You pick 'em
Illini Prairie football predictions

The high school football season starts Friday, and the Sentinel's Friday Night Forecast is back. Test your football prognostication skills by predicting Illini Prairie Conference winners and see how your picks compare with other fans throughout the season.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden lineman Cameron Wagner and the Spartans take on Prairie Central in their home opener on Friday.

URBANA - This year's high school football season starts on Friday, and the Sentinel is bringing back the Friday Night Forecast. Each week, we’ll highlight the Illini Prairie Conference matchups and invite you to put your conference football knowledge to the test.

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

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 OurSentinel.com Friday mornings to see which teams are predicted to win as they work to qualify for this year's state football playoffs.

The submission deadline has passed. You can see all the predictions for this week's Illini Prairie football games here.

TAGS: Illini Prairie Conference football predictions 2026, Friday Night Forecast high school football Illinois, Illini Prairie Conference football picks, 2026 Illinois high school football predictions, Illini Prairie Conference playoff predictions, Unity Rockets football predictions, this week's SJO football predictions

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.

SJO Hess and IVC Brody Garceau battle for ball control

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.

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.

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.

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

Matthew Hollett dribbles the ball for the Unity Rockets

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.

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

2025-25 Illini Prairie All-Conference Wrestling Team

St. Joseph-Ogden and Unity dominated Illini Prairie Conference wrestling honors, combining for eight of 15 first-team spots as 22 area athletes earned all-conference recognition.

St. Joseph-Ogden's Cam Wagner wrestles at state

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

St. Joseph-Ogden's Cam Wagner wrestles Murphysboro's Julien Tanner durin their first-round 285-pound match at the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals in February. Wagner, who fell 4-1 in his first-ever state appearance, was named to the Illini Prairie All-Conference Wrestling First Team

ST. JOSEPH - Area wrestling programs made a strong showing on the Illini Prairie Conference postseason honors list this season, with 22 athletes earning all-conference recognition.

St. Joseph-Ogden and Unity led the area contingent, combining for eight of the 15 spots on the all-conference first team.

SJO placed four wrestlers on the top squad, including sophomore Ben Wells at 113 pounds, junior Cam Wagner at heavyweight and senior standouts Coy Hayes at 165 pounds and Vance McComas at 175 pounds.

Unity matched the Spartans with four first-team selections. Seniors Hunter Shike at 144/150 pounds, Abram Davidson at 165 and Chason Daly at 215 earned the recognition, while freshman Hayden Smith rounded out the Rockets’ first-team honorees.

Two additional area wrestlers also earned first-team recognition. St. Thomas More freshman Jamir Woods was honored at 126 pounds, while Rantoul Township senior Brandon Almanza was selected at 165/175 pounds.

Unity added five wrestlers to the second team, highlighting the depth of the Rockets’ lineup this season. Vince Abon, A.J. Daly, Ben Mullins, Devin Glik and Bradley Smith were each recognized for their performances on the mat.

Spartans’ Cam Getty and Nathan Daly also received second-team honors, while Rantoul senior Michael Anthony completed the area’s list of second-team selections.

Several of the conference honorees also competed on the state stage this season. St. Joseph-Ogden’s Wagner and Wells, along with Unity wrestlers Davidson and Daly, qualified for the IHSA Individual Wrestling State Finals. Unity’s Josh Heath was also a state qualifier and received honorable mention recognition from conference coaches.

Illini Prairie Conference
All-Conference Wrestling Team

1st team:

Nick Litchfield, 132-pounds
Senior, Monticello

Will Osborne, 144-pounds
Junior, Monticello

Lucas Maier, 175-pounds
Sophomore, Pontiac

Brayden Quas, 157-pounds
Sophomore, Pontiac

Jack Voigts, 126-pounds
Freshman, Pontiac

Brandon Almanza, 165/175-pounds
Senior, Rantoul

Ben Wells, 113-pounds
Sophomore, St. Joseph-Ogden

Coy Hayes, 165-pounds
Senior, St. Joseph-Ogden

Vance McComas, 175-pounds
Senior, St. Joseph-Ogden

Cam Wagner, 285-pounds
Junior, St. Joseph-Ogden

Jamir Woods, 126-pounds
Freshman, St. Thomas More

Hunter Shike, 144/150-pounds
Senior, Unity

Hayden Smith, 144/150-pounds
Freshman, Unity

Abram Davidson, 165-pounds
Senior, Unity

Chason Daly, 215-pounds
Senior, Unity

2nd team:

Owen Moser, 175-pounds
Senior, IVC

Aiden Komnick, 120-pounds
Sophomore, Monticello

Kellan Lamb, 126-pounds
Sophomore, Monticello

Drake Weeks, 150-pounds
Senior, Monticello

Max Sinkosky, 175-pounds
Senior, Monticello

Hunter McCullough, 285-pounds
Junior, Pontiac

Andrew Patino, 113-pounds
Sophomore, Prairie Central

Michael Anthony, 215/285-pounds
Senior, Rantoul

Cam Getty, 126-pounds
Senior, St. Joseph-Ogden

Nathan Daly, 150-pounds
Senior, St. Joseph-Ogden

Vince Abon, 106-pounds
Sophomore, Unity

A.J. Daly, 138-pounds
Freshman, Unity

Ben Mullins, 157-pounds
Junior, Unity

Devin Glik, 150/157-pounds
Senior, Unity

Bradley Smith, 190-pounds
Sophomore, Unity

Honorable Mention:

Maison Toliver, 165-pounds
Junior, IVC

Hunter Toliver, 126-pounds
Junior, IVC

Malikai Bremer, 215-pounds
Senior, IVC

Weston Hicks, 138-pounds
Freshman, Monticello

Luke Andruczyk, 144-pounds
Junior, Monticello

Zach Perry, 157-pounds
Sophomore, Monticello

Noah Davis, 138-pounds
Junior, Pontiac

Braden Opperman, 150-pounds
Freshman, Pontiac

Trey Zimmerman, 106-pounds
Freshman, Prairie Central

Elijah Mowery, 190-pounds
Sophomore, Prairie Central

Harley Schultz, 175/190-pounds
Senior, Rantoul

Tyler Seals, 165/175-pounds
Junior, Rantoul

Alex Nutter, 215/285-pounds
Senior, Rantoul

Alex Mager, 190/215-pounds
Sophomore, Rantoul

Aiden Hundley, 138-pounds
Junior, St. Joseph-Ogden

Yashua Walker, 132-pounds
Freshman, St. Thomas More

Lane Sexton, 157-pounds
Junior, St. Thomas More

Josh Heath, 175-pounds
Senior, Unity

Illini Prairie Conference wrestling all-conference 2026, St. Joseph-Ogden Unity wrestling honors, area high school wrestling awards Illinois, IHSA state wrestling qualifiers all-conference

Unity, St. Joseph-Ogden headline IPC All-Conference basketball selections

Area standouts from Unity, St. Joseph-Ogden, St. Thomas More, and Rantoul earn recognition on IPC all-conference basketball teams.

Unity's Brayden Henry takes a shot at state tournament.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Brayden Henry goes up for a shot during the Rockets' state third-place game on March 12. Henry was one of nine area players who earn all-conference recognition.

URBANA - The Illini Prairie Conference released its boys basketball All-Conference teams last week, recognizing nine area athletes for their performance during the 2025-26 season.

Unity, which finished third in Class 2A this winter, led all conference programs with five selections, all seniors. Brayden Henry and Coleton Langendorf earned First Team honors after anchoring the Rockets’ postseason run, while Dane Eisenmenger was named to the Second Team. Tyler Henry and Tre Hoggard also received recognition from league coaches, both landing on the Honorable Mention list.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

LEFT: Central Catholic's Keshaun Manney goes up for a rebound during the Saints' road game at St. Joseph-Ogden. He was is one of two BCC players who earned all-conference recognition this season. RIGHT: SJO's Parker Fitch goes up for a shot in the Spartans' home conference game. Fitch was the Spartans' only first-teamer this season.

St. Joseph-Ogden placed two players on the all-conference roster. Senior Parker Fitch secured a spot on the First Team, and junior Nolan Franzen was named to the Second Team following a strong campaign for the Spartans.

Rounding out the area honorees were St. Thomas More senior Owen Yeager and Rantoul junior Iysean Autman, who each received Honorable Mention recognition.

The annual selections reflect the vote of conference coaches and highlight the depth of talent across the Illini Prairie Conference this season.

