Josiah Mitchell scores 15 as Sycamore defeats North Boone

SYCAMORE – Basketball coaches early in the season talk about football players making the transition to hoops needing time to acclimate – especially if those players went on a long playoff run and missed practice time.

The Sycamore boys have sprinted out of the gate to a 3-1 start after a convincing 74-40 win against North Boone on Tuesday despite a basketball roster littered with football players.

Four of the five starters for the Spartans played for the football team, which reached the Class 5A quarterfinals. Josiah Mitchell, who led the Spartans with 15 points off the bench on Tuesday, also started for the football team.

“We’ve been playing with each other since the summer,” Mitchell said. “We’ve trusted each other from the beginning. When we get on the court against another team, the nerves go down. You’re not really as nervous. You just trust the people around you.”

Mitchell also had a team-high seven rebounds and a steal in the win.

Sycamore coach Ethan Franklin said Mitchell brings an edge to the team along with athleticism and competitiveness.

“He’s a big spark for us,” Franklin said. “He’s just all over the place. He’s somebody we definitely rely on.”

The game was close early, with five lead changes and a tie in the first quarter. The Spartans pushed the lead to 20-14 when Preston Picolotti opened the second quarter with a three-point play, but the Vikings (2-2) had things tied back up at 22 with 4:43 left in the half.

The Spartans scored the next 19 points to take control, with Xander Lewis scoring eight of his 10 points in the game during the run. He ended the run with a layup off his own steal.

“He’s the best kid you could ever ask for,” Franklin said. “Works really hard, asks great questions, always willing to be in the gym, always willing to put in work. To see these things as a sophomore, they can only continue to further his development.”

Led by the big nights from Mitchell and Lewis, the Sycamore bench outscored the starters 41-33, though the starting five were used sparingly in the second half.

Jakob Shipley scored nine to go with five rebounds and two steals; Isaiah Feuerbach had seven points, four rebounds and three steals; and Carter York had seven points and all three rebounds.

Shipley, Feuerbach, York and Michael Chami (five points, two rebounds) are the four starters who play football for Sycamore. Franklin said their success this season shows the culture they’re building with the basketball team.

“They put themselves in a great position in the summer to understand what they were going to do when they were coming back,” Franklin said. “Those guys were in a position where they came in and still got shots up. They were diligent with everything as we’ve gotten back. They want to win. That’s our goal is to be in a spot to win games, and these kids are ready to do it.”

The Spartans opened the season going 2-1 at their home tournament, losing in the championship game of the Leland G. Strombom Holiday Tournament in overtime to Yorkville. They open Interstate 8 play Friday against Rochelle.

The Hubs took seventh at the Strombom and didn’t face any of the three teams Sycamore faced.

Franklin said for the Spartans to have success this season, it will start with defense. On Tuesday, they forced 20 turnovers that led to 17 points.

“We came out kind of slow, but we knew we could beat this team,” Mitchell said. “We put it all on the court, and that’s what led us to the score later in the game.”