Illini Prairie Conference 2025 All-Conference Soccer Team

The 2025 All-IPC soccer honors highlight the best players from the Illini Prairie Conference season. St. Joseph-Ogden, Bloomington Central Catholic, St. Thomas More and Illinois Valley Central each earned first-team selections.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Tyler Hess and Illinois Valley Central's Brody Garceau battle for ball control during their regular season match in September. Both players earned recognition from the Illini Prairie Conference coaches and named to this year's First Team.

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SNS - With the season over until next August, the Illini Prairie Conference has announced its 2025 All-IPC soccer team, selected by coaches from member schools.

This year’s first team includes seven seniors, four juniors and one freshman among the honorees who showcased their skill and talent throughout the season, which began in August.

Following a thrilling regular season, three players from St. Joseph-Ogden, the Williamsville Sectional runner-up, made this year’s top team. The Spartans finished the season as conference champions with an impressive record of 24 wins, two losses and two ties.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Spartan's Zach Harper celebrates his game-winning goal against the Grey Ghost in September. The senior, who averaged 2.3 goals per match was St. Joseph-Ogden's most-prolific scorer this season.

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Bloomington Central Catholic, whose only loss came against SJO, finished the season 9-11-3 and second in the Illini Prairie. The Saints had three players named to this year’s first team.

Meanwhile, coaches agreed that two players each from St. Thomas More and Illinois Valley Central, instrumental to their teams’ success, also deserved recognition for their talent and contributions in downstate Illinois’ toughest small-school conference.

Here is the list of this year's conference teams.

1st Team All-Conference

Jack Wyse - Junior, #7, Central Catholic
Lucas Beck - Junior, #2, Central Catholic
Sam Allen - Senior, #8, Central Catholic
Andrew Scheirer - Junior, #5, Illinois Valley Central
Brody Garceau - Senior, #4, Illinois Valley Central
Oscar Valera Echeverria - Junior, #8, Rantoul Township
Zach Harper - Senior, #24, St. Joseph-Ogden
Tyler Hess - Senior, #77, St. Joseph-Ogden
Lucas Stevens - Freshman, #10, St. Joseph-Ogden
Riley Hogan - Senior, #4, St. Thomas More
Owen Yeager - Senior, #17, St. Thomas More
Matthew Hollett - Senior, #25, Unity

2nd Team All-Conference

Benjamin Dappen - Junior, #10, Central Catholic
Mason Clark - Junior, #11, Central Catholic
Jonathan Blankenship - Junior, #1, Central Catholic
Ryan Urbanc - Senior, #8, Illinois Valley Central
Drew Marquis - Senior, #3, Illinois Valley Central
Sully Beccue - Junior, #7, Monticello
Issack Ocadiz - Junior, #11, Monticello
Steven Newman - Junior, #21, St. Joseph-Ogden
Quinn Stahl - Senior, #22, St. Joseph-Ogden
Will Grissom - Sophomore, #16, St. Thomas More
Raphael Enzo Dongo Kengue - Junior, #10, St. Thomas More
Nicholas Ribeiro O’Grady - Junior, #00, St. Thomas More
Jacob Yeager - Junior, #11, St. Thomas More
Caden McCaskill - Senior, #26, Unity
Tyler Huntington - Senior, #35, Unity

All-Conference Honorable Mention

Leo Triveno - Freshman, #14, Central Catholic
John Urbanc - Senior, #10, Illinois Valley Central
Jackson Lopotko - Junior, #12, Illinois Valley Central
Logan Sullivan - Senior, #7, Illinois Valley Central
Channing Morris - Senior, #11, Illinois Valley Central
Chris Clavey - Sophomore, #12, St. Thomas More
Alex Kessler - Junior, #30, Monticello
Walter Saiger - Sophomore - Monticello
Waylon Jones - Junior - St. Joseph-Ogden
Chris Clavey - Sophomore- St. Thomas More

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Matthew Hollett dribbles the ball down the field in the Rockets' postseason match against St. Joseph-Ogden. The senior and two other teammates earned spots on this season's all-conference list.

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Tags: 2025 Illini Prairie Conference All-IPC soccer selections, High school soccer all-conference team Illinois, St. Joseph-Ogden Illini Prairie soccer champions 2025, Top Illinois high school soccer players 2025 season, Bloomington Central Catholic and SJO All-IPC honorees

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Unity girls golf team finishes 6th at first IPC golf conference meet

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Unity placed sixth, led by Claire Zorns’ 99, their first conference golf tournament. Monticello set a school record to win the IPC Girls Golf Tournament at Wolf Creek with a 330.

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PONTIAC - The Unity Rockets girls golf team showed determination and grit at the Illini Prairie Conference Tournament on Tuesday at Wolf Creek Golf Course. Facing the league's toughest competition in their first conference meet appearance with 31 players ready to make their mark on the links, Unity finished sixth with a team score of 445.

Leading the Rockets was Claire Zorns, who carded a 99 to place 17th overall. Teammates Olivia Witheft and Olivia Styan each shot 113, with Haley Ennis (120), Ellery Merkle (122) and Addison Mohr (124) contributing to the team’s total. Each player gained valuable experience competing against some of the top golfers in the small school division.

While Monticello captured the team championship with a record-breaking 330 and junior Cate Sanders earned individual medalist honors with a 75, Unity’s focus remained on the progress of its own roster. St. Thomas More and Bloomington Central Catholic rounded out the top three teams, demonstrating the depth of the Illini Prairie Conference.

