Huge first quarter powers Rockford East past North Chicago

ROCKFORD - The East E-Rabs opened their season in a big way, outscoring North Chicago 24-6 in the first quarter to cruise to a 71-29 win over North Chicago.

It was the season-opener for both teams, but only East looked ready to play. Rashard Young and Malik Bates scored eight each in the first eight minutes and the Warhawks never recovered.

Jamere Jefferson ended up leading the E-Rabs with 16 points. 

It was an impressive opener for East considering it had to replace all five starters from last year's team that won the NIC-10 with a 12-1 record.

Nasir Za Kai Young of North Chicago was the only Warhawk to have a game to remember. He scored 17 of North Chicago's 29 points.

Rockford East 71, North Chicago 29
North Chicago
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Rand	1	0	0	0	2
Usher	1	0	0	0	2
Anderson	0	0	0	0	0
Illidge	0	0	0	0	0
Bosley	2	0	2	4	6
Morales	0	0	0	0	0
Young	7	0	3	8	17
Washington	1	0	0	2	2
Brooks	0	0	0	0	0
Morgan	0	0	0	0	0
Collins	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	12	0	5	14	29
Rockford East
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Larson	0	0	0	0	0
Crawford	2	0	0	0	4
Bates	4	0	1	2	9
Tate	0	0	0	0	0
Samuels	1	1	0	0	5
Young	4	1	0	0	11
Hardaway	0	0	5	6	5
Jefferson	3	3	1	1	16
Jones-Sullivan	1	2	0	0	8
Kyles	4	0	1	2	9
Harris	1	0	0	0	2
Curtis-Morris	1	0	0	0	2
Totals	21	7	8	11	71
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
North Chicago	6	15	6	2	29
East	24	19	23	5	71

Auburn turns up pressure, runs away from Chicago Perspectives

 ROCKFORD - The Auburn Knights used a stifling press to turn a close game into a runaway, with a 54-33 win over Chicago Perspectives in Friday's first game at East High School.

The Knights led 23-17 at halftime but held the Wolves to just five third-quarter points.

In the fourth, Auburn was able to get everyone into the game. Ten different Knights scored, but none scored in double-digits. Adrian Agee led Auburn with nine points and Mike Jones had eight.

The win evens Auburn's record at 1-1. The Knights fell to Elgin Larkin on Tuesday night. Auburn plays East St. Louis at 3:15 p.m.

Friday's morning game was the season-opener for Perspectives. The Wolves play Harlem at 1:30 p.m.

Rockford Auburn 54, Chicago Perspectives 33
Chicago Perspectives
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Mason	1	2	0	2	8
Burns	1	0	0	0	2
Marble	2	0	0	0	4
Ramsey	2	0	5	10	9
Lawson	0	0	0	0	0
Smith	0	0	0	0	0
Cox	4	0	0	0	8
Graham	1	0	0	0	2
Totals	11	2	5	12	33
Rockford Auburn
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Agee	2	1	2	2	9
Ra. Chaney	1	0	2	2	4
Ro. Chaney	0	1	2	4	5
Harden	2	0	0	0	4
Neal	1	0	3	5	5
Horton	1	1	0	1	5
Horton-Lee	3	0	1	2	7
McKay	0	1	2	3	5
Hannah	0	0	0	0	0
Jones	4	0	0	2	8
Glass	1	0	0	0	2
Totals	15	4	12	21	54
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Perspectives	10	7	5	11	33
Auburn	13	10	10	21	54

Wheeler-Thomas rewriting Tip-Off Class record books

Elgin Larkin's Damari Wheeler-Thomas has dominated in his first two games of this year's 205 Tip-Off Classic, bringing him within striking range of becoming the showcase event's all-time leading scorer.

The 5-11 senior has played varsity all four years for the Royals, who have played in every single Tip-Off Classic since it was launched in 2014.

Coming into this year's Classic, Wheeler-Thomas had 98 points in nine games from the 2018 and 2019 years. Then he scorched Rockford Guilford for 24 points on Monday and poured in 32 against Auburn on Tuesday.

That explosion tied him with Jefferson's Terry Ford for second-most in a single game. Ford scored 32 on Chicago St. Rita back in 2017. East's Sincere Parker had 33 against Huntington Beach Marina in 2018.

Wheeler-Thomas has three more tries to break Parker's record. Elgin Larkin plays Chicago Bogan at 2 p.m. at Jefferson and Harlem at 6:45 p.m. at East on Friday. The Royals wrap up their Tip-Off schedule on Saturday at East against the E-Rabs at 6 p.m. 

