SVM basketball notebook: Rock Falls boys showing potential, Sterling boys bracing for gauntlet

As we enter the homestretch of the regular season, most teams have more or less established their identities.

Some teams look like regional championship – or perhaps even sectional championship – contenders. Others simply are showing signs of progress.

Rock Falls boys showing improvement, potential

The Rock Falls boys team came on strong at the end of last season, winning six of their last seven games to finish 17-18 overall with a Class 2A regional title. This year, that momentum seems to have carried over.

With just less than a month remaining in the regular season, the Rockets are 13-7 and battle tested.

On Dec. 27, they defeated Fieldcrest 64-51, avenging a 62-42 loss Dec. 9 and handing the Knights their only loss of the season. All seven of the Rockets’ losses came against teams with a winning percentage of at least 70%.

“It’s good seeing [those top teams] early because when you see those teams early on, you see your weaknesses,” Rock Falls junior guard Austin Castaneda said. “Then you get back to practice and you can really build on those and grow on those.”

On Monday at the Sterling MLK Classic, Rock Falls continued to show its potential, playing 17-3 Christ the King (Chicago) within 76-69 in its first game, then rallying to beat Thornton Fractional South 58-57 in its second game.

“I would say overall team effort with each other. We have really good ball movement. We have good communication,” Rock Falls senior guard Aydan Goff said about what’s fueled the improvement this season. “Sometimes, obviously, here and there we won’t, but overall, we just communicate really well. And we’re really good off the court, so we’ve got that team mentality together.”

Sterling boys start streak, brace for gauntlet over next four games

The Golden Warriors are 4-0 in the new year with wins over Galesburg, Geneseo, Thornton Fractional South and Peoria Manual, but the competition over the next four games will be as tough as any they’ve faced.

On Friday, 16-3 Sterling travels to play 15-2 Moline for a rematch of a 76-72 win on Dec. 1. On Jan. 23, Sterling will play 13-6 Rock Island on the road in a rematch of a Dec. 5 loss at home. On Jan. 26, Sterling will host 17-1 Quincy for a rematch of a Dec. 8 loss. Then, on Jan. 29, they will hit the road again to face 11-5 United Township for the first time this season.

The rematches with Rock Island and Quincy, in particular, should be good measuring stick for the team’s progress this season.

Erie-Prophetstown, Ashton-Franklin Center girls shake off slow starts

The Erie-Prophetstown girls had a 4-7 record before Christmas. Since then, they’ve won six of their past eight games – including a five-game winning streak from Dec. 29 to Jan. 8 – to bring their record to 10-9. Seniors Kennedy Buck, Sydney Schwartz and Hannah Huisman have been at the center of the Panthers’ turnaround.

The AFC girls also had a less-than-stellar start at 1-3, but have since found their groove and are 14-7. Seniors Brianna Gonnerman, Taylor Jahn and Alexis Schwarz have been at the forefront of the resurgence. The Raiders are 3-0 in the new year with wins over Polo (38-27), Milledgeville (56-11) and Fulton (60-21).