Rockford advances to boys basketball district final

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

ROCKFORD — It was a sequence of events that provoked a rousing cheer followed by a gasping pause from the Rockford Warrior faithful.

Rockford senior Kaden Lyman had just hit his second 3-point basket early into the Class 1A District 4 boys basketball semifinal against Turkey Valley/Jackson Junction, giving the Warriors a 9-6 lead. But during a scrum near the basket while the shot was in the air, Warrior senior Jacob Staudt went to the floor and eventually needed help getting up as well as assistance to the locker room.

Staudt, a three-year starter for the Warriors, eventually returned midway through the third quarter, but he was only wearing one shoe and had an ice-pack on his right ankle.

But even without one of their stalwart leaders on the floor, the Warriors were able to hold off an 18-win TV/JJ team with a 60-53 victory advancing them to the regional final 7 p.m. Thursday at New Hampton High School where they will take on Janesville, which defeated Saint Ansgar easily in the previous game played at the Rockford site.

Lyman and Max Rooney led Rockford (16-6) with 14 points apiece. Matthew Muller scored 13, and Jared Marth added 11 as the Warriors boasted four double-figure scorers.

After Staudt was helped out of the gym, Rockford took a 19-10 lead through the first quarter and were up by 4 (30-26) at intermission.

TV/JJ started to connect from long range as Eli Nymeyer’s pair of 3-pointers in the third period helped tie the game before Eli Reicks’s runner in the lane gave TV/JJ a 35-33 lead.

It also didn’t help that two of Rockford’s reliable post players — Rooney and Marth — were in disqualification trouble with four fouls with much of the fourth quarter remaining.

But when Rooney’s 3-pointer gave the Warriors a 47-40 lead midway through fourth, TV/JJ couldn’t get much closer after that as Rockford advanced.

ROCKFORD 60,
TURKEY VALLEY/JACKSON JUNCTION 53

Scoring By Quarters

TV/JJ 10 16 14 13 — 53

ROCKFORD 19 11 14 16 — 60

TURKEY VALLEY/JACKSON JUNCTION — Kalvin Langreck 5, Eli Nymeyer 11, Eli Reicks 10, Jason Herold 6, Kannon leuenberger 4, Garrett Kurtenbach 5, Ethan Leibold 10.

ROCKFORD — John Fullerton 2, Justice Jones 1, Max Rooney 14, Matthew Muller 13, Kaden Lyman 14, Jared Marth 11, Matthew Schubert 4.