Wheeler-Thomas now has 154 points in 11 career games in the season-opening showcase. The all-time record of 211 points - in 16 games - is held by former East E-Rab  Chris Burnell. 

Wheeler-Thomas, who has signed to play Division I college basketball at North Dakota State, needs to average just under 20 points per game over the final three games to catch Burnell. That seems to be a tall order, but Wheeler-Thomas is averaging 23.2 points over his last five games in the Tip-Off Classic, dating back to his sophomore season in 2019.

Of course, if not for the coronavirus having canceled last year's Classic, Wheeler-Thomas likely already would have broken the record.

Updated 205 Tip-Off Classic Career Scoring Leaders

Defending champion Bogan Bengals outmuscle Harlem

ROCKFORD - The Chicago Bogan Bengals used a decided advantage on the offensive boards to fend off a Machesney Park Harlem rally, 76-61, at Rockford East High School.

Bogan, which went 4-0 in its first appearance in the 205 Tip-Off Classic back in 2019, led 34-29 and pushed the lead to 57-44 early in the fourth quarter. Harlem, though, went on a 10-1 run to cut the lead to four.

That was as close as the Huskies would come because Harlem was unable to keep the Bengals off the offensive glass. Bogan responded to the Harlem run by scoring 18 of the final 25 points.

Bogan used the 2019 Tip-Off Classic as a springboard to a 30-4 season and a second-place finish in the IHSA Class 3A tournament. The Bengals fell to 3-6 last season and then suffered a shock. Its coach, Arthur Goodwin, who had guided the program to a 258-81 record over 12 seasons, died in May at the age of 54.

So this Bogan team is trying to build a new tradition under Ken Horton. Tarell Harden, a junior forward, started the new era by scoring 22 to lead the Bengals. Jaybari Moore added 16 and Terrion Langston had 14.

Harlem was led by junior Dane Dailing, who had 18, and Alex Wilson, who added 12. Harlem's top two returning scorers, Lathan Lewis and DeAndre Young, scored just 11 points combined.

Chicago Bogan 76, Machesney Park Harlem 61
Chicago Bogan
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Langston	6	0	2	2	14
McNeal	1	0	2	5	4
Moore	7	0	2	4	16
Smith	1	0	0	0	2
Dixon	1	3	0	0	11
Lanier	0	0	1	2	1
Harden	8	0	6	9	22
Brown	1	0	0	0	2
McLauren	0	0	0	0	0
Hyde	2	0	0	0	0
Totals	27	3	13	22	76
Machesney Park Harlem
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Henderson	0	0	0	0	0
Sherbon	0	0	0	0	0
Cline	0	0	0	0	0
Young	2	0	2	2	6
Lewis	1	0	3	8	5
Wilson	4	0	4	4	12
Horton-Lee	0	1	4	4	7
Dunbar	0	1	0	0	3
Winters	4	0	0	0	8
Phillips	1	0	0	0	2
Sheldon	0	2	0	0	6
Lundgren	0	0	1	2	1
Thornton	0	0	0	0	0
Dailing	3	3	3	4	18
Totals	15	6	13	20	61
Fouled out - none
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Bogan	23	11	12	30	76
Harlem	18	11	10	22	61

Wheeler-Thomas puts on show as Larkin tops Auburn

ROCKFORD - Damari Wheeler-Thomas scored scored 25 of his 32 points in the second half to allow the Elgin Larkin Royals to hold off Auburn, 66-52.

Larkin and Auburn were scheduled to the be the second game Tuesday, but the schedule flipped when Chicago Bogan was delayed in traffic. 

Wheeler-Thomas, who had 24 points on Monday against Guilford, scored 18 of his points in the third quarter as Larkin built a 13-point cushion.

The Knights made a run in the fourth. Sophomore Mike Jones came off the bench to score 12-second half points. His layup with 5:45 left cut Larkin's lead to 48-46. The Royals responded with a 12-1 run to put the game away.

Wheeler-Thomas' 32 points ties for the second-most in 205 Tip-Off Classic history. Fernando Perez Jr. added 19 points. 

Jones' 12 points led Auburn. Robert Chaney added 11. 

