Scouting Aurora Central-Rockford East

By David Oberhelman

Class 3A Woodstock North sectional final

Aurora Central (16-13) vs. Rockford East (19-11)

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Outlook: Rockford East had best shoot well over Aurora Central’s 2-3 zone and counter Robert DeMyers near the rim, or Aurora Central will win its first sectional since 1991. The Chargers’ 6-foot-4 junior forward has blocked 15 shots in the last two games — “remarkable,” coach Nathan Drye said — including his seventh in the last minute to help secure ACC’s 41-38 sectional semifinal win Wednesday over Marian Central. DeMyers has 118 blocks on the season, 4.1 a game. The feisty Chargers have also corralled loose balls, led by 6-foot-1 junior Joey McEachern, who grabbed 8 rebounds each of the last three games. The Chargers’ zone defense limited Marian Central star guard Jake Everly to 6 points while ACC got key 3-pointers from arc ace Paul Kaminski, reserve guard Matt Meyers and All-Area senior Ryan Harreld, who led ACC with 11 points on Wednesday. Rockford East, No. 1 seed at the Belvidere North regional, needed overtime on Tuesday to beat a 24-win Crystal Lake Central team, 71-70. Steve McNease, a 6-5 post player, scored on a putback with three seconds left in overtime. Coach Roy Sackmaster’s E-Rabs, who scored 49 second-half points, were led by 6-1 forward Alonte Holliday’s 19 points and 6-2 forward Deontry Austin’s 18. Austin’s putback with three seconds left in regulation forced overtime. Rockford East, which won its first regional title since 2000, seeks its first sectional title since 1984. McNease averages about 14 points, Holliday 13.5 and Austin 8, with each in double-figure rebounds on Tuesday. Point guard Javon Henderson adds 11 points, 4 assists and 3 steals for the E-Rabs, who are a wonderful story. Sackmaster won 27 games in his first five seasons with one NIC-10 Conference win the last two, before the Rockford district switched to zoning from school choice. Rockford East plays full-court man defense and has been out-rebounded only three times, Sackmaster said. His concerns are limiting shots, getting back on defense and finding shooters like Harreld, who’s made 73 3-pointers and averages 15.2 points. ACC coach Drye’s emphasis is patient offense, limiting the E-Rabs’ second-chance baskets with DeMyers, McEachern, Harreld, Kaminski and Tim Fernandez on the boards, and handling full court defense, which is where recent call-up Anthony Andujar comes in handy. Rockford East has athleticism ACC probably hasn’t seen since losing 82-66 to Rock Island on Feb. 12. “I think if we don’t turn it over we should have some decent chances to score,” Drye said. “They’ve got good pressure and that’s something we’ve struggled with all year, so we’ll see how we handle it tomorrow.”