The Sentinel: Search results for Shawn Skinner

Down but not out, SJO stumbles against Unity

St Joseph-Ogden head coach Shawn Skinner

Spartan head coach Shawn Skinner talks to players after his team's 21-0 loss on the road at Unity.

"I thought our defense played stout. I thought that we had some plays that were designed to be good. We just had one breakdown here and there. Unity wasn't going to allow us any breakdowns."

Head coach Shawn Skinner

On beautiful September evening, St. Joseph-Ogden fans fill the visiting team bleachers and wait for the week four game to start. A win victory would have kept the Spartans tied for first in the Illini Prairie Conference. The shutout drops SJO into a five-way tie with Unity, Monticello, Prairie Central and Olympia for second place.

Crayton Burnett throws a pass against the Unity Rockets

"We are going to learn from this. I'm a big believer you can learn as much from win as a loss. I don't think you got to lose to learn." ~ Coach Skinner

Above: Crayton Burnett makes a pass during first half action against the Rockets. Not having enough time in the pocket to throw the junior signal caller threw for 66 yards, completing 10 of 20 attempts.

Left: Keaton Nolan makes a catch while playing on kickoff return for the Spartans. Nolan was held to just 23 yards of rushing on offense after eight touches.

Below: Senior Jaden Miller blast his way past two Unity blockers while playing defense in the second quarter.

All photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Jaden Miller, senior, fights his way past Unity offensive linemen.

A Spartan fan takes photos from the stands prior to the start of the football game against Unity. There will be a lot more photos of players next week as SJO hosts the Pontiac Indians (1-3) for their homecoming contest this Friday.

Sam Wesley yells instructions to teammates before the snap

"It was a hostile environment. We came out and gave our best effort. You can't fault us (for) that."

~ Sam Wesley, Senior, Linebacker

Above: Senior running back Brayden Weaver finds open turf in front of him during a carry in the first half. Weaver finished the game with just 13 all-purpose yards in the week four game against the Rockets.

Right: Sam Wesley shouts out instructions and adjustments to teammates before the Rockets snap the ball during second half action.

Below: Conner Hodge blocks nose to nose with a Unity lineman.

All photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Photo Gallery: Spartan football wins 5th straight game

St. Joseph-Ogden's Evan Ingram takes a snap from center Conrad Miller during the first quarter of their final regular-season home game. Both Ingram and Miller were honored before the start of Friday's game during a ceremony recognizing and thanking all the SJO seniors on the team .

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Alex Funk celebrates

Pumping his fist after a play, Alex Funk celebrates a fumble recovery in the Spartans' favor. St. Joseph-Ogden went on to defeat visiting Rantoul, 29-6. Funk and this year's football squad need just one more victory to guarantee a playoff berth and a regular-season 6-3 record.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Alex Funk blocks for Miller

Opening up a running lane, Spartans' Alex Funk gives teammate Coby Miller a lead block on a play during the first quarter against visiting Rantoul.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Enduring the endless rainy conditions, SJO cheerleaders lead fans in a cheer.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Bob Glazier keeps a watchful eye

SJO assistant coach Bob Glazier keeps a watchful eye on his defensive players during his last regular-season game on the sidelines at Dick Duval Field. Glazier, who taught physics at the school during his teaching career, started his coaching career at SJO three decades ago and is a member of the IHSFCA Hall of Fame.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

SJO's Braxton Waller blocks Rantoul's Rashon Allen during first half action.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Keaton Nolan, Mark Miller and Coby Miller

Spartans' Keaton Nolan, Mark Miller and Coby Miller stop quarterback Keddrick Terhune in his tracks.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

SJO head coach Shawn Skinner talks to players during a timeout in the second half.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

During one of the moments of heavy rainfall during the game, Rantoul receiver Kis Donald-Wheeler hauls in a pass before carrying the ball over the goal line for his team's only touchdown of the game.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Coby Miller looks for a hole

Coby Miller looks for a hole while carrying the ball during first quarter action against the Eagles.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Mark Miller and Owen Birt

St. Joseph-Ogden's Mark Miller and Owen Birt wrap up Rantoul running back Rashon Allen.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

The field lights at Dick Duval Field bounce light off the steady fall of rain during the game.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

While Spencer Fitch and teammates look on, Spartan Griffin Roesch hoists Evan Ingram after a touchdown.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Spartan Spencer Fitch runs to join teammates

After shaking hands with Rantoul players, Spartan Spencer Fitch runs to join teammates with the remaining student fans who endured the rain-soaked home game to sing the school fight song. Like his teammates, Fitch was ecstatic after picking up their fifth consecutive victory on Friday.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Shawn Skinner talks to his players

SJO head coach Shawn Skinner talks to his players after their 29-6 conference win over Rantoul. Skinner and the Spartans need just one more win to guarantee a spot in the 2021 playoffs.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Looking for photos of a specific player from either team or from this season? Email us at photos@oursentinel.com with the athlete's name and jersey number for details.

