Benton Rangers, 9-0 and dominant in the Southern River-to-River, host paper underdogs St. Joseph-Ogden for their First-Round IHSA 2025 playoff game.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden's Wyatt Wertz slips a Pontiac tackle during their conference game on Friday. Wertz scored three times and racked up 202 all-purpose yards.
ST. JOSEPH - The IHSA playoff brackets are set, and St. Joseph-Ogden fans have something to circle on their calendars: the Spartans are headed south to take on the third-seeded Benton Rangers in the 2025 First-Round matchup. It’s a road trip with plenty of stakes, as SJO, the #14 seed, prepares to face a team that has steamrolled through the Southern River-to-River all season. Benton enters the postseason riding a perfect 9-0 record, including an unblemished 5-0 mark in conference play. Their regular season reads like a highlight reel of dominance. In every game but one, the Rangers scored at least 34 points. Only DuQuoin came close to slowing them down, eking out a 17-7 loss that stands as the lone blemish on Benton’s record. On defense, the numbers are just as impressive: 66 points allowed over nine games. This is a team that knows how to control both sides of the ball.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Unity's Crewe Eckstein, Josh Heath, and Tre Hoggard celebrate a touchdown during their regular season game against St.Joseph-Odgen.
A big reason for that control is Riley Spencer, Benton’s feature back. The 5'11", 180-pound junior broke the 2,000-yard mark last Friday, adding another chapter to what has been notable campaign for the Southern Illinois powerhouse. Hard to bring down and even harder to anticipate, Spencer has been a one-man highlight machine for the Rangers all season, and SJO’s defensive staff will have their hands full trying to slow him down. The Spartans, meanwhile, enter the playoffs with momentum and a renewed sense of confidence. SJO snapped a three-game losing streak with a decisive 56-21 victory over Pontiac last week, ending the regular season at 5-4. They were firing on all cylinders, and the return of Wyatt Wertz two weeks ago has been a game-changer. The senior back has found the end zone repeatedly, scoring three times against the Indians and adding two more in the previous week’s win at Seneca. Kaden Wedig, who has been sidelined since Week 6 against Monticello, is cleared to suit up again and contribute. This depth will be critical against a well-oiled Benton machine. Playoff preparation isn’t just about individual matchups; it’s about rhythm, timing, and knowing how to handle the spotlight. The Spartans have a chip on their shoulder. They know they’ll be stepping onto Benton turf against a team that has scored at will all season, but SJO’s mix of experience, recent success, and renewed health gives them a fighting chance. If the Spartans can control the tempo and execute cleanly on both sides of the ball, they’ll at least give Benton a game worth remembering. The Illini Prairie Conference sent three other squads into the postseason as well, proving that local football remains highly competitive. Conference champions Bloomington Central Catholic, the #3 seed in the northern bracket, open against #14 Princeton, setting the stage for what promises to be a gauntlet of tough matchups. Up north, teams like IC Catholic, Bishop McNamara, Byron, and Richmond-Burton are all positioned to make deep runs. Raise your hand if you would like to see a semifinal battle between the Saints and the Byron Tigers in three weeks.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Central Catholic quarterback Valshun Powe carries the ball for a first down against St. Joseph-Ogden last Friday. The Saints, who averaged two TDs per quarter to beat the visiting Spartans, will need that same scoring intensity in the Class 3A northern bracket.
In the south bracket, SJO will be joined by #4 Unity, who boasts an 8-1 record, riding a six-game winning streak, faces #14 Mt. Carmel in the first round. #5 Monticello squares off against #12 Paris in what promises to be a first-round home thriller. For SJO, the challenge is clear: one road game at Benton stands between them and another week of SJO football. As Spartans fans look ahead, the questions are obvious: Can Wyatt Wertz keep rolling and lead the SJO offense? Will Benton’s Riley Spencer continue to carve up defenses like he has all season? And most importantly, can SJO rise to the occasion and turn the tables on a team that has dominated nearly every opponent it has faced? Suffering two unexpected upset loses, the time is now for Shawn Skinner's Spartans to break a few hearts.
