Spartan Senior Salute |12 and out with Coy Hayes

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

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Coy Hayes said the best advice he's received from a coach was, "After wrestling, everything is easy." As one of the seniors leading St. Joseph-Ogden through a tough 2025 conference schedule, Hayes embodies the spirit of tenacity, grit and determination.

Leading the team through hard work, dedication, and tradition that comes with being a proud Spartan, he is an intimidating figure on the field. We asked him and his fellow seniors a dozen questions to get to know them better. Here's what he told us:

Sentinel: What is your favorite class at St. Joseph-Ogden High School?

Hayes: Co-op

Sentinel: What is your go-to pregame meal?

Hayes: Subway sandwich

Sentinel: What is your dream car?

Hayes: Bugatti

Sentinel: Name theree people you would invite to dinner if you won the lottery?

Hayes: My grandpa, grandma, and mom

Sentinel: What is the best coaching advice you ever had?

Hayes: "After wrestling, everything is easy."

Sentinel: Name an Instagram handle everyone should follow.

Hayes: Idk

Sentinel: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you booking a flight?

Hayes: Jamaica

Sentinel: What is your hype-song?

Hayes: Cricket on a line - Mud Digger, Colt Ford, The Lacs

Sentinel: If you were a superhero, what would your alias be and your two main super powers?

Hayes: Blues Clues. I would be able to fly and shoot money out of my hands.

Sentinel: Favorite place to eat with you friends?

Hayes: Culver’s

Sentinel: If you could become a professional athlete, what sport would you be playing?

Hayes: Synchronized swimming

Sentinel: What other sports have you played at St. Joseph-Ogden and for how long?

Hayes: Wrestling four years and football four years.

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Brazelton, Hayes place at Rex Avery PORTA Invite

PETERSBURG - A pair of St. Joseph-Ogden wrestlers placed at the annual Rex Avery PORTA Invite on Saturday, December 9. Holden Brazelton (9-0) won the 132-pound title, and Coy Hayes (5-2) finished 5th in the 157-pound bracket.

Brazelton made quick work of his first three opponents the way to the title.

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Holden Brazelton looks for a shot in on Clifton Central's Kayden Cody. The St. Joseph-Ogden's senior won the 138-pound title at the PORTA Invite. Photo: PhotoNews Media

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Twenty-four seconds into the second period, the SJO senior secured a tech fall over Cumberland sophomore Jaxson Dukeman. Warmed-up, he ended his next match against Sacred Heart-Griffin's Kenneth Lockhart with pin in 44 seconds.

His semifinal match against LeRoy's Kobe Brent lasted 32 seconds longer, sticking him at 1:16. In their previous meeting in a dual meet at St. Joseph-Ogden on December 3, Brazelton took down Brent 7-1 on his home mat.

In the championship match, Brazelton squared off with Farmington senior Keygan Jennings, whose day and path into the final nearly mirrored Brazelton. After the dust had settled, Brazelton came out on top with a 1-0 decision.

In the 157-pound division, Coy Hayes faced Kewanee's Wayland Lambert in the second round. Forty-two seconds into the bout, Hayes went up 2-0 on a takedown and almost a minute later got the slap, pinning Lambert with 17 seconds to go in the first period.

Hayes' win put him in the path of Shelbyville's undefeated Ryne Peavler (12-0), who beat him soundly in six minutes, 15-0.

During his next match against LeRoy's Bo Zeleznik, Hayes struggled, nearly losing in the first period. Starting the second period down, 5-1, the SJO sophomore scored eight unanswered points to win the match, 9-5.

Advancing to the fifth place match, Hayes defeated Canton's Greene by pin 14 seconds into the third period.

Also representing St. Joseph-Ogden at the invitational meet were: 113- Jackson Walsh, 120- Camden Getty, 126- Eli Birt, 138- Landen Butts, 144- Alex Vaughn, 150- Logan Xiao, 165- Devan Swisher, 175- James Barron, 190- Corbin Smith, 215- Qunicy Jones, and 285- Brodie Harms.

Out of the 30 teams competing earlier this month, the Spartans finished 14 in the team standings with 86.5 points.

