournament. Johnsburg, in its first-ever girls' sectional, will meet jCary-Grove for the title Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Actually, they were lucky they were sighing, instead of crying, after a stellar Hononegah crew saw a seven-point lead quickly evaporate at the hands of Johnsburg and Laura Oef fling in the fourth quarter. The Skyhawks trailed by seven at half time - 27-20 - and the margin was five - 37-32 - after three periods. Johnsburg was having enormous trouble penetrating the Indians' tough 2- 1-2 zone defense, while of­ fensively, Hononegah was scoring at will. But somehow, 3cvht close, basically due to the quiet the Scvhawks managed to stay close, baj play of DuBeau, who had a game-high qui >lay of junior center Vicki 18 points, including 12 in tr second half. "Yes, I was worried," con­ ceded Johnsburg coach Nancy Fahey, who saw her team im­ prove to 20-5 on the season. "Basically bepause we had never been in that situation before (being behind). We were down seven most of the fourth quarter." Hie Skyhawks tried to close the gap as the fourth period began, and a rebound basket by Oeffling did just that, making it 39-36, Hononegah, with 6:30 to go. But that quickly, the speedy Indians scored two straight hoops to go back up by seven. It was time for a Johnsburg timeout, with 5:24 to go. "I saw the fire in Laura's and Sheri Scavo's eyes," said Fahey. "They weren't going to let us lose this game." From that point on, Johnsburg outscored Hononegah 15-4, getting seven points from Oeffling during the spree, and Hononegah was history. Oeffling's three-point play with 4:34 left tied the game at 43- all. The junior wing then hit a jumper from the right baseline with 2:15 to go to give Johnsburg a 47-45 lead - its first edge since the first quarter - and the Skyhawks never looked back. Scavo put the nails in place with an important basket at 1:40 to give JHS a four-point lead, andf Cris May hammered them in, nailing two free throws with :31 to play to make it 51-45. Hononegah's halftime edge was due to its domination on the offense glass. Twelve of the Indians; 27 first-half tallies came via offensive rebounds. "I told the girls at halftime that it could've been worse," said Fahey. "We were not plasing good basketball, and still we were only down seven. "The rebounding problem was basically just a matter of execution. But adjustments." we made some dji Hononegah coach Debbie Patterson said Johnsburg's Sectional thrills well worth price If your life has been lacking, excitement, here's your escape. If a fun evening consists of watching "Bloopers, Blunders, Mishaps, Pratfalls, Errors, Goof-ups, Casualties and Other Misfortunes," then you need some assistance. If coming home from work, having dinner, doing the dishes, reading the paper, and taking in a good couple of hours of "World Rodeo Champions of 1963" means fun to you, I've got just what the doctor or­ dered. and at times, a referee's whistle had about as much impact as a marshmallow thrown at your bay window. I've said it millions of times, but still nobody will believe me. There's nothing - that's n-o-t-h-i-n-g - like high school sports. The argument 'there's too many mistakes made in a high school game' is rubbish. Mistakes are half the en­ joyment, basically because the good teams, the good players, will overcome those errors and come through in a big way. The Chris Juzwik Rockford, I l l inois . Wednesday night, 7 p.m. High school girls' basketball at its downright finest. Johnsburg vs. Cary-Grove. Class AA Sectional cham­ pionship game. Need any more? The game pits seven of the top 16 (according to the Shaw-Free Press Media sportswriters) players in McHenry County - three for Cary-Grove in Liz Celske, Ammee Arrigo and Cheryl Walejko - and four Johnsburg performers - Laura Oeffling, Vicki DuBeau, Sheri Scavo and Cris May. This battle will also feature two of the area's finest coaches. Cary- Grove's Bruce Kay, who was named Shaw-Free Press Class AA coach of the year for his outstanding work with the young Trojans; "lhad Johnsburg's Nancy