Final Team Standings

1. Monticello                  330
2. Bloomington Central Catholic 333
3. St. Thomas More             376
4. Prairie Central             403
5. Pontiac                     408
6. Unity                       445
7. Rantoul                     349

Top 10 Individual Finishers

1.  Cate Sanders, Monticello                  75
2.  Caroline Braucht, Central Catholic        76
3.  Sydney Braucht, Central Catholic          82
3.  Maddie Bradbury, Central Catholic         82
5.  Rachel Ross, Monticello                   84
6.  Isabella Beery, Monticello                85
7.  Taylor Wells, St. Thomas More             86
8.  Claire Foster, Monticello                 86
9.  Jenika Biggs, St. Thomas More             90
10. Ella Farrell, Prairie Central             92

Unity Results

17. Claire Zorns       99
27. Olivia Witheft     113
28. Olivia Styan       113
32. Haley Ennis        120
33. Ellery Merkle      122
35. Addison Mohr       124

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TAGGED: Unity girls golf 2025, Illini Prairie Conference girls golf results, Monticello IPC golf champions, Wolf Creek Pontiac golf tournament, Unity Rockets golf team standings

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Illini Prairie FootballWeek 1 Friday Night Forecast

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Quarterback Dane Eisenmenger rolls out behind a solid wall of Unity blockers during their second-round playoff game against St. Joseph-Ogden. Eisenmenger, who was 9-for-14 passing, threw four TD passes to advance the Rockets past the Spartans last November. The senior announced his commitment on August 1 to continue is football career for the Mules of the University of Central Missouri.

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URBANA - High school football season is here, and we’re kicking off something new for our readers — Friday Night Forecast. Each week, we’ll highlight the top Illini Prairie Conference matchups and invite you to put your football instincts to the test.

Less reliable than the weatherman, but twice as fun, join us in predicting the Illini Prairie Conference wins and upsets. May your predictions be slightly more accurate than a coin flip!

With the opening kickoff for the conference just two weeks away, we've opened up voting early to see who IPC fans think will start their 2025 campaign with the 'dub'.

Think you can spot the upsets before they happen? Ready to back your hometown team with more than just school spirit?

Submit your picks for the opening week forecast and see how your calls stack up against fellow Illini Prairie Conference football fans all season long. Drop back by OurSentinell.com Friday morning to see which teams are predicted to win as they work to qualify for this year's state football playoffs.

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More stories ~

Unity shocks St. Joseph-Ogden with dominant defense, advances to quarterfinal round

A perfect season, SJO goes 9-0 into 2024 IHSA football playoffs

Opening statement, Spartans send message to conference opponents

St. Joseph-Ogden tumbles at Central Catholic, slideshow & recap

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Illini Prairie Conference football predictions 2025, Friday Night Forecast high school football picks, Small-town Illinois high school football rivalries, Weekly high school football score predictions Illinois, Fan contest Illini Prairie Conference football games

Ten local players earn all-conference volleyball recognition in Illini Prairie Conference

The all-conference list reflects depth across local programs, with STM accounting for half of the area selections.

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URBANA - The Illini Prairie Conference released its all-conference volleyball teams last week, and 10 players from St. Thomas More, Unity, and St. Joseph-Ogden earned postseason recognition for their performances throughout the fall.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Jillian Schlittler

St. Thomas More led the area with five selections after finishing 23-13 and second in the league at 7-2. Seniors Campbell Phillips and Cassidy Monahan were named to the First Team, helping the Sabers post wins over four of the five Champaign County opponents on their schedule. Their only local loss came in a narrow 2-1 setback against St. Joseph-Ogden. Senior Sophia Hill earned a Second Team spot, while senior Audrey Gooding and junior Juju Kerr collected Honorable Mention honors.

Unity had two players represented on this year’s list. Senior Jillian Schlittler, who guided the Rockets to a regional championship, earned First Team honors. Sophomore Olivia Williams added an Honorable Mention nod. The Rockets started hot with wins over Bismarck-Henning, LeRoy, and Mattoon before their season ended in the sectional semifinal against Class 2A runner-up Bloomington Central Catholic.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

SJO's Emma McKinney

St. Joseph-Ogden placed three players on the all-conference lists. Senior Emma McKinney was named to the Second Team, while juniors Hadley McDonald and Emerson Williams received Honorable Mentions. The Spartans closed the season at 13-21 but earned notable wins over Danville, Kankakee, and Rock Island.

Below is the complete list of Illini Prairie Conference all-conference honorees for the 2024 volleyball season.

First Team All-Conference

Name - Grade - School
1 Kampbell Niepagen Jr. BCC
2 Kayt Miller Jr. IVC
3 Mady Melton Sr. MHS
4 Cassidy Monahan Sr. STM
5 Rosie Krenz Sr. BCC
6 Trinity Cheek Jr. PTHS
7 Jillian Schlittler Sr. UNITY
8 Aubrey Fair Sr. BCC
9 Paige Young Sr. PC
10 Campbell Phillips Sr. STM

Second Team All-Conference

Name - Grade - School
1 Jayce Taylor Jr. IVC
2 Ashley Stiverson Sr. MHS
3 Addison Hoeniges Sr. BCC
4 Ellie Dirks So. PBL
5 Morgan Dewald Sr. PTHS
6 Miranda Hari Jr. PC
7 Emma McKinney Sr. SJO
8 Kendall Fair Jr. BCC
9 Airiana Bell Sr. RHS
10 Sophia Hill Sr. STM

Honorable Mention

Name - Grade - School
1 Trinity Miller Sr. PTHS
2 Olivia Williams So. UNITY
3 Kyah Creek Sr. PC
4 Audrey Gooding Sr. STM
5 Juju Kerr Jr. STM
6 Regan Baker So. BCC
7 Josie Certa Sr. BCC
8 Addison Finet Sr. MHS
9 Josie Roseman Sr. RHS
10 Hadley McDonald Jr. SJO
11 Emerson Williams Jr. SJO

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TAGS: illini prairie conference volleyball awards, st thomas more five all-conference players, unity rockets volleyball first team schlittler, st joseph-ogden volleyball all-conference honorees, central illinois high school volleyball postseason recognition

Keely Carter leads Unity Rockets in first Illini Prairie golf tournament

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Unity Rockets finish ninth in debut Illini Prairie golf tournament. Keely Carter leads squad, shooting a 90 at Wolf Creek.

