Moran could miss regional opener

Jacobs guard John Moran will likely miss the Golden Eagles' playoff opener this Tuesday due to a hyper-extended left hip.

"It's quite likely he won't play," Jacobs coach Jim Hinkle said Saturday afternoon. "Johnny's our key man, but he's not our only man. There will be other guys ready to accept the challenge, so we just have to go from there."

The injury is unrelated to the avulsion fracture of Moran's right hip suffered two seasons ago, an injury that caused him to miss 7 games his sophomore year.

Moran was injured in the fourth quarter of Jacobs' 48-30 victory at Dundee-Crown on Friday night when he collided with two Dundee-Crown players and fell hard to the floor.

Moran was whistled for an offensive foul on the play.

"I jumped up and ending up passing (the ball), and two guys from Crown tried to take the charge on me, which one of them did," Moran said Saturday afternoon. "My left leg just got caught on one of their shoulders, it seemed like.

"I could feel when I was in the air (the hip) just kept stretching further and further and I could tell it wasn't feeling right. Then I came down and I was scared. I didn't feel it too much at first, then I tried to get up and, just like when I had the avulsion fracture, I couldn't get up."

A four-year starter, Moran went to the locker room where he was treated by the team trainer. He re-entered the game, "but it was pretty painful," Moran said.

A University of Northern Iowa signee, Moran was examined at Sherman Hospital in Elgin Saturday afternoon.

"They said I shouldn't have physical activity for six days, but I can go off of how my body feels," Moran said. "I'm not sure I'll be playing (Tuesday), but I'm not totally sure that I won't be."

Jacobs (24-2), which has gone 50-4 the past two seasons combined, including back-to-back undefeated Fox Valley Conference (Valley) titles, is the No. 1 seed in the Class 4A Crystal Lake South regional.

The Golden Eagles are scheduled to face the winner of Monday's play-in game between No. 4 Crystal Lake South (14-13) and No. 5 Prairie Ridge (6-22) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Moran is averaging 16.2 points per game, 8.2 assists and 4.3 steals this season. He is a three-time Daily Herald All-Area selection and a reigning honorary co-captain of the 2006-07 Daily Herald Fox Valley All-Area Team.

Moran holds Jacobs records for career points, 3-pointers and steals.