Photo Gallery: Unity football shuts out PBL for senior night win

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Senior wide receiver and lineback Trustan Price poses for a photo with his parents during Unity's senior night celebration last Friday. Price and the Rockets take their 8-0 season record to Monticello to face the 7-1 Sages.

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Senior Chance Ingleman plants a kiss on his mother during Unity's senior night recognition ceremony. The Rockets, riding a 12-game win streak over the past two seasons, honored 14 senior athletes before the start of the team's last regular season home game.

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Unity wide receiver Dillon Rutledge makes a catch during their home game against Paxton-Buckley-Loda. The Rockets kept their unblemished intact defeating the Panthers at Hicks Field, 35-0. See more photos at Unity Rocket Football.

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Rockets' quarterback Blake Kimball avoids a Panther tackler on Friday night. At 8-0, Unity faces 7-1 Monticello tonight in their final game of the season for the outright possession of the Illini Prairie Conference title. The Rockets football program, ranked 5th in Class 3A, has not lost a football game since a November 2019 loss to McNamara in the IHSA postseason quarterfinals.

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Tyler Hensch provides a lead block for running back Matt Brown.

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Unity student fans tolerate the rain while cheering for their football team at Hicks Field. The Rockets, who have won the last two games via shutouts, have scored 344 points while allowing opponents to score just 90 this season.

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Tyler Hensch and Austin Langendorf celebrate after the Rockets stopped a fourth-and-one Paxton-Buckley-Loda play on the 43-yard line. Failing to secure the upset victory over Unity, PBL needs to beat St. Joseph-Ogden, also with a 5-3 record, tonight to guarantee an automatic bid in the 2021 postseason.

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In spite of the steady rain from above, the Unity Dance team performs their routine during halftime while the two football teams enjoy refuge in their respective locker rooms. At this point in the rain-soaked evening, Unity led 21-0 on the scoreboard. The Rockets would tack on another touchdown in each of the remaining two quarters for the 35-0 shutout.

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With teammate Dillon Rutledge looking on, senior Damian Knoll makes a catch in the end zone during third quarter action for a Unity touchdown on fourth-and-goal play from the 8-yard line. See more game photos at Unity Rocket Football.

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Singin' in the rain

Die-hard, dedicated St. Joseph-Ogden student fans sing "Hey Baby" with the football team cheerleaders while enduring four quarters of a rain-soaked home football game last Friday. The Spartans secured their fifth consecutive win over the visiting Rantoul Eagles, 26-6. The team, who will play their final regular season game at Paxton-Buckley-Loda on tonight, needs the victory to guarantee themselves a spot in the 2021 playoffs. See more photos from SJO's last home game of the season here . . . .

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Philo Exchange Bank to open new bank in St. Joseph

PHILO -- The Philo Exchange Bank announced this morning its plan to open a new bank facility in St. Joseph. The new location at 109 N. Main Street is tentatively scheduled to open on December 1, 2021.

The bank will be located across the street from the Busey Bank branch office which will cease operations almost two weeks earlier on November 19.

In addition to bank teller operations, the branch will also have an in-house loan department overseen by Royal native Les Hoveln. Formerly with Gifford State Bank for the past 16 years, he will serve as Executive Vice President and Senior Lender. Hoveln, who transitioned to the new position on August 3, has more than 35 years of financial lending expertise.

According to today's press release, the Main Street location "will serve as a temporary facility for the bank as it establishes a permanent location in the next 12 to 24 months."

"We are excited for this opportunity to expand our bank footprint to the St. Joseph area," Hoveln said. "We look forward to providing the community with a banking partner that can assist in all banking needs while providing friendly customer service that has served six generations of customers."

Opening its doors back in 1883, Philo Exchange Bank has grown to operate three existing locations in Philo, Allerton, and Broadlands.