Fahey. Features on both coaches ^ppear elsewhere in today's* issue. M o n d a y n i g h t ' s doubleheader at Rockford East, in which Johnsbur came roaring from behin to topple - Rockton Hononegah, and Cary-Grove followed suit, doing the deed to Freeport, contained more dramatics than most people will see in a lifetime. Personally, I'm darn glad I didn't miss it. The roar of the crowd was, at t imes , deafening. Johnsburg's and Cary- far Grove's fans out-easily shouted the faithful from Hononegah and Freeport, less fortunate ones will not. Johnsburg played miserably for three quar­ ters Monday night, but managed to stay within striking distance of what I perceived as an outstanding team from Hononegah. The Skyhawks were able to make up for their earlier lack of execution by scoring 19 fourth-quarter points, 15 from DuBeau and Oeffling, to win. It happened very quickly. For Hononegah, it must have seemed like a slow death. There is nothing that makes a high school athlete prouder, besides winning, than donning that high school uniform, with the name of their school em­ blazoned across the front. To emerge frofn the lockerroom to cheers from friends, parents, onlookers. But don't take my word for it - experience it yourself. See high school sports (Does this sound like an advertisement for the IHSA?), especially this Johnsburg team, which is a team - with a capital 'T.' That's what makes it worthwhile. That's what it's« all about. If you haven't ex­ perienced i i t recent ly , you've missed out. There was plenty of room at Rock­ ford Monday, the same should hold true Wed­ nesday. Try it - you just might like it. II not , don't worry. "Dynasty" will return next week a* its regular time. fourth-quarter surge was mostly due to poor defense on the part of her squad. "We had been fronting their post girl (DuBeau) effectively, aoinglt about half the time. But they started to lob it into her, and she was getting the ball too easy. We didn't make a good adjustment to what they were doing. Johnsburg did a much better job adjusting to us than we did to them. They're a good team," Patterson said. "We were hesitant to press them," said Fahey, "because had gooc handlers. But'we started zood ball-we knew they some good shots, getting the hi inside, and things just went our WHY. Oeffling had 17 and Scavo 10 to help the JHS cause. Center Cheryl Christiansen had 15 to lead the Indians, guard Joanna Sharp tossed in 14. Faney said she saw a side of her team she hadn't seen prior to Monday night, a side which helps to explain the Skyhawks' success. "I really wasn't sure how they'd react. We really had never been in this situation before . Instead of fo lding though, they worked harder." If you can read between those lines, you'd probably hear a long, drawn-out, sigh. Luckily for Johnsburg, it's a happy one. Piaindealer-Herald photo by Chris Juzwik Johnsburg's Carolyn Shine pulls up for a jump shot in the second quarter of the 'Hawk win. Ramblers prepare By Randy Minkoff UPI sports writer CHICAGO -- Twenty-two years ago, a Cinderella Loyola of Chicago basketball team did the seemingly impossible. Faced with playing the two-time defending NCAA, heavily favored and top-ranked Cincinnati Bear­ cats, the Ramblers scored a ma­ jor upset to win the college basket­ ball championship. This week, another bunch of unheralded players from Loyola faces a similar task in trying to stop defending champion and top- ranked Georgetown. "We know about Georgetown and how they've got Patrick Ew- ing," says 5-foot-9 playmaking guard Carl Golston. "But we aren't afraid. „And, we've got Alfrederick Hughes." The 1963 club didn't have a scor­ ing machine like Hughes to take into battle with Goliath. The senior forward is fifth on the career NCAA scoring list and leads an offense that Loyola coach Gene Sullivan says could pose pro­ blems for the Hoyas. "I honestly believe we have a kind of team that could give Georgetown trouble," says Sullivan, whose club will be seek­ ing to extend the nation's longest major college winning streak to 20 games. "We have some good