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Spartans beat Rockets in Week 2 thriller at Dick Duval Field

Tanner Siems bursts through the Spartan banner followed by the rest of the team during the pregrame introduction on Friday at Dick Duval Field. Hours later St. Joseph-Ogden would emerge victorious in the home game against Unity, 24-21.

An SJO student fan cheers during first-quarter action against the visiting Rockets. It took a little under eight minutes for the Spartans to light up the scoreboard on their way to their second conference win.

Members of the St. Joseph-Ogden Maroon Platoon cheer for the Spartans during the first half of the game. SJO led the Illini Prairie Conferenc game at the half, 21-14 .

Unity running back Garrett Richardson finds plenty of running room against the Spartans in the first half.

Unity running back Garrett Richardson is brought down an 11 yard run.

Kaden Wedig hangs on to pass during first half action against the Rockets.

Virtually untouched, Rocket running back Garrett Richardson slides into the end zone on a six-yard run for a third-quarter touchdown to tie up the score at 21-all.

Unity's Tyler Henry shoves St. Joseph-Ogden's Tim Blackburn-Kelley out of bounds. Blackburn-Kelley finished Friday's game with seven yards rushing on four carries and two catches for 23 yards. He also tallied a 32-yard run on a kick return and two more on a punt return.

Members of the St. Joseph-Ogden's Class of 1994 are recognized between quarters. The alumni enjoy their reunion weekend with a Spartan football victory.

Drummer for the March Spartans pounds out beat during a break in the action on the field.

A Spartan cheerleader keeps an eye on the action on the field. This year's 20-member squad kept fans and the student section cheering all four quarters of the home game.

St. Joseph-Ogden linebacker Brayden Waller block Unity's Coleton Langendorf.

Wyatt Wertz scampers past a Unity lineman. Wertz delivered 19 of SJO's 159 yards on the ground.

Unity's Tyler Henry avoids St. Joseph-Ogden's Tayton Gerdes while returning a kickoff. His only return on special teams, Henry took the ball 49 yard before being stopped by the Spartans.

SJO's Carson Sarnecki and Quincy Jones wrap up Unity running back Garrett Richardson during third quarter action.

Covered by Unity's Ryan Rink, Spartan receiver Kaden Wedig snags the ball for a fourth-quarter catch.

Brennan Oleynichak lifts teammate Coy Taylor into the air after his 26-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Taylor tallied a game-high 105 yards with nine catches.

Kaden Wedig hauls in a pass despite in-his-face coverage from Unity's Graydin Cler during the fourth quarter. Wedig, who finished with three catches for 42 yards, fell out of bounds in what could have been the go-ahead touchdown for the Spartans.

Waiting to go back in, Spartan quarterback Kodey McKinney gazes at the scoreboard at Dick Duval Field during the fourth quarter. The junior signal caller scored St. Joseph-Ogden's first TD on a one-yard run in the first quarter. He finished his second varsity game with 43 rushing yards and threw for 268 yards against the Rockets.

Spartan manager Cameron Kuchenbrod heads back to the sidelines after giving water to players during a timeout.

Brayden Henry breaks up a pass to Tanner Siems

Rockets' Brayden Henry breaks up a pass play to Spartans' Tanner Siems early in the fourth quarter. Siems finished the regular season contest with a 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter and 110 yards.

Unity's Dane Eisenmenger looks to make a throw in the fourth quarter. The junior quarterback completed seven of his 12 passes for 110 yards and tacked on 15 rushing yards in the loss to the Spartans.

Rockets' Garrett Richardson stiff arms Tim Blackburn-Kelley on a carry during the fourth quarter. Richardson had 22 carries for 90 yards and a 19-yard catch in Unity's second game of the season.

Surrounded by teammates Wyatt Wertz, Cameron Wagner, and Gabe Mata, SJO kicker Charlie Schmitz enjoys the moment after kicking the game-winning field goal from 31 yards out with 1.2 seconds left on the clock to seal a 24-21 victory.

Spartan lineman Josh Courter celebrates with this team after SJO's second-straight regular season win over Unity.

St Joseph-Ogden unbeaten run ends in playoff loss to Unity

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Cameron Wagner and Tanner Siems hug after SJO's 35-7 second-round playoff loss to Unity. The Spartans' magical season featuring an impressive 10-win streak and conference title ended on Saturday.

TOLONO - St. Joseph-Ogden's impressive 10-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt on Saturday as they fell 35-7 to Unity in the Class 3A second-round football playoffs.