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PONTIAC – The Unity Rockets made their golf debut at the 2025 Illini Prairie Conference Golf Tournament on Monday at Wolf Creek Golf Course, navigating the par-72 layout for the first time in school history. Unity finished ninth as a team with a total of 383 strokes, 21 shots behind eighth-place Bloomington Central Catholic and 51 strokes behind champions Prairie Central, who captured the conference title with 332 strokes.

The top three teams were Prairie Central, St. Thomas More in second, and Monticello in third.

Individual honors went to Bloomington Central Catholic’s Vaughn Oakey, who fired an even-par 72. Monticello’s Max Henrard and Prairie Central’s Easton Friedman tied for second with 73, while St. Thomas More’s Wyatt Kirby carded 75 for fourth place.

Unity was led by Keely Carter, who finished 29th overall with a 90. Charlie Watson (96), Ashton Wolf (98), and Cole Zorns (99) also contributed, while Bryan Kleiss (109) and Adam Wolken (129) rounded out the roster. Despite the team’s ninth-place finish, the Rockets showed promise in their inaugural season and gained valuable experience competing against established conference programs.

Top 10 Individual Finishers

1. Vaughn Oakey, Bloomington Central Catholic   72
2. Max Henrard, Monticello                      73
2. Easton Friedman, Prairie Central             73
4. Wyatt Kirby, St. Thomas More                 75
5. Cayden Masching, Pontiac                     77
6. Tyler Clarkson, St. Thomas More              79
7. Kaleb Hendrix, Monticello                    81
8. Keller Schrock, Illinois Valley Central      82
8. Tucker Stoller, Prairie Central              82
10. Spencer Stockwill, Rantoul                  83

Unity Golf Team Scores

Keely Carter      90
Charlie Watson    96
Ashton Wolf       98
Cole Zorns        99
Bryan Kleiss     109
Adam Wolken     129
Team Total: 383 (9th place)

Final Team Standings (Top 9)

1. Prairie Central
2. St. Thomas More
3. Monticello
4. St. Joseph-Ogden
5. Rantoul
5. Pontiac
7. Illinois Valley Central
8. Bloomington Central Catholic
9. Unity

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Unity Rockets first golf season, Illini Prairie Conference golf results 2025, Prairie Central conference golf champions, Wolf Creek Pontiac high school golf, Illinois high school golf team standings

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Nine Spartans earn all-conference football recognition

St. Joseph-Ogden was well-represented on the 2025 All-IPC football teams with seven total honorees. First Team selections included Cameron Wagner, Lucas Smith and Kaden Wedig.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Cameron Wagner performing blocking duties in the Spartans' home playoff game against Unity. The junior was named to a spot on the First Team in the Illini Prairie Conference end of the season recognition.

ST. JOSEPH - Following a postseason run that captured the attention of the area, the St. Joseph-Ogden football team has been rewarded with seven selections to the 2025 All-Illini Prairie Conference teams and two honorable mentions, the league announced this week.

The Spartans, who finished their season 8-5 after an exciting, high-scoring playoff battle with rival Unity, placed three players on the conference's First Team Offense. Junior standouts Cameron Wagner, an offensive lineman, and receiver Kaden Wedig were honored alongside senior kicker Lucas Smith for their standout seasons.

The accolades continued with three more Spartans securing spots on the Second Team Offense. Senior quarterback Kodey McKinney, who orchestrated the team's attack, was selected alongside his top targets and classmates: running back Wyatt Wertz and receiver Tim Blackburn-Kelley.

Defensive prowess was also recognized, with senior Brennan Oleynichak earning a Second Team nod as one of the conference's top four defensive linemen. Oleynichak demonstrated rare two-way value, also receiving an Honorable Mention for his work on the offensive line. He was joined on the defensive honor roll by senior linebacker Ryker Lockhart (Second Team) and classmate Logan Rosenthal (Honorable Mention, linebacker).

The seven honorees punctuate a successful season for the Spartans, who rallied to win three playoff games before their season ultimately ended in a shootout against the Unity Rockets.

2025-26 Illini Prairie All-Conference Football

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More SJO Sports Articles

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St. Joseph-Ogden football All-IPC selections 2025, Illini Prairie Conference high school football honors, SJO Spartans postseason recap and awards, Central Illinois high school football all-conference list

SJO places fourth at IPC golf tournament, Prairie Central wins team title

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Strong finish for SJO — Spartans take 4th at Illini Prairie tourney with 343 strokes. Pruemer leads SJO with 11th-place finish 11 over par.

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PONTIAC - St. Joseph-Ogden turned in a steady team performance to finish fourth at the 2025 Illini Prairie Conference Golf Tournament on Monday at Wolf Creek Golf Course. The Spartans posted a team score of 343, just behind third-place Bloomington Central Catholic at 332 and runner-up Monticello at 327. Prairie Central captured the conference championship with a team total of 322 strokes.

Saints' Vaughn Oakey led the field with an even-par 72, claiming the individual title. Sages’s Max Henrard and Prairie Central’s Easton Friedman tied for second with rounds of 73. St. Thomas More’s Wyatt Kirby carded a 75 to finish fourth overall.