Elgin Larkin 66, Rockford Auburn 52
Elgin Larkin
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Blakely	0	0	4	4	4
Perez	6	0	7	9	19
Sharpe	0	0	0	0	0
Stubbs	1	0	0	0	2
Wheeler-Thomas	12	1	5	6	32
Wilder	0	0	0	3	0
Maxie	2	0	0	0	4
Ivy	1	1	0	0	5
Totals	22	2	16	19	66
Rockford Auburn
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Agee	2	1	0	0	7
Ra. Chaney	0	1	0	0	3
Ro. Chaney	3	1	2	4	11
Harden	4	0	0	0	8
Neal	1	0	0	0	2
Horton	1	0	0	0	2
Horton-Lee	0	1	4	4	7
McKay	0	0	0	0	0
Hannah	0	0	0	0	0
Jones	5	0	2	4	12
Totals	16	4	8	12	52
Fouled out - none
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Larkin	13	14	21	18	66
Auburn	9	15	16	12	52

Jefferson blows out overmatched DRW Prep

DRW College Prep, a small Chicago charter school, had a rough debut in the 205 Tip-Off Classic.

Jefferson raced out to a 22-2 lead in the first quarter and cruised to a 74-25 win over the Cheetahs.

Eleven J-Hawks played and 10 scored. Senior guard Nigel Posley led the way with 13 points. Juniors Josiah Williams and Nick James scored 12 and 10 respectively.

Senior guard Pierre Smith led DRW with nine points.

The win was Jefferson's eighth in a row in the Tip-Off Classic. The J-Hawks won their final three games of the 2018 Classic and then went a perfect 4-0 in 2019. Jefferson will go for nine in a row on Friday at 3:30 p.m. vs. North Chicago.

DRW doesn't play again until Saturday at noon at East against Guilford.

Rockford Jefferson 74, DRW College Prep 25
DRW College Prep
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Doss	2	0	2	6	6
Knox	0	0	0	2	0
Smith	3	1	0	2	9
Thompson	1	0	0	0	2
Gamble	0	0	0	0	0
Watson	2	0	2	4	6
Moore	0	0	0	1	0
Jones	1	0	0	0	2
Willett	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	9	1	4	15	25
Rockford Jefferson
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Posley	6	0	1	2	13
Williams	4	1	1	4	12
Gaines	1	0	1	2	3
Johnson	3	0	3	6	9
Gates	2	0	0	2	4
Gathright	2	0	0	0	4
Anderson	4	0	1	1	9
Franklin-King	0	0	0	0	0
James	4	0	2	4	10
Stine	1	1	0	0	5
Taylor	1	1	0	1	5
Totals	28	3	9	22	74
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
DRW Prep	2	7	11	5	25
Jefferson	22	24	15	13	74

Larkin holds off Guilford for Tip-Off Classic win

Senior guards Damari Wheeler-Thomas and Fernando Perez Jr. combined for 43 points for Elgin Larkin as the Royals raced out to a big lead and held off Guilford for a 78-66 win to open the 205 Tip-Off Classic.

Perez and Wheeler-Thomas scored 20 of Larkin's 24 points as the Royals raced out to a 24-13 lead. Larkin pushed it to 37-21 in the second quarter before Guilford began to chip away.

Guilford trailed by 13 points entering the fourth quarter but came charging back behind senior guard Bryson Hodge. Hodge scored 13 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter. His layup with 1:38 to go cut the lead to five points, but then the Vikings turned the ball over on its next two possessions to end the rally. 

Hodge's 29 points ties for the eighth-highest game in Tip-Off Classic history.

Guilford played without highly touted sophomore guard Malachi Johnson, who is under quarantine.

Elgin Larkin 78, Rockford Guilford 66
Elgin Larkin
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Blakely	1	3	4	4	15
Perez	4	2	5	7	19
Sharpe	0	0	0	0	0
Stubbs	2	0	2	3	6
Wheeler-Thomas	8	1	5	6	24
Wilder	1	0	0	0	2
Maxie	4	0	0	1	8
Ivy	1	0	2	2	4
Totals	21	6	18	23	78
Rockford Guilford
Player	2s	3s	FT	FTA	Pts
Burrell	0	0	0	0	0
Smith	2	0	0	0	4
Martin	0	0	0	0	0
Jordan	1	0	3	4	5
Hodge	9	3	2	2	29
Doby	3	0	0	3	6
Gray	1	2	0	0	8
Gary	1	0	1	2	3
Bolden	5	0	1	2	11
Magazin	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	22	5	7	13	66
Fouled out - Smith (G), Jordan (G)
	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final
Larkin	24	17	15	22	78
Guilford	13	13	17	23	66