The Spartans, who demonstrated their confidence and enthusiasm all season long, appeared uncharacteristically flat even before the opening kickoff. Unity immediately capitalized on SJO's lackluster performance, landing four solid punches, scoring twice in each of the first two quarters to take a commanding 28-7 lead at halftime.

The game showcased Unity’s improved physicality and discipline on both sides of the ball, contrasting with the regular-season matchup when St. Joseph-Ogden narrowly edged Unity 24-21. Unity head coach Scott Hamilton attributed the win to the rigorous schedule his team faced with teams like Althoff Catholic, saying the experience prepared them for postseason intensity.

"I think defensive we are tackling a lot better. Offensively, I think our edge, parameter stuff, and blocking has got a lot better," Hamilton said.

SJO's sideline, usually full of energy and vocal support, appeared subdued, a rare sight for a team that dominated its competition all season. The Spartans came out uncharacteristically flat, similar to their brief third-quarter lapse in their season opener against Monticello, though that lapse didn’t cost them a win. However, this time, Unity capitalized on SJO's lack of momentum and decisively took control of the game to avenge the earlier loss.

Garrett Richardson led the Unity offense with 215 rushing yards on 42 carries, including a touchdown. Tre Hoggard was a force in the passing game, catching four touchdowns for 124 yards.

Spartan defense wraps up Garrett Richardson

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Garrett Richardson is stopped in his tracks by St. Joseph-Ogden linemen Jackson Ennis, Ryker Lockhart, and Jared Altenbaumer.

In his postgame assessment, Spartan head coach Shawn Skinner stated that his team performed "uncharacteristically" in the first half, leaving them in a hole they could not escape.

"There were so many things that didn't happen in this game that we've done all year," Skinner said after giving his team their last postgame talk on the gridiron. "We didn't convert in the red zone. We dropped interceptions that hit us on the hands. The field position game was in their favor for most of the first half. We haven't done that all year. We controlled the field position game."

St. Joseph-Ogden's normally explosive offense was stifled by Unity's defense. Wyatt Wertz, Tanner Siems, and Coy Taylor, who have combined for 34 touchdowns this season, were held in check. Siems finished with 77 receiving yards, while Taylor, who became the state's all-time leading receiver during the game, had 34 yards.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Tracking the ball carried by Unity Garrett Richardson, Spartan sophomore Cameron Wagner plays on defense in his team's last game of the season.

"We couldn't really establish a run or pass the whole game. Throwing into the wind was a little difficult," Taylor added. "They had a good defensive plan for us. You can definitely tell that they put in a lot of work."

Unity's physicality and determination were evident throughout the game. They tallied 61 tackles, including 36 solos, and held SJO to just 59 rushing yards.

"We talked about running the ball, being physical, and that's what it takes this time of the year," said Unity head coach Scott Hamilton, happy to have his program advance to the quarterfinals.

Despite the disappointing loss, St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Shawn Skinner praised his team's effort.

"This game does not define this season," said Skinner. "We won ten games in a row. That's hard to do."

Unity will host Nashville in the quarterfinals on Saturday, while St. Joseph-Ogden's season ends with a 10-1 record.

KEYWORDS: St. Joseph-Ogden football, Unity Football, Class 3A playoffs, Garrett Ricardson, Tre Hoggard, Coy Taylor

Unity stings visiting Nashville in quarterfinal romp, Rockets readying for semifinal at Monticello

Garrett Richardson picks up a Unity first down, bouncing off of Nashville's Grady Kirchner. Two plays later, the senior, who finished with 205 all-purpose yards, would score the first of four touchdowns in Saturday's home game.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

TOLONO — Long before the game ended, Unity's first-string was chillin' in the waning November sunlight, singing Sweet Caroline and practicing their Cupid Shuffle steps on the sideline. It took a little more than 28 minutes for them to earn their R&R and from time to time cheer on a big play by fellow JV players. By now, the Rockets punched their ticket to the Illinois Class 3A state semifinals in commanding fashion, overwhelming the Nashville Hornets 47-24 in Saturday's quarterfinal matchup at Hicks Field.

The Rockets (9-3), who have surged since a midseason loss to Bloomington Central Catholic, showcased their dominance on both sides of the ball. Nashville (10-2), riding a nine-game win streak and averaging 40 points per game, managed just six points against Unity's varsity defense before scoring three touchdowns late against the Rockets' junior varsity.

A Unity student fan cheers during the second half after another touchdown.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity wasted no time establishing control, scoring on every possession of the first half. Quarterback Dane Eisenmenger led a high-powered Unity offense, throwing four touchdown passes and showcasing precision under playoff pressure.