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Hayes celebrates wrestling senior night with a tech fall, SJO wins home meet

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - St. Joseph-Ogden's Coy Hayes tries to drive South Vermillion's Brayden Nickle to the mat during their 165 pound match on Tuesday (see more photos below). Hayes, a senior, won the match on his home mat in front of a crownd of nearly 100 wrestling fans via technical fall 16-1. The Spartans were victorious in 11 of the 14 weight classes to win their only home dual meet of the season 61-13. Hayes was also one of 14 seniors in the SJO wrestling program honored earlier in the evening. The Spartans wrestle again on Friday starting at 4:30 p.m., hosting the two-day Illini Prairie conference meet.

Mini-Gallery

More photos and match recap later this week

Photo Gallery |St. Joseph-Ogden suffers homecoming loss to Monticello

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The visiting Sages rally in the second half to spoil Spartans' homecoming weekend. Here's 20 photos from Friday night's Week 6 Illini Prairie game.

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First half | The Big Play: Kaden Wedig hauls in a pass on 42-yard touchdown play for St. Joseph-Ogden in Friday night's homecoming game against Monticello. Going up 21-7, it would be the last time the Spartans would be able to put the ball in the end zone. The Sages would go on to score three times in the second half to defeat SJO 28-21 in the Illini Prairie Conference game. After the contest, both teams need just two wins for a guaranteed spot in this year's IHSA football championships. See 19 more photso from this game below.

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Tim Blackburn-Kelley and Willis Canamore break through the Spartan banner during team introductions before the start of the game. Blackburn-Kelley finished the Week 6 game with three catches for 21 yards.

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Brennan Oleynichak lifts quarterback Kodey McKinney to celebrate the Spartans' first TD of the game against the Sages. The senior signal caller scored two of SJO's three touchdowns, finishing the game with 68 rushing and 230 passing yards in the home loss.

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SJO junior Jackson Ennis and Monticello's J.D. Bailey battle on the line of scrimmage in the first half.

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Monticello's Nolan Buehnerkemper finds an open receiver to throw to during first quarter action against the Spartans. After scoring on a 1-yard blast into the end zone with 13 seconds left in the first quarter, he added two more touchdowns to the Sages' side of the scoreboard in the third quarter on runs of 5 and 2-yards.

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Spartans' Coy Hayes tries to get around Sages' Will Osborne to make a tackle during the game.

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Monticello's Maddox Utley takes a handoff from quarterback Nolan Buehnerkemper during second half action against the St. Joseph-Ogden. Utley finished the game with 118 of the Sages' 167 rushing yards to help his team improve to 4-2 on the season.

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Monticello lineman J.D. Bailey celebrates with Nolan Buehnerkemper after the quarterback's touchdown, making the score 21-6 in the first quarter.

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Monticello lineman Nate Darnell tries block St. Joseph-Ogden defensive lineman Liam Carter who was blitzing on the play. Darnell was called for holding moving the ball behind the original line of scrimmage.

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With only one player between him and a touchdown St. Joseph-Ogden's Logan Umbarger carries the ball for a first down in the second quarter. Defensive back Nolan Buehnerkemper made the stop for the Sages. Umbarger, a sophomore, finished the game with 30 yards on seven carries for SJO.

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More about... Kodey McKinney Jackson Ennis Coy HayesLogan Umbarger

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St. Joseph-Ogden High School inducted four new members into their Hall of Fame. This year's inductees honored at halftime included (left to right) Bobbi (Duval) Busboom, Morgan (Finn) Gooding, Bianca (Truitt) Green, and former principal Mike McKenzie.

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A clarinet player from the SJO Marching Band performs during the halftime show.

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Keeping the beat, a St. Joseph-Ogden percussionist stays focused during the halftime performance.

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A marching band flag team member performs during halftime, adding color and precision to the show.

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SJO marching band flag team members add color and excitement during the final song of halftime.

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A St. Joseph-Ogden fan smiles as fans sing the school song with the band after halftime.

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St. Joseph-Ogden football fans and family clap during the school song before the second half.

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Monticello's Maddox Utley losses the ball after running into a wall of Spartan defenders. Maddux Musselman (not pictured) recovered the ball, but officials blew the whistle, ruling the ball dead before it slipped from Utley's grasp.

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Playing on the defensive side of the ball, Spartan Jameson Ennis quickly works his way around Sages' J.D. Bailey while trying to get into the Monticello backfield.

