St. Joseph-Ogden's Jackson Ennis blocks Unity's 6'4" 195-pound sophomore lineman Coleton Langendorf during first quarter action of their Illini Prairie Conference regular season game. In a battle of the area's best quarterbacks, the Spartans (2-0) prevailed 38-35 to remain undefeated in conference play.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Top-left: Unity quarterback Dane Eisenmenger hands the ball of to teammate Garret Richardson. Richardson, a junior, finished the game with 53 yards against SJO.
Top-right: SJO's Wyatt Wertz tackles a Unity receiver during firt quarter action on September 1.
Bottom-left: Spartans' Nolan Earley celebrates a defensive stop against Unity.
Bottom-right: St. Joseph-Ogden quarterback Logan Smith dumps off a quick pass during his team road game a Unity. Smith, one of the leagues leading signal callers, threw for 321 yards against the Rockets.
Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Unity senior Brock Suding celebrates a defensive stop on the 10-yard line by the Rockets. The Rockets would later score two touchdowns in the quarter to go up 14-3 on the Spartans.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Top-left: Rockets' Tre Hoggard returns a kickoff in the first quarter. Hoggard, a sophomore, carried the ball 11 yards before being stopped on the play.
Top-right: Unity's Ethan Reifsteck and Ryan Rink try to stop St. Joseph-Ogden's Justice Wertz during first half action.
Bottom-left: SJO fans look concerned as Unity picks up another first down against the Spartans.
Bottom-right: Dane Eisenmenger looks to unload a pass in the first half. Eisenmenger, a sophomore and starting QB, finished the game completing 15 of 26 passes for 197 yards.
Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
SJO student fans celebrate a first down as the Spartans march the ball down the field. Spectators were treated to a great offensive and defensive battle between the two rival teams.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Justice Wertz crosses into the east end zone at Hicks Field to score St. Joseph-Ogden's first touchdown of the game after an 11-yard run. The two-point converstion good on a pass from Logan Smith to Tanner Siems, SJO trailed 14-11 on the scoreboard. Wertz went on to finished the night with 53 yards rushing.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Top-left:Tanner Siems makes a catch in the end zone for a Spartan two-point conversion.
Top-right: Joe Frasca boots a PAT to give SJO an 18-14 lead in the second quarter.
Bottom-left: SJO's Tanner Siems barrels his way through the Unity defense.
Bottom-right: Igniting St. Joseph-Ogden fans in to a cheering frenzy, three-sport athlete Coy Taylor celebrates his go-ahead TD in the east end zone at Hicks Field giving his team a 17-14 lead before Frasca's extra point conversion moments later.
Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Justice Wertz, Tanner Siems, and Tim Blackburn-Kelley celebrate Siems' catch on at two-point converstion to cut St. Joseph-Ogden's deficit to three on the scoreboard.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Top-left: Unity running back Garrett Richardson turns on the speed while carrying the ball in the first half.
Top-right: Richardson gets the call on another play before the end of the first half against visiting SJO.
Bottom-left: Spartans' Coy Taylor is wrapped up and pulled out of bounds by Rocket defender Coleton Langendorf.
Bottom-right: St. Joseph-Ogden Nolan Earley 'pancakes' a Unity lineman during a play in the third quarter.
Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden senior Mitch Wright clears a path while fighting off Unity defenders during second quarter action. The Spartan offense finished the night with 446 yards.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Left and Right: Members of the Unity Marching Band perform during halftime.
Middle: Rocket student fans show support for their team during the start of the second half.
Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Members of the Unity dance team perform during halftime. In complete control of the game, the Rockets led at the break, 28-18.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Left: SJO QB Logan Smith is brought down by Unity defenders in the fourth quarter.
Center: St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Shawn Skinner praises players after a big play.
Right: Spartan lineman Nolan Earley explodes with excitement after teammate Garrent Denhart recovered a Unity fumble halting a drive that would have likely resulting in a score in the final minutes of the Illini Prairie Conference contest.
Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
SJO senior Garrett Denhart celebrates as he returns to the sideline after recovering a Unity fumble with 2:29 left in the game. The recovery on the play ended a long march down the field by the Rockets and allowed the St. Joseph-Ogden to protect their three-point lead for the eventual win.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden assistant coach Ben Gorman celebrates his team's win after time expires on the scoreboard. Gorman, an SJO alum, was a three-sport athlete for the Spartans.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
Left: Junior wide receiver Tanner Siems celebrates his team's victory before congratulating Rocket players on a game well-played. Siems made six catches for 89 yards in the road win.
Right: SJO junior Josh Courter rushes to the sidelines to join players and fans to sing the school song after the game.
Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
St. Joseph-Ogden senior Hayden Lewis goes wild for the camera after his team's upset victory over the heavily favored Unity Rockets at Hicks Field.
Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks
URBANA - The Urbana girls' basketball team opened their 2023-24 campaign with a loss at home on Tuesday. While playing a defensively solid game, the Tigers' offensive effort fell short in the 35-14 loss.
Aziyaha Davis led UHS' scoring effort with six points, four produced in the final quarter of the game. Zion Reid and Janae Hall came off the bench to hit a field goal and sink one free throw to finish with three points apiece.
The Tiger varsity squad is back in action tonight, hosting McArthur at 7pm.
Malia Fairbanks, Phillip Hartke and Grace Renfrow are three of 32 members of the junior class who achived a grade point average of 3.75 or better at Unity High after the first semester. Forty-eight students from the class of 2024 will also be recognized as high honors students on January 26 along with the entire list of students below who made the honor roll or attained high honors status from their efforts between August 19 and December 22.
Students earning a GPA of 3.20 to 3.74 are recognized as honor students.
NORMAL - On Friday, Unity's Brock Suding (left) and St. Joseph-Ogden's Logan Smith were honored prior to the start of the Class 3A state championship football game between Byron and Mt. Carmel as All-Staters by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association.
The students named below earned recognition for their academic performance and attention to excellence at Unity High School. Congratulations to each on their exceptional scholastic effort last semester.
