Dunlap, Eastland Bomb Out
Newark
Newark
Cougars Reach 1A Final Four For The First Time ...
By Bill Lidinsky
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
DeKALB - As somewhat of an underdog entering Tuesday night’s Class 1A
Supersectional Championship game at Northern Illinois University’s Convocation Center in
Dekalb, the Eastland High School boys basketball team knew they had a lot of work to do.
After qualifying two years ago for the Super at NIU, the Cougars understood this season’s
return trip against the Associated Presses tenth ranked Newark Norsemen would pose a
difficult challenge.
But this time of year, rankings often don’t mean too much and in the end, the Cougars
came out on top 70-57 against their much heralded opponent with an excellent all around
performance.
Behind a scintillating 36 points from senior guard Tony Dunlap (9 threes, 11-for-18
shooting), Eastland easily erased its underdog status to qualify for a 1A final four berth at
the Peoria Civic Center Friday afternoon against Catlin Salt Fork, which bested Peoria
Heights 59-38 also on Friday night at the Illinois State Supersectional in Bloomington.
The Cougars also played great defensively limiting Newark first team junior all-stater Kyle
Anderson to 19 points on only eight-of-19 from the field. Coming into the contest
Anderson was averaging better than 30 points throughout the post season.
“I’m sure we were the underdog coming into tonight’s game. I thought we might have been
the underdog versus Dakota and then again against Indian Creek,” said Eastland head
coach Tony Dunlap. “But we gelled down the stretch and tonight we came up big. It was a
team effort and now we’re going to Peoria.”.
The younger Tony Dunlap, Jr. was red hot in the first half against Newark nailing five of
eight triples including two in the first quarter, as the Cougars led 17-10 after eight
minutes. He would follow with three more treys in the second stanza as Eastland bolted
out to a 35-20 advantage as the two teams entered the locker room at the intermission
with the favored Norsemen reeling.
“I thought Eastland came out and played hard against us. It looked to me like we weren’t
blocking out, we weren’t moving as well. They got a little lead and we got stiff,” said
Newark head coach Rick Tollefson. “The Dunlap kid just killed us. As time went on I
thought we had a hand in his face. You can’t do much beyond that. He just felt it. Those
nine threes were just something we couldn’t overcome in the end.”
Newark (26-5) would outscore the Cougars 19-13 in the third quarter to close the gap to
48-39 after three periods. When Kyle Anderson tallied to open the fourth stanza, Newark
was back to within seven at 48-41. But Tony Dunlap junior hit his final triple at 7:10 to put
Eastland up 52-41 and the Cougars stretched out the ultimate outcome and earned their
first trip to the 1A final four.
“I was feeling it tonight from the first shot I took. I don’t know if I made it, but I was feeling it.
I just kept chucking,” Tony Dunlap junior said. “This was a great atmosphere and I credit
my teammates for getting this win. We’re all best friends on this team. You couldn’t find a
closer group. Now we’re going to state. It doesn’t get much better.”
After Kyle Anderson, junior John Avery added 13 points for Newark, while freshman Brett
Anderson pumped in eleven.
Tony Dunlap junior’s remarkable performance was aided by junior Collin Macomber’s 11
points, and junior Reid Lessman nine tallies. Macomber also had a team-high seven
rebounds.
Eastland (28-4) now advances to the 1A semifinals on Friday at 12:15 p.m. hoping to
continue the great playoff run that has given it a chance to equal what the Lady Cougars
achieved three months ago, and that’s a 1A state title.
“It takes time to get to this point. We broke the ice getting to this game a couple of years
ago and know we’ve taken another step. Now we need to be all business the next couple
of days,” coach Dunlap said.
Bill Lidinsky is a Northern Illinois Sports Beat contributor. He can be reached in care of
NISB at Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our
Message Boards!
Northern Illinois Sports Beat Contributor
DeKALB - As somewhat of an underdog entering Tuesday night’s Class 1A
Supersectional Championship game at Northern Illinois University’s Convocation Center in
Dekalb, the Eastland High School boys basketball team knew they had a lot of work to do.
After qualifying two years ago for the Super at NIU, the Cougars understood this season’s
return trip against the Associated Presses tenth ranked Newark Norsemen would pose a
difficult challenge.
But this time of year, rankings often don’t mean too much and in the end, the Cougars
came out on top 70-57 against their much heralded opponent with an excellent all around
performance.
Behind a scintillating 36 points from senior guard Tony Dunlap (9 threes, 11-for-18
shooting), Eastland easily erased its underdog status to qualify for a 1A final four berth at
the Peoria Civic Center Friday afternoon against Catlin Salt Fork, which bested Peoria
Heights 59-38 also on Friday night at the Illinois State Supersectional in Bloomington.
The Cougars also played great defensively limiting Newark first team junior all-stater Kyle
Anderson to 19 points on only eight-of-19 from the field. Coming into the contest
Anderson was averaging better than 30 points throughout the post season.
“I’m sure we were the underdog coming into tonight’s game. I thought we might have been
the underdog versus Dakota and then again against Indian Creek,” said Eastland head
coach Tony Dunlap. “But we gelled down the stretch and tonight we came up big. It was a
team effort and now we’re going to Peoria.”.