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4th Quarter | The Final Blow: Monticello's Maddox Utley avoids a tackle attempt by Lane McKinney. After slipping away, Utley took the ball 48 yards down the field for the go-ahead, game-winning touchdown with 7:24 left to play in the ball game.

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What to see more photos?

Ask here for more great photos from this game.

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TAGS: St. Joseph-Ogden football photos, Monticello Sages football, Illini Prairie Conference Week 6, high school football photography, SJO homecoming 2025, Maddox Utley Monticello, Kodey McKinney SJO quarterback, Central Illinois prep football, The Sentinel sports gallery, SJO marching band halftime

Photo Gallery | Lightweights lift SJO in home win over Clinton

ST. JOSEPH - The St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling squad won seven out of the nine lightest weight classes on the way to a 56-36 win last night over Clinton. Here are photos from last night's action-packed meet against the Maroons.

Spartan's Hunter Ketchum rolls Clinton's Aric Oliver to his back in their 182-pound match on Thursday in the Main Gym at St. Joseph-Ogden High School. Ketchum, competing in second season, picked up his first varsity win with pin at 2:55.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Fans cheer after St. Joseph-Ogden 182-pounder Hunter Ketchum's win over Clinton's Aric Oliver. Ketchum's victory put the first six point on SJO's side of the scoreboard.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO's Peyton Sarver tries to drive Kael Morlock face down into the mat during their 195-pound match. Sarver battled valiantly for nearly six minutes before suffering a loss by pin with 8 seconds left on the clock. Fall 5:52

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Peyton Sarver overpowers Clinton's Kael Morlock during second period action in their 195-pound match. Sarver is one for four seniors on this year's Spartan wrestling team.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Wrestling at 285-pounds, SJO wrestler Quincy Jones looks for a shot in on Clinton's Dawson Thayer. Thayer went on to beat the Spartan in the first period by pin.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Clinton's Dawson Thayer wrestles Spartans' Quincy Jones.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Jackson Walsh shoots in for a takedown on Clinton's Jeremiah Ortiz during the 106-pound match. Walsh prevailed with pin at 4:47. Earlier in the triangle meet on Thursday, Walsh suffered defeat by El Paso-Gridley's Nolan Whitman by way of a first period pin.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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With the crowd cheering behind him, 106-pound wrestler Jackson Walsh from SJO celebrates his win over Clinton's Jeremiah Ortiz. Walsh, a sophomore

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden's Emmitt Holt dumps Clinton's Gabe Walker to the mat during their 120-pound bout. Holt, the only junior this year's squad, ran up the match score up to a 20-3 tech fall and tallied his second win of the day. Earlier in SJO's first match of the evening, Holt defeated El Paso-Gridley's Caleb Graham with a second period pin.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Spartans' Holden Brazelton somersaults out of a takedown attempt by Clinton's Cayden Poole in their 132-pound match. Brazelton, who finished 6th at last year's state finals as a 120-pound freshman, destroyed Poole by major decision, 11-2.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO's Holden Brazelton tries force Clinton's Cayden Poole out of a neck bridge in their 132-pound match. Brazelton, who finished 6th at last year's state finals as a 120-pound freshman, destroyed Poole by major decision, 11-2.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Student fans and members of the St. Joseph-Ogden wrestling team cheer for Holden Brazelton at the end of the second period during his match against Clinton's Cayden Poole.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Holden Brazelton scores a takedown in his 132-pound match against Clinton's Cayden Poole.

Media/Clark Brooks

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Representing SJO in the 138-pound weight class against Clinton, Landen Butts was all business in his match against Maroons' Sable Taylor. Butts crafted a 16-0 techinical fall to win the bout. Earlier in the evening, the sophomore lost to El Paso-Gridley's Tyler Roth by pin. Tech Fall 16-0

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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After earning back points, Spartans' Coy Hayes looks for an attack on Clinton's Russel Stamp. Hayes won the 152-pound match in the second period by pin.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO wrestler Maddie Wells tries score points on Clinton's Ariana Humes during their 120-pound match. Wells, a freshman, earned six points for the Spartans after pinning Humes at 2:48.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Maddie Wells is declared winner after pinning Clinton sophomore Ariana Humes.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden wrestler nearly pins a Clinton grappler during the 120-pound exhibition match.

PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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