The Heat Is Rising

Something is burning in Henderson County, and it’s the play of the Biggsville West Central girl’s basketball team. The newly consolidated school that consists of the former Biggsville Union and Stronghurst Southern high schools has been burning up basketball courts in western Illinois.

Headed up by former Alwood coach Brad Jackson, the Heat have been putting up numbers unseen in girl’s basketball circles. West Central has scored at least 90 points in four contests this season, including a win over Princeville (99-60) in which they came just a free throw shy of the century mark.

Currently carrying a 14-3 record, the Heat have won both tournaments they have played in. A 4-0 record at the Alwood Thanksgiving Tournament gave them that title, with three victories over Olympic Conference schools (Monmouth-Roseville, Rockridge, & Knoxville). The Heat took their show to Abingdon for the Knoxville/Abingdon Pre-Holiday Tournament and swept through some solid competition. An impressive 79-64 score was the final in the tournament championship over Brimfield.

The three losses are to quite impressive talent. Their first loss of the season came at the heels of a very solid 3A Quincy Notre Dame (90-69), with the Heat’s other losses back-to-back by West Hancock (70-62) and Central/Southeastern (64-55).

The Lincoln Trail Conference is in for some tough competition when Biggsville West Central appears on the schedule. Holding a 5-0 record in LTC play through January 5th, the Heat have racked up an impressive 90 points per game in conference action, with wins over Princeville, Wethersfield, Cambridge, Alwood, and Westmer. In those matchups, West Central has outscored their conference cohorts by an average of almost 45 points per win.

In the Heat’s 14 wins this season, they have outscored their opponents by nearly 32 points per game. This week the Heat host Stark County in LTC play. The Lincoln Trail Conference Tournament will be played starting next week. West Central’s post season route will take them through the Avon or Peoria Heights Regional, ROWVA Sectional, and the potential to play at Illinois College in the 1A Jacksonville Supersectional.