out­ side shooters and really don't rely on going down in deep so much Where Ewing can swat things away." Loyola is hungry for the game for more than a chance at knock­ ing off the nation's best club. Slow­ ly, this year's Loyola club, which is now 27-5, is earning some na­ tional recognition. A win over Georgetown wouldn't mean the national title but it would merit respect. KEEPING SCORE SECTIONAL SEMIFINALS Johnsburg 51, Hononegah 47 JOHNSBURG (51) May 2 2-3 6; Scavo 5 0-0 10; DuBeau 9 0-3 18; Oef- filng8 1-1 17; Shine00-20; Lane00-00 Totals: 24 3-9 -- 51 HONONEGAH (47) Sharp 7 0-0 14. Grundy 4 0-2 8; Christiansen 7 1-3 15; BriggsSO-l 10; Reimer00-00. •* Totals 23 1-0 -- 47. Hononegah: .1381219-51 14 131010-47 REGIONAL FINALS Johnsburg 59, CL Central 47 CL CENTRAL (47) Oelkers 2 2-3 6; Erickson 1 0-1 2. Brammer 6 5-6 17; Olsen 2 2-2.6; Barry 2 2-2 6; Card 1 0-1 2; BurweU 12-2 4, Freund 20-0 4 Totals 1713-17 -- 47 JOHNSBURG (59) May 12-5 4; Scavo 3 3-4 9; DuBeau« 1-3 17; Shine 23-67; Oeffling72-6 16; Linn22-26; OuinlanOO-2 0 CL Central: sum 10-47 Joimiburg: u 17J19-5® Trojans waiting at end of JHS rainbow By Chris Juzwik and Steve Metsch Plalndealer Herald News Service Check the calendar. Better yet, check it twice. It's the middle of March and both Cary-Grove and Johnsburg are still playing basketball. Johnsburg's Skyhawks, owners of a sparkling 20-5 record, their first-ever regional title, and fresh off a stirring victory Monday night in the Rockford East Sectional, will face the rough task of trying to outduel a Cary-Grove team which has been on a roll of its own. JHS coach Nancy Fahey says the term 'lucky' is the wrong way to describe the fortunes the Skyhawks have happened upon, especially in the Monday win over Rockton Hononegah. "I think we feel fortunate," said the third-year coach, "not really lucky. We deserve to be where we are. There's a feeling among the team that they want more. They weren't satisfied with a regional championship. They wanted more. Now they've won a sectional game. The championship is next. They're really hungry." her team's Wednesday night opponent, who would she have chosen? "Probably Cary-Grove," she answered. "They're a Fox Valley Conference team, and it's always nice to play so­ meone from your area. It's a real credit to this area to have U9, Cary, Marengo and Lake Zurich still in the tournament," Fahey added. The mood at Johnsburg ap­ pears to be a very anticipatory one. "I've heard a couple people say they never thought we'd get this far at the beginning of the - season. But I'm really not that surprised." The two will tip-off at 7 p.m. in the Rockford East Class AA Sectional final. The winner will head to Monday's Dundee- Crown Supersectional. Only two wins separate each team from Champaign. "I don't know if we're all that pumped up. We got there last (Monday) night and the kids got a whole new feeling. They thought the regional was something, but when they got to the sectional, they realized how close they are. They got an idea what 'March Madness' is all How to get there Directions to the Rockford East Sectional: Take Route 176 west to Route 23 in Marengo. Turn left (south) and take 23 until Route' 20. Make a right and head west to Bypass 20. Take Bypass 20 until it turns into Harrison just past the tollway. Stay on Harison to Alpine just past Cherry Vale Shopping Mall. Take Alpine north to Center Terrace (also known as Charles Street). Make a left and take Center 15 blocks west. Rockford East High School will be on your left-hand side. Drive one block past the school to 24th. Turn left and head to the parking lot behind the school. Enter the building through the double red doors. All seats cost $3. One player whose hunger was very apparent Monday was junior Laura Oeffling, whose 11 fourth-quarter points paced the win. Center Vicki DuBeau tossed in 12 of her game-high 18 in the second half to complement Oeffling. "Vicki isn't as spectacular- looking as Laura is. A lot of Vicki's points Monday came off the lob pass. When we can get balanced scoring from those two, we're doing