PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity football head coach Scott Hamilton celebrates with players and fans after his 2021 Rocket team defeated visiting Mt. Carmel High School on Saturday at Hicks Field on Saturday. Unity prevailed in the seesaw battle to advance to the state title game after defeating the Golden Aces, 28-21. Heading to the Class 3A championship game, the Rockets will take their 17-game win streak to DeKalb to face the Byron Tigers who upset IC Catholic with a stunning fourth-quarter 15-14 comeback.
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Clutching the game ball, Rockets' quarterback Blake Kimball congratulates members of the Mt. Carmel team after the game. Kimball scored three of the four Unity TDs on Saturday and finished the game with 142 yards.
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Members of the Unity Dance Team perform during halftime. The Rockets trailed going into the locker room, 21-14.
PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
A Unity receiver nearly loses his helmet taking a hit from Mt. Carmel safety Gage Kennard on a pass play.
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Rockets' lineman Austin McDaniel lays out Golden Aces' receiver Gage Kennard in the second half.
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Unity student fans cheer for their team during the fourth quarter. The Rockets fourth-quarter rally secured one of two spots in the Class 3A title game.
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Cameron Marvin celebrates the first of two fourth-quarter TDs for the Rockets.
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Unity quarterback Blake Kimball rolls out looking for an open receiver in the third quarter. See more photos of Kimball from this game here.
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Oran Varela, a 5-11, 225-lb lineman for the Unity Rockets, fights his way past Luke Laws into the Golden Aces' backfield in the first half.
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Unity's Cale Rawdin carries the ball looking for more green turf to cover moving the ball up the field.
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Golden Aces linemen Luke Dardeen and Noah Noble celebrate their team first touchdown in the second quarter.
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With a little help from teammate Camden Mette, Unity's Boden Franklin strips the ball from Mt. Carmel's Blayne Sisson during first quarter action. The Rockets recovered the fumble to set up their next scoring drive.
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Unity's Grant Albaugh and Kyus Root break through a banner before the start of their last home game of the season. The Rockets played all four of their 2021 postseason football games on their home field. Beating Mt. Carmel in the semifinals punched the Rockets' ticket to the Class 3A championship game this Friday at 4pm.
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Rockets' Matt Brown and Karson Richardson head out to the field before the start of their team's final home of the season. The Rockets have not lost a contest at Hicks Field since August 30, 2019 against Illinois Valley Central. See more photos from this game using the preceeding link later this week.