SJO was paced by senior Asher Pruemer, who fired an 83 to finish in a four-way tie for 10th place, dropping to 11th thanks to a tie-breaker. Teammate Trevor Ames followed with an 84, while Garrett Loschen and Devan Swisher each shot 88. Graham Ray (94) and Nathan Daly (103) rounded out the Spartan lineup.

Team Leaderboard (Top 5)

1. Prairie Central                322
2. Monticello                     327
3. Bloomington Central Catholic   332
4. St. Joseph-Ogden               343
5. St. Thomas More                348

Top 10 Individual Finishers

1. Vaughn Oakey, Bloomington Central Catholic   72
2. Max Henrard, Monticello                      73
2. Easton Friedman, Prairie Central             73
4. Wyatt Kirby, St. Thomas More                 75
5. Cayden Masching, Pontiac                     77
6. Tyler Clarkson, St. Thomas More              79
7. Kaleb Hendrix, Monticello                    81
8. Keller Schrock, Illinois Valley Central      82
8. Tucker Stoller, Prairie Central              82
10. Spencer Stockwill, Rantoul                  83
11. Asher Pruemer, St. Joseph-Ogden             83

St. Joseph-Ogden Scores

Asher Pruemer     83
Trevor Ames       84
Garrett Loschen   88
Devan Swisher     88
Graham Ray        94
Nathan Daly      103
Team Total: 343 (4th place)

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Illini Prairie Conference golf results, St. Joseph-Ogden golf tournament finish, Prairie Central golf team 2025, Wolf Creek Pontiac golf IHSA, Illinois high school golf conference championship

Back together again! PBL joins the Illini Prairie Conference

By way of an overwhelming decision three days ago, Paxton-Buckley-Loda's bid to join downstate Illinois' premier prep sports conference was unanimously approved school administrators.

PBL, the league's first expansion team of sorts and the 11th school in the conference, joins St. Joseph-Ogden, Unity, Monticello, Rantoul, Prairie Central, Pontiac, Olympia, Central Catholic, St. Thomas More and Illinois Valley Central to make up the Illini Prairie Conference starting in the fall 2021.

Download this photo Spartan defensive back Cole Berry picks off a pass intended for Panther receiver Matt Poll in the second half of their game on August 29, 2017. St. Joseph-Ogden, ranked #1 in Class 3A in The Associate Press pre-season poll, went on to defeat Paxton-Buckley-Loda in their non-conference battle, 27-7. The Spartans and Panthers will face each other once again under the Friday night lights starting in 2021. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

The Panther athletic program is a comfortable fit in the void that left the football schedules of nine teams open when St. Thomas More announced in January that they would move to 8-man competition. The Sabers will stay in the conference competing in all the remaining sports they offer.

Four schools applied for the opening after conference commissioner Brad Allen, a former teacher and coach at St. Joseph-Ogden High School, announced the IPC was looking for another program to help round out the conference football schedules.

The Panthers, with an enrollment of 472 this year, were already scouting a new conference affilation to compete with schools with similar number of students. They will leave the Sangamon Valley Conference after a 31-year run in a year from this May.

"I think the Illini Prairie has a lot to offer. A lot of conference schools has three levels of volleyball, freshman, junior varsity and varsity football and junior varsity and varsity baseball," PBL athletic director Brock Niebuhr told the Ford County Chronicle. "From that standpoint, I’m excited that we’ll be able to, hopefully, be able to step right in and compete. That’s what our goal is. I’m looking forward to doing that.”

From a scheduling standpoint, PBL was also an easy choice for many of the IPC athletic directors.

"For other sports, we will simply go to an 11 team conference schedule, kind of like what the Big Ten looked like from 1991-2011 when Penn State became the 11th conference team and before Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2011," said St. Joseph-Ogden athletic director Justin Franzen. "We can now play 35 regular season volleyball, softball, and baseball games, 31 regular season boys and girls basketball games, 25 soccer matches. We already compete against PBL in almost every other sport that we offer, so adding a conference school just simply means that AD's need to adjust their schedules, which we do each year anyway."

Download this photo Panther running back Paul Bigham is brought down while running the ball in the second half. Bigham left the game after this play suffering a shoulder injury as he was brought down by the three Spartan defenders. Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Head football coach Shawn Skinner noted the Panthers recent success on the gridiron, which includes qualifying for the Class 3A playoffs over the past five seasons, and the quality of their other their athletic programs such as basketball and cross country. Without a doubt PBL will raise the bar.

"Aside from football they compete well in all sports. I think it’s a solid fit for them to join the conference and maintain the high level of competitive balance in our league," Skinner pointed out. In regards to football he thinks PBL joining the conference is a great addition. "Their proximity is ideal and they are a similar school from a size standpoint."

St. Joseph-Ogden was able to fill the open week on Skinner's schedule relatively quickly inking a one-year deal with Nashville. With veteran quarterback Crayton Burnett coming back to lead the offense, the Spartans will open the 2020 season on road against last fall's 2A state runner-up.

Skinner said the Hornets will have "almost their entire starting team" back this fall.

"It will be a real challenge for us week one," Skinner added.

While SJO's open date was quickly filled in February, Franzen acknowledged some schools are still looking for a team to play.

Unity, one of the programs looking to replace the STM game, announced yesterday that they will travel 430 miles to Pierce City, Missouri, where they will play their week seven contest.

