Sophomore guard Ethan Vahl has been attending Oswego’s boys basketball games against crosstown rival Oswego East for years.
As a student in grade school, Vahl was in the stands, watching the excitement and rooting on the Panthers.
But there was one big thing.
“I’ve never seen them win,” he said.
Vahl made sure to do something about that Friday night. In front of a packed gym, he scored 29 points and added six steals for host Oswego in a 59-52 Southwest Prairie West win in overtime.
Behind Vahl’s standout performance, the Panthers (10-7, 4-3) snapped a 16-game losing streak to the Wolves. The last time the Panthers prevailed in the rivalry was Feb. 10, 2017, a 70-62 win.
Instead of being in the stands, Vahl was the hero this time on the court. When the game was over, he raced to the stands to greet those in the student section before they stormed the court.
“This was amazing,” Vahl said. “I had a lot of fun with my teammates. We played hard. We’ve been wanting this win for a long time. I’ve been waiting for this win for a long time.
“I’ve wanted this feeling ever since I was a little kid.”
Sophomore forward Cole Jansons tallied 12 points and 11 rebounds for Oswego, including eight points in the fourth quarter and OT. Graham Schwab added 11 points.
DePaul commit Mason Lockett led Oswego East (12-5, 5-2) with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Dshaun Bolden added 15 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Vahl actually had a chance to win the game in regulation. His 35-foot shot looked on the mark but didn’t fall. He made up for it during OT by scoring 10 of Oswego’s 14 points.
“We lost to them last year and we really wanted to win this game,” Vahl said.
And Vahl’s play was no surprise to Oswego coach Nick Oraham.
“He’s a special kid,” Oraham said. “I thought that shot in the fourth quarter was going down, but he stepped up and made some big plays when we needed them.
“He’s special for someone who is only 16 years old.”
The 6-foot-11 Jansons is also impressed with his teammate.
“He brings everything to the table,” Jansons said of Vahl. “He’s smart and he’s a great passer. He’s always getting steals on defense. He can rebound. He helps our team a lot.”
Oswego East built a 40-30 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Oswego clawed back. Schwab hit a 3-pointer with 1:40 left and Vahl hit a shot 23 seconds later to tie and send the game into OT.
Jansons confirmed there was no panic when his team was down by double digits.
“We all trusted each other to play the right way,” he said. “Even when the shots weren’t falling, the coach believed in us the whole game.”
Unlike Vahl, who was a basketball fanatic going to games when he was young, Jansons didn’t get into basketball until he was in eighth grade.
But this victory was still a big deal for him.
“I think I was 8 when they last beat East,” Jansons said. “This is a great feeling. I think we can have a dynasty for the next couple of years after a win like this.”
The two rivals will face each other again on Feb. 13 at Oswego East.
Vahl started playing basketball at age 3 as his father, Justin, got him involved. Ethan said his dad was a baseball player at West Aurora but has taught him a lot over the years..
“He’s been my inspiration,” Ethan said of his father. “He’s been teaching me my whole life. Life skills. Basketball skills. Everything.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.