2025-26 Illini Prairie All-Conference Basketball Team

1st Team

Keshaun Manney, Jr, Central Catholic
Grady Read, Sr, IVC
Amazin King, Jr, Pontiac
Parker Fitch, Sr, St. Joseph-Ogden
Coleton Langendorf, Sr, Unity
Brayden Henry, Sr, Unity

2nd Team

Crayton Schnierle, Jr, Central Catholic
Brady Ward, Sr, IVC
Tyler Cole, Sr, PBL
Cayden Masching, Sr, Pontiac
Nolan Franzen, Jr, St. Joseph-Ogden
Dane Eisenmenger, Sr, Unity

Honorable Mention

Nolan Buehnerkemper, Sr, Monticello
Matthias Rudolph, Jr, Monticello
Evan Wolf, Jr, Pontiac
Bryson Gadberry, Sr, Prairie Central
Easton Friedman, Sr, Prairie Central
Iysean Autman, Jr, Rantoul
Owen Yeager, Sr, St. Thomas More
Tre Hoggard, Sr, Unity
Tyler Henry, Sr, Unity

TAGS: Illini Prairie Conference all conference basketball 2026, Unity Rockets basketball all conference players, St Joseph Ogden basketball all conference selections, Illinois high school basketball conference honors IPC, area high school basketball players all conference Illinois

Illini Prairie Football
Week 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.

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 OurSentinel.com Friday morning to see which teams are predicted to win as they work to qualify for this year's state football playoffs.

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

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.

The Sentinel's Illini Prairie Conference sports coverage

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

All-Conference, All-State lineman Cameron Wagner

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

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

You pick 'em |
Make your Week 2 Illini Prairie football predictions

It is time to pick your teams for the Sentinel's Friday Night Forecast. Test your Illini Prairie Conference knowledge and pick this week's winning teams. See how your picks compare with other fans this week and throughout the season.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Prairie Central quarterback Collin Kilgus waits for a St. Joseph-Ogden tackle to commit before handing off the football to running back Wyatt Ault on Friday during their season opener on the road at St. Joseph-Ogden. The Hawks fell 64-20 to the host Spartans. Kilgus and Ault team up again on Friday for home game against Pontiac in Week 2 Illini Prairie football action.

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 OurSentinel.com Friday mornings to see which teams are predicted to win as they play each week to qualify for this year's state football playoffs.

This week's predictions are here. Follow the link to see which teams this week's panel of experts picked.

TAGS: Week 2 football predictions, Unity Rockets football predictions, St. Joseph-Ogden vs PBL, Illini Prairie Conference football predictions 2026, Sentinel Friday Football Night Forecast, Illini Prairie Conference football predictions, 2026 Illinois high school football predictions,

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

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

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)

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

Friday Night Forecast
Week 7 Illini Prairie football predictions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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%

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

You pick 'em |
Week 3 Illini Prairie football predictions

It is time to pick your teams for the Sentinel's Week 3 Friday Night Forecast. Join this week's panel by filling out the form below.

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 OurSentinel.com Friday mornings to see which teams are predicted to post another win on the way to qualifying for the state football playoffs.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

TOLONO - Beckham Brink avoids tackles by Monticello's Ayden McCool and Will Osborne on his way to a Unity touchdown. In classic fashion and a exciting playoff atmosphere, the Sages recovered and went on to win 27-23 in an on-the-edge of your seat regular season conference game. The Rockets (1-1) play on the road this Friday at Bloomington Central Catholic and Monticello (2-0) hosts Rantoul for Week 3 in the Illini Prairie Conference. More photos from this game coming soon.

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Friday Night Forecast Leaderboard

1. Coltrane (5-0)
1. DoubleJ (5-0)
1. Best Look Magazine (5-0)
1. SCOTTY P (5-0)
1. Sagesrunner (5-0)
1. Frank (5-0)
1. Bement Bulldogs (5-0)
1. Steve (5-0)
1. The Sentinel (5-0)

** After Week 1.

In case you are wondering, last week's predictions are here.

TAGS: Illini Prairie Conference football predictions, 2026 Illinois high school football predictions, Week 3 football predictions, Unity Rockets football predictions, St. Joseph-Ogden vs PBL, Illini Prairie Conference football predictions 2026, Sentinel Friday Football Night Forecast

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.

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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.

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

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