Rockets celebrate 13 All-Illini Prairie selections following state runner-up finish

Unity’s remarkable 12-2 season led to 13 All-IPC honorees, including eight First Team selections. The senior-heavy roster produced standout players on offense and defense.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Rockets' Dane Eisenmenger hands the ball off to running back Crewe Eckstein while lineman Coleson Miller opens a hole in the Byron defense during a play at the IHSA Class 3A Football Championships this weekend at Hancock Stadium. All three players earned recognition from conference coaches, making the Illini Prairie All-Conference First Team.

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TOLONO - Thirteen members of the Unity Rockets football team have been named to the 2025 All-Illini Prairie Conference team, a fitting tribute to a senior class that led the program to a historic 12-2 season and a Class 3A state runner-up finish.

The Rockets' remarkable season, which culminated in what is being heralded as one of the best Class 3A championship games in decades, saw nearly half of the team's senior roster earn postseason recognition. This group of seniors concludes its tenure with an extraordinary record of 41 wins and 11 losses, having led the program to four quarterfinal appearances, three state semifinals, and this year's unforgettable title game.

Headlining the All-IPC selections are eight First Team honorees, all seniors. The First Team Offense is powered by record-setting all-state quarterback Dane Eisenmenger, dynamic running back Crewe Eckstein, tight end Tre Hoggard, and receivers Tyler Henry and Coleson Miller.

The First Team Defense features standout performers Coleton Langendorf on the defensive line, linebacker Keegan Germano, and defensive back Brayden Henry, underscoring the balanced strength of the Unity roster. Five additional Rockets earned Second Team and Honorable Mention accolades to round out the impressive list of thirteen selectees.

Unity All-Conference players

1st Team Offense

OL - Coleson Miller Sr
WR/TE - Tre Hoggard Sr
WR/TE - Tyler Henry Sr
RB - Crewe Eckstein Sr
QB - Dane Eisenmenger Sr

2nd Team Offense

OL - Hudson Dehart Jr

1st Team Defense

DL - Coleton Langendorf Sr
LB - Keegan Germano Jr
DB - Brayden Henry Sr

2nd Team Defense

DL - Dez Winfrey Sr
LB - Caden Hensch Sr
DB - Graydin Cler Sr

Honorable Mention Defense

DB - Adam Reedy Jr
PNTR - Dane Eisenmenger Sr

2025-26 Illini Prairie All-Conference Football

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More Unity Athletics Articles

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Unity Rockets 2025 All-IPC football selections, Class 3A state runner-up high school football recap, Illini Prairie Conference First Team football honors, Unity Rockets senior class playoff legacy

Friday Night ForecastWeek 7 Illini Prairie football predictions

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Here are Week 7 predictions from Illini Prairie football pundits for this edition of The Sentinel’s Friday Night Forecast.

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URBANA - Each week, we invite Illini Prairie Conference fans to predict the winners from conference matchups. New experts are welcome every week. Below is what this week's team of experts think they have figured out.

Week 7 predictions

Illini Prairie Game of the Week
Illinois Valley Central @ Rock Falls

Denise: Illinois Valley Central .::. 38-7
Sara: Rock Falls .::. 36-12
J: Illinois Valley Central .::. 35-0
Denise J: Illinois Valley Central .::. 47-6
Alan: Illinois Valley Central .::. 34-13

Brooks Look: It was a busy week around the office. Unfortunately, I don't have any quick, guiding thoughts for this week's predictions.

Rock Falls 28, IVC 20

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Monticello vs Pontiac

Denise: Monticello .::. 42-14
Sara: Monticello .::. 30-14
J: Monticello .::. 34-7
Denise J: Monticello .::. 48-14
Alan: Monticello .::. 49-0

Brooks Look: I've got nothing.

Monticello 35, Pontiac 13

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Rantoul vs Prairie Central

Denise: Prairie Central .::. 21-0
Sara: Prairie Central .::. 28-6
J: Prairie Central .::. 24-6
Denise J: Prairie Central .::. 36-17
Alan: Prairie Central .::. 49-0

Brooks Look: A lot more nothing, but could Rantoul pull off an upset?

Prairie Central 28, Rantoul 24

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Central Catholic vs St. Joseph-Ogden

Denise: Central Catholic .::. 32-21
Sara: Central Catholic .::. 48-27
J: Central Catholic .::. 41-34
Denise J: Central Catholic .::. 48-36
Alan: Central Catholic .::. 49-21

Brooks Look: Central Catholic wraps up the outright conference title tonight? SJO is due for an upset in their favor after suffering two of them.

Central Catholic 35, St. Joseph-Ogden 21

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Paxton-Buckley-Loda @ Unity

Denise: Unity .::. 42-14
Sara: Unity .::. 37-28
J: Unity .::. 46-7
Denise J: Unity .::. 47-21
Alan: Unity .::. 49-6

Brooks Look:

Unity 40, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 14

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Week 6 Results

Rank	Name	Record	Notes
1	Mike Roy	5-0	Week 6 winner
2	Alan	4-1	3-way tie
2	Sara	4-1	3-way tie
2	Brooks Look	4-1	3-way tie
5	Frank	3-2	2-way tie
5	Denise	3-2	2-way tie

Cumulative Standings (After Week 6)

Rank	Name	Total Record	Wins	Notes
1	Brooks Look	25-5	2	Week 2 & 5 winner
2	Denise	21-9	0
2	Alan	21-9	0
4	Sara	18-7	1	Week 3 winner
5	J	16-4	2	Week 1 & 4 winner
6	Lyman	10-5	0
7	Frank	7-3	0
8	Mike Roy	3-2	0	Week 6 Winner!
9	Keith	3-2	0

Cumulative Standings Win % (After Week 6)

Rank	Name	Precentage
1	Mike Roy	100%
2	Brooks Look	83.33%
3	J	80%
4	Sara	72%
5	Alan	70%
5	Denise	70%
5	Frank	70%
8	Lyman	66.67%
9	Keith	60%

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TAGS: Weekly Illini Prairie Conference football predictions, Week 7 St. Joseph-Ogden predictions, Unity football predictions, high school football predictions

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Friday Night Forecast |Week 1 Illini Prairie Conference football predictions

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IPC football fans, grab your popcorn! IPC football fans test their prediction skills in The Sentinel’s first Friday Night Forecast of the 2025 season.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Monticello’s Landon Carlisle tries to keep Unity’s Hunter Eastin from making a play during their Class 3A state semifinal game in 2024. Eastin has moved on, but Carlisle, now a sophomore, will be back to help the Sages contend for the top of the Illini Prairie Conference. Both programs received unanimous picks to win this week’s season opener in the Friday Night Forecast.

