Oakhill Christian and Rock County Christian are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2019, but not for long. The Oakhill Christian Royals will be playing at home against the Rock County Christian Eagles at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The timing isn't great for Oakhill Christian: they have been struggling with five straight losses at home dating back to last season, while Rock County Christian has snatched up five consecutive wins on the road.
Oakhill Christian is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against HRK back in December of 2024 (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Oakhill Christian was outmatched by HRK and fell 70-43. The Royals were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 42-19.
Despite their defeat, Oakhill Christian saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Isaac Vogel, who posted 13 points and five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Esher Andrews was another key player, putting up nine points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, Rock County Christian hadn't done well against Rockford FIRE HomeSchool recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Rock County Christian simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Rockford FIRE HomeSchool 63-23. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 22 points or more this season.
Oakhill Christian better keep an eye on Tony Thompson. He was instrumental in Rock County Christian's win, dropping a double-double on 20 points and 15 boards. The contest was Thompson's fifth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Derek Quinn, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and ten boards.
Rock County Christian smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in five consecutive matchups.
Rock County Christian has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-2 record this season. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 32.4 points. As for Oakhill Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 2-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Oakhill Christian has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 32.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Rock County Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.3 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Oakhill Christian was taken down by Rock County Christian 60-32 in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. Will Oakhill Christian have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
