Rick's Rants: A Royals' flush

Kudos of the day to a couple of the good guys from the area coaching ranks:

Greg Burks and Bill Sambrookes, head coaches of the girls and boys basketball teams, respectively, at Hinckley-Big Rock, went back-to-back Thursday and Friday when their teams won titles.

Burks' girls squeaked past arch-rival Newark Thursday to claim the Serena Class 1A Sectional title. Sambrookes' boys edged Indian Creek 68-61 on Friday to claim the Little Ten Conference's regular-season title.

This was Burks' first season at the helm after several years of assisting legendary Larry Peppers, who started the program but was unceremoniously bounced last spring after 30-plus years. It wouldn't have been easy under any circumstances, but was made even tougher by the way Burks' good friend was let go.

Sambrookes and Co. get to try it again next week on their home court when they host a 1A Regional that will feature five Little Ten teams in the eight-team field.

And Burks' girls have one more hurdle to clear in Dakota. A win at the Elgin Community College Supersectional on Monday sends them to state. Greg, you and your girls certainly look the part.