With playoff bid on the line, Spartans suffer road loss at Monticello

As head coach Shawn Skinner headed to the locker room Friday after the Spartans' 35-6 loss to Monticello, Glen Fisher, an ardent fan of SJO athletics and retired employee of the district, hoped to comfort head coach Shawn Skinner after Friday's game against Monticello.

"Dick Duval didn't start out that great," he said gently.

Duval, St. Joseph-Ogden's head coach football coach from 1988-2015, had a combined win-loss record of 29-15 his first four years at the helm. Five seasons later, his Spartans were playing 12+ games a seasons, make deep playoff runs for the next half a decade.

That probably didn't make Skinner, who is now 19-19 after Friday night's contest in his first four season, feel much better after the lackluster loss to the Class 3A defending state champions.

The Sages scored five times before the Spartans, courtesy of Jarrett Stevenson, put their only TD on the board in the final quarter of a game that held possible playoff implications depending results from other IHSA member schools.

Xander Rieches plays at tight end for the Spartans in their road game against Monticello. Despite the 29-point loss, SJO will play at least one more game this season in the Class 3A playoff bracket. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

"Early on we kind of were doing our job, but we weren't playing hard," Skinner said. "Then, we start playing hard, but weren't doing our job. Either way, that's a bad combination."

And, bad it was. Nothing good went the Spartans' way when they really need it.

Down 21-0 in the second quarter, Chance Izard pulled in a short pass from Crayton Burnett and ran toward the south endzone. Breaking four tackles along the way and sprinting down the east sideline, he put the ball over the goal line 60 or so yards from where he started. The celebration by players and fans was short-lived.

It was deja vu from the Prairie Central game two weeks earlier where every substantial play in SJO's favor was negated with a yellow hankie. And, just as in the road game the Hawks, the ball came back.

"I don't think we matched their intensity right away," said Skinner. "When we tried to react to their intensity, we lost all of our technique. We lost all of our assignments. We were trying to play hard, but we weren't doing our job."

Monticello's offense was fueled and supercharged by tailback Chris Brown. He exploited SJO's weaknesses as skillful as a brain surgeon.

The Sages' junior scored a touchdown in three of the four quarters and churned up 265 yards on 13 carries. The Spartans had a difficult containing him on the outside and his explosive burst caused missed tackles when took the ball between the tackles.

"There were glimmers on defense, but not nearly enough," said Skinner. "I thought Brodie Sullivan (and) Trevon Carr (played well). Drew Coursey continued to play really well. I thought Coby Miller stepped in at middle linebacker in the second half and did some nice things for us."

Trevon Carr wraps up Monticello ball carrier

Trevon Carr wraps up Monticello's quarterback Nick Tackels for a loss in the second half. The loss to the Sages wrapped up SJO's regular season at 5-4. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

The Spartans entered the game without senior linebacker Brayden Weaver, who suffered a season-ending injury to a knee in an earlier game. Fellow senior and linebacker Sam Wesley admitted his presence was missed on the field.

"Some people don't know my sophomore year, I didn't play. I only came back my junior year because of Brayden Weaver," Wesley confessed. "It was definitely a big loss. People have stepped up. We got to keep playing."

Though not official until Saturday evening, Wesley was confident of a Class 3A playoff bid for his team.

Luke Renfrew stands up to block Monticello's Cooper Mitze during second half action of the Illini Praire Conference finale. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

"We still have playoffs next week. We just have to come (in) and prepare (for it)," he said, happy that he will have the chance to play one more game. He was confident SJO will rebound from the loss. "We just have look at the film, make some adjustments and we will be alright."

Stevenson led the Spartans' offensive effort with 86 yards and 22 carries. His 9-yard touchdown run with less than three minutes to play avoided what would have been the second shutout this season.