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URBANA - Ladies and gentlemen, football fans of Illini Prairie—brace yourselves! The Sentinel is kicking off the very first season of the Friday Night Forecast, and the stakes are higher than ever. We welcome four brave challengers—Alan, J, Denise, and Sara—ready to test their prediction skills and claim glory! But standing in their way is none other than Clark Brooks, Champaign-Urbana’s very own oracle of the gridiron, a titan of pigskin prophecy whose foresight has baffled, amazed, and humbled even the boldest fans.

Grab your umbrellas, grab your popcorn, and get ready for a clash of football wits! Here are the picks from the Sentinel’s inaugural Friday Night Forecast.

P.S. Best of luck to all IPC football programs this season—may your dedication, off-season training, and pursuit of excellence shine on the field!

Week 1 predictions

Illini Prairie Game of the Week
Paxton-Buckley-Loda vs Central Catholic

Alan: Central Catholic .::. 28-7
Denise: Central Catholic .::. 14-7
J: Central Catholic .::. 21-6
Sara: Paxton-Buckley-Loda .::. 27-26

Brooks Look: Last fall, Paxton-Buckley-Loda (7-4) shocked BCC (5-5), winning in overtime, 22-21. The Panthers will be without quarterback Conner Vaughn and Robert Boyd-Meents, who piled up 186 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries in the IPC thriller. Considering that the Saints haven’t posted a win in their last two visits to Paxton, and both programs are 2-2 since the dark days of COVID, PBL - with home-field advantage - takes this one, no overtime needed, with a second-half comeback.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda 28, Central Catholic 21

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Pontiac @ Coal City

Alan: Pontiac .::. 14-12
Denise: Pontiac .::. 28-14
J: Coal City .::. 35-6
Sara: Coal City .::. 40-14

Brooks Look: Pontiac returns just three starters on both sides of the ball from last year’s one-win season. The Indians, who have won four games in as many years, are rebuilding under former Unity star - and now Athletic Director and head coach - Zach Gadbury. Coal City, stocked with 17 seniors, finished 2024 with a respectable 10-3 record. Bench depth and experience should give them the edge here.

Coal City 42, Pontiac 14

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Unity vs Rantoul

Alan: Unity .::. 28-14
Denise: Unity .::. 32-7
J: Unity .::. 49-0
Sara: Unity .::. 39-6

Brooks Look: Improving from an 0-9 season in 2023 to 1-8 last year with a win over Pontiac, Rantoul faces a team hungry for a trip to the Class 3A state title game after a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Monticello last November. Unity’s tradition and culture of winning won’t be tested in their home season opener. Look for Rocket quarterback Dane Eisenmenger to put up big numbers early.

Unity 49, Rantoul 13

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Prairie Central vs St. Joseph-Ogden

Alan: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 28-7
Denise: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 28-21
J: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 35-7
Sara: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 48-21

Brooks Look: This game has the markings of a shootout, with Prairie Central’s Dalton Steidinger on one side of the ball and St. Joseph-Ogden’s Kodey McKinney on the other. Even with Steidinger passing for 992 yards last fall, the Hawks finished 5-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play. McKinney, on the other hand, hoarded 2,351 yards, resulting in 29 touchdowns, and led SJO to an undefeated conference run. If Prairie Central can’t contain SJO’s passing game and stop Wyatt Wertz on the ground, this could easily turn into a lopsided affair.

St. Joseph-Ogden 35, Prairie Central 16

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IVC vs Monticello

Alan: Illinois Valley Central .::. 35-32
Denise: Monticello .::. 21-14
J: Monticello .::. 21-14
Sara: Monticello .::. 32-27

Brooks Look:Illinois Valley Central (3-6) won three of its last four games at the end of the 2024 season and will give the Sages a run for their money early in the home opener. However, the Class 3A runner-up will shake off first-quarter jitters as last year’s juniors and sophomores adjust to their new roles before picking up where the team left off in November.

Monticello 42, IVC 21

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Get ready to weather the storm of predictions! Next week, the Friday Night Forecast rolls on, and it’s your chance to bring the sunshine—or stir up a little gridiron thunder. Will you be a clear-sky champion or get caught in a hailstorm of wrong picks? Drop back by to enter your picks for the Week 2 Illini Prairie football games.

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More sports news & photos
St. Joseph-Ogden Athletics | Unity Athletics | Illini Prairie Sports

Spartans blank Rockets 7-0, pushing season record to 17-0

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St. Joseph-Ogden rolled past Unity 7-0 for its 17th straight win, extending its shutout dominance so far this season.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Hunter Cler settles the ball during the Spartans' home match on Saturday against IVC. Cler delivered two goals in St. Joseph-Ogden's game against Unity on Tuesday.

ST. JOSEPH - The St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team rumbled to a 5-0 first half start against visiting Unity on Tuesday. Adding two more goals in the second frame, the Spartans defeated the Rockets 7-0 in Illini Prairie Conference play at Dick Duval Field.