The younger Tony Dunlap, Jr. was red hot in the first half against Newark nailing five of
eight triples including two in the first quarter, as the Cougars led 17-10 after eight
minutes. He would follow with three more treys in the second stanza as Eastland bolted
out to a 35-20 advantage as the two teams entered the locker room at the intermission
with the favored Norsemen reeling.
“I thought Eastland came out and played hard against us. It looked to me like we weren’t
blocking out, we weren’t moving as well. They got a little lead and we got stiff,” said
Newark head coach Rick Tollefson. “The Dunlap kid just killed us. As time went on I
thought we had a hand in his face. You can’t do much beyond that. He just felt it. Those
nine threes were just something we couldn’t overcome in the end.”
Newark (26-5) would outscore the Cougars 19-13 in the third quarter to close the gap to
48-39 after three periods. When Kyle Anderson tallied to open the fourth stanza, Newark
was back to within seven at 48-41. But Tony Dunlap junior hit his final triple at 7:10 to put
Eastland up 52-41 and the Cougars stretched out the ultimate outcome and earned their
first trip to the 1A final four.
“I was feeling it tonight from the first shot I took. I don’t know if I made it, but I was feeling it.
I just kept chucking,” Tony Dunlap junior said. “This was a great atmosphere and I credit
my teammates for getting this win. We’re all best friends on this team. You couldn’t find a
closer group. Now we’re going to state. It doesn’t get much better.”
After Kyle Anderson, junior John Avery added 13 points for Newark, while freshman Brett
Anderson pumped in eleven.
Tony Dunlap junior’s remarkable performance was aided by junior Collin Macomber’s 11
points, and junior Reid Lessman nine tallies. Macomber also had a team-high seven
rebounds.
Eastland (28-4) now advances to the 1A semifinals on Friday at 12:15 p.m. hoping to
continue the great playoff run that has given it a chance to equal what the Lady Cougars
achieved three months ago, and that’s a 1A state title.
“It takes time to get to this point. We broke the ice getting to this game a couple of years
ago and know we’ve taken another step. Now we need to be all business the next couple
of days,” coach Dunlap said.
Bill Lidinsky is a Northern Illinois Sports Beat contributor. He can be reached in care of
NISB at Northernillinoissportsbeat@yahoo.com. --- Talk about what's written on our
Message Boards!
| Northern Illinois Sports Beat http://www.northernillinoissportsbeat.com |
At NIU Convocation Center
Class 1A Supersectional
Eastland 70 - Newark 57
Newark (57) – McGrath 0-0 0-
0 0, K. Anderson 8-19 3-4 19,
J. Anderson 3-7 2-2 8, Avery 5-
7 2-2 13, B. Anderson 4-9 3-7
11, Hughes 0-0 0-0 0,
Warpinski 0-0 0-0 0, Berg 1-2
0-0 3, Hines 1-2 0-0 3. Totals
22-46 10-15 57.
Eastland (70) – B. Dunlap 2-6
4-4 8, T. Dunlap 11-18 5-7
36, Byers 3-5 0-0 6, Lessman
2-7 4-6 9, Macomber 4-7 3-5
11, Z. Hartman 0-0 0-0 0,
Glastetter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals
22-44 16-22 70.2
Newark 10 10 19 18 – 57
Eastland 17 18 13 22 – 70
3-Point Goals --- Peoria
Manual (2-6): M. Jordan 1-2,
Alexander 1-4. Winnebago (1-
4): Mann 1-2, Reinke 0-1,
Gustafson 0-1. Rebounds:
Peoria Manual (42) Watson 9,
Winnebago (35): Cross 15.
Assists: Peoria Manual (2):
M. Jordan 2, Winnebago (9):
Posley 3, Gustafson 3.
Fouled out: Winnebago:
Reinke, Thomas, Gustafson.
Total Fouls: Peoria Manual:
16, Winnebago: 26.
Records: Eastland (28-4),
Newark (26-5)
Class 1A Supersectional
Eastland 70 - Newark 57
Newark (57) – McGrath 0-0 0-
0 0, K. Anderson 8-19 3-4 19,
J. Anderson 3-7 2-2 8, Avery 5-
7 2-2 13, B. Anderson 4-9 3-7
11, Hughes 0-0 0-0 0,
Warpinski 0-0 0-0 0, Berg 1-2
0-0 3, Hines 1-2 0-0 3. Totals
22-46 10-15 57.
Eastland (70) – B. Dunlap 2-6
4-4 8, T. Dunlap 11-18 5-7
36, Byers 3-5 0-0 6, Lessman
2-7 4-6 9, Macomber 4-7 3-5
11, Z. Hartman 0-0 0-0 0,
Glastetter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals
22-44 16-22 70.2
Newark 10 10 19 18 – 57
Eastland 17 18 13 22 – 70
3-Point Goals --- Peoria
Manual (2-6): M. Jordan 1-2,
Alexander 1-4. Winnebago (1-
4): Mann 1-2, Reinke 0-1,
Gustafson 0-1. Rebounds:
Peoria Manual (42) Watson 9,
Winnebago (35): Cross 15.
Assists: Peoria Manual (2):
M. Jordan 2, Winnebago (9):
Posley 3, Gustafson 3.
Fouled out: Winnebago:
Reinke, Thomas, Gustafson.
Total Fouls: Peoria Manual:
16, Winnebago: 26.
Records: Eastland (28-4),
Newark (26-5)
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