"I think getting the wind at our backs in the first quarter really helped us," Unity head coach Scott Hamilton said, summarizing the explosive first-quarter barrage of scoring. "Special teams pinned them down early and our defense did a good job. We were able to get on the board early and kept rolling from there. We took them out of what they [Nashville] do."

Garrett Richardson, the team’s workhorse running back, opened the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. He followed that with a 50-yard touchdown reception, catching a perfect spiral over his shoulder from Eisenmenger and racing into the end zone untouched.

Eisenmenger spread the wealth among his receiving corps, connecting with Mason O’Neill for a leaping touchdown catch in the back of the end zone and hitting Brady Parr for a 10-yard score early in the second quarter. With 6:21 remaining in the half, wide receiver Tre Hoggard added a rushing touchdown, barreling through the Hornets' defense to make it 35-6 at halftime.

Unity’s defense was equally impressive, with Tyler Henry snagging three interceptions, one of which set up O’Neill’s touchdown. Henry, whose father holds the Illinois high school record for career interceptions, came within two yards of a pick-six after a dazzling 55-yard return.

"I was in the right spot," Henry said, still pumped up from the quarterfinal victory and his three interceptions. He had multiple chances earlier in the season to pick off a pass or two but always came up short. Today was different. "I just saw the ball in the air, and I just went and got it.

Unity's Tyler Henry

Tyler Henry is pulled down from behind by Hornets' Brynner Inman after grabbing his second interception against Nashville. The junior finished the day with three picks and has 54 tackles going into the game with Monticello later this week.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Richardson capped Unity’s scoring in the third quarter with a short touchdown run, pushing the lead to 47-6 and activating the running clock. Nashville managed three late touchdowns against Unity’s reserves, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Richardson finished the day with 155 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. He also caught a touchdown pass, highlighting his versatility and value to the Rockets’ offense. Eisenmenger, who completed 15 of 18 passes for 217 yards, displayed poise and efficiency, finding four different targets for touchdowns.

Hoggard led all receivers with 10 catches for 109 yards, while Parr and O’Neill made the most of their opportunities, each snagging a touchdown in critical moments.

Caden Hench was a busy bee, collecting 11 tackles in two and half quarters against the Hornets. The heavy hitting done, he other members of the starting defense soak up the moment, knowing they will play another game in seven days.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity’s defense was relentless, holding a potent Nashville offense in check for most of the game. Junior linebacker Caden Hensch led the way with 11 tackles, including eight solo stops, while Coleton Langendorf added two sacks. Ryan Rink contributed six tackles in a gritty defensive effort.

"We knew they were a run heavy team. Once we stopped the run, our DB's are all good enough to stop the pass," Henry said. "We all settled in and it was game from there."

Special teams were another key factor, consistently flipping field position in Unity’s favor and containing Nashville’s return game. Bailey’s accurate kicking provided the Rockets with crucial extra points to sustain momentum.

Hamilton said the defensive unit did a thorough job preparing for the Hornets. He was happy with how the Rockets came out ready to play, immediately taking control of the game on their first possession, and keeping their foot on the gas.

"Our defense did a great job putting them in tough field position," he said, complimenting their execution during the 27 minutes they were in the game and adjusting to the different offensive schemes. "We know next week we'll have to adjust to something new again. We will be ready for the challenge."

The Rockets now turn their attention to a semifinal clash with Illini Prairie Conference rival Monticello (10-2) next Saturday at 2 p.m. in Monticello. Unity won the teams’ Week 9 matchup 42-28, but the stakes are much higher this time with a berth in the state championship game on the line.

"I think it will be a good game," Henry said. "They are a good team. We played them earlier in the season and we won. We'll have a long week of practice, and we'll be good."

The winner will face either Montini (10-2) or Wilmington (12-0) for the Class 3A title on Nov. 29 at Redbird Stadium in Normal.

Unity football players singing on the sidelines

While players on the Nashville sidelines were likely singing the blues, Jaden Dene and three fellow players joined in together during a time out to sing the chorus to "Sweet Caroline" with the student fans behind them. The Rockets are one game away from another state final appearance, the last in November 2021.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Keywords: Unity Rockets football, Nashville Hornets playoff game, Illinois Class 3A state semifinals, Quarterback Dane Eisenmenger leads Unity, Garrett Richardson unstoppable, Unity vs. Monticello rematch

Photo Gallery: Unity offense produces big win in football playoff opener

Chance Ingleman tosses teammate Braxton Manuel up in the air during team introductions prior to the start of Unity's first round playoff game against Newton at Hicks Field. Undefeated in the regular season, the Rockets continued their win streak with a 46-6 win over the visiting Eagles.