well." Fahey said. Fahey was impressed with Cary duo of Ammee Arrigo and Liz Celske in the Trojans' win over Freeport in Monday's nightcap. "Celske is a real good outside shooter, and Arrigo plays well inside. I was really impressed with the way they screen out on the boards. They did a good job of that. We seem to be taller than they are, and if we can control the boards, well, that will be important." The crowd at Monday's doubleheader was paced by the s e p a r a t e t h r o n g s f r o m Johnsburg and Cary-Grove. Fahey said her team thrives on fan support. "To be honest, we really haven't had it this year. But the crowd Monday was just super. It was great to see. Our team seems to play better in front of big crowds. The kids really get fired up. It's really fantastic to get the support." Had Fahey had a choice as to about," Cary Coach Bruce Kay said. The Skyhawks beat Crystal Lake Central -- the only Fox Valley Conference team Cary didn't beat -- to win last week's J o h n s b u r g R e g i o n a l . Johnsburg rallied past Rockton Hononegah Monday night. "Wegot a good look at them. They've got nice size inside, the possess the ability to score, in terms of a team, they play well together, their point guard is impressive and their wings are good shooters and passers. And they play good defense," Kay said. "But we feel they have a cou­ ple of weaknesses. If we take advantage, I believe we can do well," he added. Senior Cheryl Walejko fell hard on a wrist Monday night, but will play Wednesday. "She's OK. It kind of scared her at first. It's a little stiff, but I know Cheryl will be OK. She's tough. She's played in a lot of pain so far this year, and it'll take quite a bit to keep her off the floor," Kay said. Sophomore Beth Schweitzer "maybe came of age" and grabbed 15 rebounds and eight points. "She played an excellent game. At the beginning of the year, we knew she had jumping ability. It was just her defense that needed work. If she scores eight to 10 a game, she's doing the job, "Kay said. Cary comes back, sticks Pretzels, 48-45 By Phil English and Chris Juzwik Herald News Service ROCKFORD -- Title this one "Cary-Grove II: The Sequel." Cary's girls' basketball team played another heart-stopping game Monday night with another Hollywood finish. The Trojans, whose fourth- quarter rally won their own regional last week, came from behind to beat Freeport 48-45 in a Rockford East Class AA Sectional semifinal. Cary (18-9) will meet McHenry County rival Johnsburg (20-5) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. It's the first sec­ tional for both teams. Senior Cheryl Walejko hit a 12- foot jump shot with 40 seconds left to put Cary ahead to stay, 46-44. Beth Schweitzer, who ruled the rebound department, stole the ball with 35 seconds left. Cary's Michelle McGreane was fouled with 26 seconds left, but missed. Schweitzer grabbed the rebound and was fouled, but she missed a pair. With 18 seconds left and Cary ahead 46-44, Freeport's Jody Rohr was fouled by McGreane. Rohr hit the front end, and Cary Coach Bruce Kay took time-out. Rohr canned the second freebie, but the ref ruled she stepped over the line, and Cary regained possession. Sophomore Ammee Arrigo was fouled with 16 seconds left, and made both tries for the 48-45 final. "I was beginning to wonder if we would make any free throws in the fourth quarter. Our best shooters took good shots, but they just weren't going in. That's the negative side of the fourth quarter," Kay said. "On the positive side, when you play a different team, you really don't know how tough they're go­ ing to be. We sent a scout to their last game, and it was a good scouting report. Arnie (Bruce's brother) did a good job. It was just that it took the girls a little while to realize he was right," Kay add­ ed. Liz Celske led Cary with 16 points. She fouled out with 2:28 to play and Cary up by one. Walejko added 13 points and Arrigo 11. Rohr, who had six of her game- high 17 in the third quarter, scored on a layup with two seconds left to give Freeport a 33-31 lead heading into the fourth.