By Dennis Bowling
Beecher junior Jack Hayhurst is a two-sport sensation. During this past fall, Hayhurst emerged as one of the top golfers in the State of Illinois. Currently, Hayhurst is one of the best three-point shooters, with dead-on accuracy, and that was especially true on January 3.
Hayhurst, a 6’-4” dynamic guard, made five very impressive treys, finished with a team-high 17 points, had four steals, and four assists to help Beecher rout South Newton, 63-21, in a non-conference contest in Beecher.
With the win, Beecher is 15-1 overall and has won 13 games in a row. This is the best start for the Bobcats in 16 years.
Coach Tyler Shireman really is enjoying having Hayhurst on the team.
“Jack is our best pure shooter and knew how to find the soft spot in their zone,” he said. “When he heats up, he opens spots for others to attack the basket.”
Hayhurst, who is poised beyond his years, described the mindset needed to be a strong shooter. “I just kept shooting, and I trust my shot. I look at the rim and let it fly. We just need to keep things going. We are a very close-knit team.”
In the first quarter, Beecher had a 3-2 lead over South Newton (0-7), when Hayhurst hit his first trey for a 6-2 lead. That basket seemed to energize the Bobcats’ offense.
Moments later, Adyn McGinley’s layup made it 8-2. Another Hayhurst trey pushed the Bobcat margin to 11-4, which was followed by a McGinley layup, giving Beecher a 13-4 lead.
A third Hayhurst trey made it 15-4. Moments later, McGinley’s bucket advanced the Bobcat margin to 17-6. Zachary Johnson’s (14 points) trey then gave the Bobcats a 20-6 lead at the close of the stanza.
In the second quarter, a Hayhurst trey made it 25-9, with the Bobcats racing to a commanding 34-11 half time lead.
Hayhurst, delighted with the play of Johnson, said, “Zachary is a very good team leader. He can always find us on the floor.”
During winter break, Beecher won the Warkins Memorial Tournament, with McGinley named the tournament MVP. Against South Newton, McGinley had nine points.
“We’ll always be able to find Jack,” he said. “We trust his shot is going in. Jack always has his eye on the basket.”
“We are just tough to guard,” he continued. “And, very tough to match up with.”
Shireman feels McGinley is doing an outstanding job for the Bobcats, remarking, “Adyn does not need the spotlight. He is a special player.”
In the junior varsity contest, Beecher routed South Newton, 41-15. Baumgartner led the Bobcats with 14 points, Dominick De Frank had 11, while Kyle Kasput finished with five for the Bobcats.