The stall tactics employed by Eastland in an upset sectional win over Pecatonica remain a hot topic of discussion. One side believes that a shot clock is needed and what Eastland did could be construed as poor gamesmanship.
Proponents of the slow down in play give credit to coach Tyler Zumdahl for brilliantly using IHSA existing rules to his team’s benefit. It was a gamble for Zumdahl to employ such a controversial ploy.
But, after losing by 31 points to Pecatonica earlier the season and entering hostile territory at Pec’s home gym with state advancement on the line, something out of the ordinary needed to be done.
Radical? Yes. Effective? Double yes.
From beginning to the end, Pecatonica appeared flustered and that frustration was exhibited in poor shooting, both from the floor and free-throw line. The Indians did play tough defense, but that is much easier to execute under duress than one’s offense.
I remember my old high school Rochelle trying a similar tactic against a great team in the 1970s, maybe Freeport. It worked for a short while, but the opponent was talented enough to capitalize on any errors Rochelle made and it soon became a runaway win for the superior team.
Watching Eastland adroitly play keep-away from Pec, it soon became apparent that Pec’s talent was not going to be enough to force Eastland into a similar submission. The stalling equalized the athleticism and talent.
There were moments I thought Pec would make a run, but never did that materialize, which is quite odd. Nearly all games have runs, but this wasn’t a normal game.
If you are Pecatonica and have never experienced a 1-0 quarter and 8-5 halftime score, it has to be a shock to your system. There was no adapting to it and the longer the chess game went on, the more troublesome it became for Pec.
It was almost like Eastland had them in a vice they couldn’t get out of. If they did attempt to break free, Eastland would force them into submission on its next possession.
It was somewhat like a ball-control, ground-attack football team that extends drives to keep the ball away from a more talented, high-scoring opponent. But, the dynamics of football and basketball are quite different.
It should also be noted that Eastland wasn’t a total underdog. With three career 1,000-point scorers, there was plenty of experience and athleticism.
As an impartial fan, I enjoyed this game as much as any I’ve seen in last several years, primarily because of the environment at Pec and the strategy employed by Eastland. The old saying about there being so much tension in the air, you could cut it with a knife rang true.
Even without a horse in the race, I was tensed up from the drama being played out on the floor. I can’t imagine what it was like for fans of both teams.
Friday’s game was sandwiched around a Thursday and Saturday appearance downstate by the Pecatonica girls basketball team, culminating in the school’s first ever team championship. For that matter, it was the first time any team from Pec made it downstate.
“This is the best experience of my career,” Pecatonica athletic director Kevin Kunkel told me before tip off on Friday. “I’m so happy for the kids and the coaches. They are living the dream.”
With the girls safely in the state title game and a No. 1-ranked boys team favored to also make it down, things couldn’t not have been better in all of Pecatonica at 6:48 p.m. when Kevin and I briefly chatted. Unfortunately, a couple hours later, I watched him stoically carry the sectional title plaque to the scorer’s table, one that would not be going to his school.
I wonder what human emotions were like the next day, as the girls played for a state title. Would the sting of losing the sectional be magnified by the fact the girls made it downstate?
Or, would the boys feel solace from cheering for girls. What about the parents, who so much anticipated their sons having the same experience as the girls?
For sure, there was an overflowing of both joy and sadness around town that weekend.
Andy Colbert is a longtime Ogle County resident with years of experience covering sports and more for multiple area publications.
