Doubling the first round heartbreak
I know the calendar says November today, but nobody told me basketball season already started.
Don't believe me? How else do you explain Huntley's 70-63 win over Batavia?
Looks like Jim Roberts has a few things to talk to his team about at practice today.
What? That was a football score?
If anything could sum up Batavia's season perfectly, it would be a 70-63 final.
70-63.
What else do you need to say? Batavia knew going into the year the strength of its team was its offensive firepower and the question marks were on the defensive side, and that proved to be true all year.
But I've got 16 inches to fill, so I better try to write a little more. I'll start with something you don't hear every day: Thank you, IHSA.
St. Charles North and Batavia, in different classes but both on the road for the first round of the playoffs Friday - and only 8.1 miles apart. The only difference was whether you traveled north on Randall Road or Rt. 47.
What a difference from a year ago when the same two teams found themselves on the other side of the state in round one at Moline and East St. Louis.
Thanks to none of the other area teams playing on Halloween, the North Stars and Bulldogs had the spotlight to themselves. And while both ended up with a heartbreaker, they also followed the old cliché of leaving it all on the field.
The draws gave me a chance to live by the Ernie Banks philosophy. I didn't get to play two, but I did get to see two- the first half of the North Stars' 24-21 loss to Crystal Lake South, then the second half of Batavia's defeat.
It's a great way to see literally something for everyone, whether you like a relative defensive battle like the 7-7 first half at Crystal Lake South, or the state record-setting shootout at Huntley.
Everything timed just right, making it through those 8.1 miles - and 14 stoplights, 2 McDonalds and, surprise surprise, road construction - to pull up at Huntley and see 35-21 on the scoreboard at halftime. Little did I know I had missed the best half for the defenses.
The North Stars' defense was impressive early, picking up where it left off in a shutout of Neuqua Valley last week. Jake Juriga's name was called early and often, and Mike Lefelstein continued the defense's ball-hawking ways with an interception.
Sophomore call-up Josh Markus helped make up for Jon DeMoss's absence, setting up the North Stars' first score with a pair of catches.
Those two first-half touchdowns in Crystal Lake were just a warmup to the 11 Batavia and Huntley combined for in the second half in Huntley. At one point in the third quarter, the teams scored on three straight plays from scrimmage on their way to a state record for points, a state record rushing yards by Huntley, who only threw two passes but had not one but two 245-yard rushers while gaining over 700 yards.
And if you spent Friday handing out candy? You've got a chance for another double - make that a triple-header - today, with Geneva, St. Charles East and Aurora Christian all playing at home. They could each average 44 points and still not combine for the 133 scored Friday in Huntley.
jlemon@dailyherald.com