Basketball Game Preview: Hononegah Indians vs. Rockford East E-Rabs

Hononegah and Rockford East are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2020, but not for long. The Hononegah Indians will head out to take on the Rockford East E-Rabs at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

On Monday, Hononegah narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Beloit Memorial 77-75. The win was all the more spectacular given the Indians' disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 217th in Illinois, while the Purple Knights are ranked 40th in Wisconsin).

Meanwhile, Rockford East hadn't done well against Rockford Auburn recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Rockford East came out on top against Rockford Auburn by a score of 68-60. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the E-Rabs.

Hononegah better keep an eye on Sterling Hoarde. He was instrumental in Rockford East's win, shooting 4-for-7 from long range and dropping a double-double on 19 points and ten boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Marquis Goldsmith, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Rockford East's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-11. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.0 points per game. As for Hononegah, their record now sits at 14-9.

Hononegah barely slipped by Rockford East when the teams last played back in December of 2024, winning 52-51. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Goldsmith, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 15 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Hononegah still be able to contain Goldsmith? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.