With Weaver out, SJO enlisted their young guns and called on them to fill the senior's role at fullback. Sophomore Keaton Nolan picked 12 yards, collecting seven of those on his last touch. Meanwhile, Coby Miller chipped in an additional 15 yards.

"We had a good week of preparation and practice. I saw good things," Skinner remarked during his postgame interview from the 50 yard line before passing Fisher. "Yesterday, was one of the best Thursday practices we had this year. It just didn't translate into anything worthwhile."

Drew Coursey was clearly disappointed after the game.

"It's hard to take away any positives right now," he said. He focused more on the Sages' success than on SJO failures during his last regular season game. "Number 8 (Chris Brown) is fast and number 12 (Nic Tackels) is a good player. They played well."

Box Score

St. Joseph-Ogden		0	0	0	6		6
Monticello		14	7	7	7		35

Scoring by quarters
1st Quarter
MHS - C.Brown 14 yd run (Ellison kick)
MHS - Tackels 15 yd run (Ellison kick)

2nd Quarter
MHS - Kerr 10 yd pass from Tackels (Ellison kick)

3rd Quarter
MHS - C.Brown - 81 yd pass from Tackels (Ellison kick)

4th Quarter
MHS - C.Brown 49 yd run (Ellison kick)
SJO - Stevenson 14 yd run (pass failed)

Photo gallery: Friday night football is back

Coby Miller (left) and Isaiah Moore lead the St. Joseph-Ogden football team to the field before the start of the first home football game of the season. The Spartans opened the season at home against the Monticello Sages. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

SJO coaches (left to right) Dalton Walsh, Marshall Schacht and Ben Gorman along with head coach Shawn Skinner and longtime assistant Bob Glazier observe a moment of silence in honor of former head coach Dick Duval. Duval, who compiled a record of 251 wins and 75 losses during his 28-year tenure, passed away on August 26. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Seniors Griffin Roesch and Evan Ingram run through the team banner during team introduction. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Keaton Nolan slaps hands of students as he runs through the team tunnel. Nolan, a senior, went on to carry the ball 18 times for 80 yards against the Sages. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

SJO linebacker Bryson Helfrich (left) fights his way past Monticello's Ashton Wassom into the Sages backfield during first half action. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Senior Ethan Vanliew flows with the ball while playing on defense for the Spartans. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Maroon Platoon student fans cheer for the Spartans during first quarter action against Monticello. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Driving forward, Spartan Keaton Nolan takes a hit and stopped in his tracks by outside linebacker Blake Mcduffie. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

With assistant coach Ben Gorman looking on, SJO head coach Shawn Skinner yells instructions to players on the field between plays. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Taylor Hug tallies stats for the Spartans during the first half of the game. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Mask to mask, Spartan Peyton Sarver goes nose-to-nose in the trench with Sages' Kaleb Reid. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

SJO student fans cheer for their team during the first half. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Running back Isaiah Moore is wrapped up as he crosses the goal line for the first SJO touchdown of the season. Moore also finished his first game of the season with six yards on seven carries. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Jett Morris celebrates SJO's two-point conversion in the first quarter. Unfortunately, it would be the last opportunity the Spartan would get the ball in the end zone. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Finding a lot of open grass, St. Joseph-Ogden quarterback Evan Ingram sprints down the field for a 64-yard run against the Sages. Ingram finished the game with 71 yards rushing and completed six of 14 passes for 35 yards. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Playing on the offensive line, Bryson Helfrich picks up an incoming block during first half action. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Sophomore Braxton Waller comes up to block after snapping the ball. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Members of the 2020 St. Joseph-Ogden Hall of Fame pose for a photo during their recognition ceremony at halftime. The 8th class to be recognized by the school include (left to right) Gary Garrison, Amy Scharlau-Lewis, Greg Knott and Ron White. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Members of the SJO Marching Band perform during halftime. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Austin Cotter (left) and Robbie Huson, a junior, goes over their position assignments before the next play during the second half. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Spartan linebacker Luke Allen slips into the Monticello backfield looking to make a tackle. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Trying to stay hydrated, SJO's Robbie Huson drinks water while on the sidelines. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Five Monticello lineman stuff a hole to prevent Spartan running back Justice Wertz from getting past the line of scrimmage. Wertz finished the night with 33 yards on 11 carries. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)