Hunter Cler opened the scoring with a finish off a Lucas Stevens pass, and the goals came quickly after that. Tyler Hess buried one, Cler struck again—again with Stevens providing the setup—and Stevens himself joined the party with a goal of his own. Before halftime, Zach Harper dished an assist to Skyler Graham, who closed the first-half scoring with the Spartans up 5-0.

The second half played out much the same way. Harper found the net and later turned provider again, assisting Waylon Jones to close out SJO’s seven-goal shutout win.

The victory only added to a remarkable run under head coach Chris Stevens, who has led the Spartans to 55 wins against just 11 losses in his two and a half seasons at the helm. Ranked by both the Associated Press and MaxPreps, the Spartans are a perfect 17-0 this fall. For context, the Illinois high school record for consecutive wins belongs to New Trier, which strung together 88 victories between 2002 and 2005. While SJO isn’t there yet, the streak has put them in rare company.

Even more eye-catching than the win-loss column is the team’s defensive dominance. Tuesday’s clean sheet was their 12th of the season, and between August 29 and September 18 they stacked nine straight to enter the IHSA’s consecutive shutouts list. The Spartans have scored 98 goals so far this season while surrendering just seven—yes, you can still count them all on two hands.

SJO’s schedule doesn’t slow down. They’ll host Georgetown-Ridge Farm-Westville on Sept. 27, face Danville in a non-conference match on Sept. 29, and return to league play Oct. 1 at St. Thomas More. Four more regular season games remain before the Spartans turn their focus toward postseason play.

For Unity, the night was another tough outing. The Rockets fell to 1-5-2 overall and 0-2 in the Illini Prairie. They’ll travel to Rantoul on Sept. 25 and then host Illinois Valley Central Saturday morning at 10 a.m.

Box Score

Scoring Summary
St. Joseph-Ogden 7, Unity 0

First Half
SJO – Hunter Cler (assist Lucas Stevens)
SJO – Tyler Hess
SJO – Hunter Cler (assist Lucas Stevens)
SJO – Lucas Stevens
SJO – Skyler Graham (assist Zach Harper)

Second Half
SJO – Zach Harper
SJO – Waylon Jones (assist Zach Harper)

Team Records
St. Joseph-Ogden: 17-0 (2-0 IPC)
Unity: 1-5-2 (0-2 IPC)

More sports news & photos
St. Joseph-Ogden Athletics | Unity Athletics | Illini Prairie Sports

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TAGS: St. Joseph-Ogden soccer 2025 season, Unity Rockets vs SJO soccer recap, Illini Prairie Conference boys soccer scores, Illinois high school soccer shutouts, unbeaten high school soccer teams Illinois

Friday Night Forecast |Week 4 Illini Prairie Conference football predictions

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It is time for another week of IPC football predictions in The Sentinel’s weekly Friday Night Forecast.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Cameron Wagner provides pass protection during a play in last year's home game against Unity. The Rockets are back at Dick Duval Field for this year's Illini Prairie Conference regular season football game.

URBANA - Each week, we invite Illini Prairie Conference fans to predict the winners from conference matchups. New experts are welcome every week. Here what the team of experts say this week.

Week 4 predictions

Illini Prairie Game of the Week

Prairie Central (2-1)
vs Paxton-Buckley-Loda (1-2)

Sara: Paxton-Buckley-Loda .::. 24-21
Alan: Paxton-Buckley-Loda .::. 24-21
J: Paxton-Buckley-Loda .::. 35-14
Lyman: Paxton-Buckley-Loda .::. 34-27
Denise: Prairie Central .::. 27-14

Brooks Look: Last week, Prairie Central proved it could contain St. Teresa's balance attack when it needed it most. Despite allowing 407 yards, the Hawks walked away with a 14-13 win in the non-conference game last Saturday. Meanwhile, PBL quarterback Sam Hall threw 11 passes for 265 yards and six - yes, six TD passes in last week's game against Pontiac. The Panthers' star running back Mason Vaughan average 6.9 yards a carry for 125 yards. If the Paxton-Buckley-Loda's defense can bring their A-game this week, they'll have have win #2 in their back pocket.

Paxton-Buckley-Loda 27, Prairie Central 14

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Monticello (2-1) @ St. Teresa (1-2)

Sara: St. Teresa .::. 27-24
Alan: Monticello .::. 28-14
J: Monticello .::. 35-14
Lyman: Monticello .::. 21-7
Denise: Monticello .::. 24-10

Brooks Look: This is an exciting football match-up that will be worth twice the price of admission. The question: Can the Sages shutdown the Bulldogs' offense on their home field? This has all the markings of an overtime win for St. T in Monticello.

St. Teresa 28, Monticello 21

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Pontiac (0-3) vs Illinois Valley Central (0-3)

Sara: Illinois Valley Central .::. 32-13
Alan: Illinois Valley Central .::. 35-13
J: Pontiac .::. 22-12
Lyman: Pontiac .::. 7-0
Denise: Pontiac .::. 14-6

Brooks Look: Easy choice here. After putting up a season-high 22 points on PBL last week, Pontiac comes out on top in this pairing with their first win of the season.

Pontiac 24, Illinois Valley Central 13

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Rantoul (0-3) @ Central Catholic (3-0)

Sara: Central Catholic .::. 50-6
Alan: Central Catholic .::. 42-6
J: Central Catholic .::. 41-0
Lyman: Central Catholic .::. 56-0
Denise: Central Catholic .::. 21-0

Brooks Look: Central Catholic is one of three IPC teams in the top ten of the AP Class 3A polls. With the speed, size, and athleticism this team brings to gridiron, it will be hard for them to lose this one.

