By Craig Lang | Prairie Advocate Sports

Eastland Cougars Claim Sectional Championship

The victorious Cougar squad pose with their sectional championship plaque after Friday evening’s win against Freeport Aquin. The Cougars made easy work of the Bulldogs, taking the 49-31 victory. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

Cougars Demolish Cardinals

Before a packed house in Lanark, the Eastland Cougars improved their record to 28-3 and continued their post season run by making easy work of the Erie Cardinals on Wednesday evening, Feb. 27 in the first semifinal game of the Eastland Sectional.

The Cougars came out of the gate red hot on offense with junior point guard Dalton Shaner dropping his first six shots. The Cougars were equally stifling on defense, limiting Erie to some very tough shots. Eastland jumped out to a twenty to eight first quarter lead and never looked back.

The usually potent Cardinal offense never really got on track and early foul trouble by senior standout Jacob Johnston kept the whole Erie offense on their heels. The Cardinals were able to close the gap in the second quarter slightly, getting to within nine points (26-17) but the halftime lead was eleven (31-20).

Shaner scored fifteen of his game high twenty eight points in the second half on thirteen of eighteen shooting. The Cougars extended their lead to thirteen points (46-33) at the end of three quarters and a sixteen to eight fourth quarter scoring advantage was the final margin of victory.

Eastland shot 57% on 28 of 49. Johnston, who had scored one hundred twenty six points in his previous three games (37, 49, 40), was held to nine points on four of fourteen shooting. Freshman Jordan Chandler led the Cardinals with twelve points. Ty Hartman contributed eighteen points in the Cougar win.

Bulldogs Eliminate Wildcats

The Bulldogs came out red hot on offense and poor shooting put River Ridge in a big hole early as Freeport Aquin cruised to the 62-48 victory in the second game of the Eastland Sectional Thursday, Feb. 28. The Bulldogs hit sixteen of twenty four first half shots (64%) and held a twenty four point half time lead (35-11).

River Ridge shot five of twenty one in the opening half which led to the large deficit. The lead grew to twenty points (49-29) at the end of the third quarter. A nineteen to thirteen River Ridge scoring advantage in the final quarter proved to be the final margin of the win.

Aquin’s Aiden Chang led all scorers in the game with eighteen points while teammates Zach Moyer and Andrew Martin added thirteen and twelve points respectively. River Ridge had ten different players put points on the scoreboard, led by Andrew Ertmer’s twelve points. Teammate Brenden Dauphin added eleven points.

Cougars Crush Bulldogs

In front of a standing room only home crowd, the Eastland Cougars capped off their sectional run with a convincing eighteen point (49-31) win over Freeport Aquin in the final of the Eastland Sectional on Friday evening, March 1.

Eastland jumped out to a seventeen to ten first quarter lead and extended that lead to sixteen points (32-16) at the halftime intermission. The Bulldogs cut into that lead, outscoring Eastland thirteen to eight in the third to close the gap to eleven points (40-29).

The Cougar defense, which has been spectacular, then held the Bulldogs to just two fourth quarter points, while putting up nine to end the Bulldog’s season. Aquin was held to a season low thirty-one points, while their previous low which was forty-four points against Sterling Newman on January 2nd was eclipsed.

Eastland was led in the scoring column by Dalton Shaner, who dumped in fifteen points with teammate Ty Hartman adding a dozen. Aiden Chang led the Bulldog’s with eight points with teammate Anthony Townsend adding seven.

The win advance Eastland (29-3) to the Elite Eight and a date to face the Newark Norsemen (21-11) on Tuesday March 5th at the Convocation Center at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb at 6 p.m.

Class 1A Boys Basketball Sectional

Eastland Sectional Semifinals

February 27

Eastland 62 Erie 41

February 28

Freeport Aquin 62 River Ridge 48

March 1

Eastland 49 Freeport Aquin 31

Class 2A Boys Basketball Sectional

Byron Sectional Semifinals

February 27

Winnebago 69 Aurora Christian 51

Sterling Newman 45 Seneca 27

March 1

Winnebago 74 Sterling Newman 52

Class 1A DeKalb Super Sectional

March 5

Eastland vs, Newark – 6 p.m.

Class 2A DeKalb Super Sectional

March 5

Winnebago vs. Monmouth-Roseville – 8 p.m.

Class 3A Boys Basketball Regional

Belvidere Regional Semifinals

February 27

Rockford Lutheran 79 Freeport 56

Belvidere 48 Rockford Christian 24

March 1

Rockford Lutheran 71 Belvidere 46

IHSA Class 1A State Tournament

Peoria Civic Center

March 8

DeKalb Super Sectional winner vs. Jacksonville Super Sectional winner – 12:15 p.m.

March 9

Third Place game – 12:15 p.m.

Championship game – 2 p.m.

IHSA Class 2A State Tournament

Peoria Civic Center

March 8

DeKalb Super Sectional winner vs. Joliet Central Super Sectional winner – 6:30 p.m.

March 9

Third Place game – 6:30 p.m.

Championship game – 8:15 p.m.