Central Catholic 56, Rantoul 6

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Unity (2-1) @ St. Joseph-Ogden (3-0)

Sara: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 36-27
Alan: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 31-28
J: Unity .::. 27-20
Lyman: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 31-24
Denise: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 24-17

Brooks Look: There has never been a boring St. Joseph-Ogden - Unity game. Last year, the Spartans came out on top thanks to kicker Charlie Schmitz booting the game-winning field goal from 31 yards out with 1.2 seconds left on the clock to seal a 24-21 victory at Dick Duval Field. The Rockets extracted revenge with a 35-7 second-round playoff victory eliminating SJO. This year, the game comes down to which team has the better defense. The Spartans will come close to making it three-consecutive regular season wins against the Rockets but won't be able to finish the job in overtime.

Unity 28, St. Joseph-Ogden 21

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Week 3 Scores

Central Catholic 34, Unity 27
St. Joseph-Ogden 51, Illinois Valley Central 16
Prairie Central 14, St. Teresa 13
Monticello 36, Rantoul 14
Paxton-Buckley-Loda 48, Pontiac 22

Week 3 Results

Rank	Name	Record	Notes
1	Sara	4-1	Week 3 winner ** Tie-Break
2	Alan	4-1
2	Denise	4-1
3	Brooks Look	3-2
3	Lyman	3-2
3	Keith	3-2
3	J	3-2

Cumulative Standings (After Week 3)

Rank	Name	Total Record	Wins	Notes
1	Brooks Look	12-3	1	Week 2 winner
2	Denise	11-4	0
3	Alan	10-5	0
4	Sara	9-1	1	Week 3 winner
5	J	8-2	1	Week 1 winner
6	Keith	3-2	0
7	Lyman	3-2	0

Previous predictions:

Week 1 Predictions | Week 1 Results
Week 2 Predictions | Week 2 Results
Week 3 Predictions |

Friday Night Forecast |Week 9 Illini Prairie Conference football predictions

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Here are Week 9 predictions from Illini Prairie football pundits for this edition of The Sentinel’s Friday Night Forecast.

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Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

ST. JOSEPH - Lucas Smith boots the ball on kickoff for the Spartans. Smith and 15 other seniors will be honored tonight before the start of the Spartans' home game against Pontiac.

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Week 9 predictions

Illini Prairie Game of the Week
Rantoul vs Illinois Valley Central

Sara C: Illinois Valley Central .::. 36-12
Alan: Illinois Valley Central .::. 45-20
Denise: Illinois Valley Central .::. 21-0
Denise J: Illinois Valley Central .::. 21-14
J: Illinois Valley Central .::. 18-6
Mike Roy: Illinois Valley Central .::. 24-7
C: Illinois Valley Central .::. 32-0
Brooks Look: Rantoul .::. 21-14

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Monticello vs Paxton-Buckley-Loda

Sara C: Paxton-Buckley-Loda .::. 32-27
Alan: Monticello .::. 35-14
Denise: Monticello .::. 28-7
Denise J: Monticello .::. 36-14
J: Monticello .::. 24-22
Mike Roy: Monticello .::. 27-7
C: Paxton-Buckley-Loda .::. 21-18
Brooks Look: Monticello .::. 28-21

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Central Catholic vs Prairie Central

Sara C: Central Catholic .::. 48-27
Alan: Central Catholic .::. 42-17
Denise: Central Catholic .::. 42-14
Denise J: Central Catholic .::. 67-24
J: Central Catholic .::. 42-7
Mike Roy: Central Catholic .::. 55-7
C: Central Catholic .::. 67-14
Brooks Look: Central Catholic .::. 56-7

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St. Joseph-Ogden vs Pontiac

Sara C: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 48-21
Alan: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 52-10
Denise: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 56-7
Denise J: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 42-27
J: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 42-26
Mike Roy: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 35-6
C: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 32-21
Brooks Look: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 42-16

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Unity @ Mt. Vernon

Sara C: Unity .::. 30-27
Alan: Unity .::. 49-28
Denise: Mt. Vernon .::. 28-21
Denise J: Unity .::. 48-12
J: Unity .::. 34-7
Mike Roy: Unity .::. 46-14
C: Unity .::. 32-0
Brooks Look: Unity .::. 36-28

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Last week's Illini Prairie Conference scores

Seneca 39, St. Joseph-Ogden 36
Unity 48, Illinois Valley Central 14
Paxton-Buckley-Loda 46, Rantoul 0
Central Catholic 48, Pontiac 21
Monticello 18, Prairie Central 14

Week 8 Results

Rank	Name	Record	Notes
1	Mike Roy	5-0	Week 8 winner!!!
2	J	4-1	5-way tie
2	Denise	4-1	5-way tie
2	Alan	4-1	5-way tie
2	Sara	4-1	5-way tie
2	Brooks Look	4-1	5-way tie

Cumulative Standings (After Week 8)

Rank	Name	Total Record	Wins	Notes
1	Brooks Look	33-7	2	Week 2 & 5 winner
2	Denise	30-10	0
2	Alan	30-10	1	Week 7 winner
4	Sara	26-9	1	Week 3 winner
5	J	25-5	2	Week 1 & 4 winner
6	Lyman	10-5	0
7	Mike Roy	10-0	2	Week 6 & 8 Winner
8	Frank	7-3	0
9	Denise J	5-0	0	New participant this week
10	Keith	3-2	0

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TAGS: Illini Prairie Conference weekly football predictions, Week 9 SJO football predictions, Prairie Central Hawks football predictions this week, IHSA football prediction for the IPC

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