Photo Gallery | 3-and-0!!! SJO off to a solid start after hosting Prairie Central

James Barron (left) and Tim Blackburn-Kelley celebrate in the end zone after Blackburn-Kelley took the ball 60 yard on a pass from Logan Smith for a first-quarter Spartan touchdown. Locked In, St. Joseph-Ogden took care of business at Dick Duval Field on Friday night beating the Hawks, 26-19. SJ0 improves to 3-0, a feat last performed at the start of the 2018 season.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Top-left: St. Joseph-Ogden's Coy Taylor takes the ball for a 14-yard run through the Prairie Central defense for a first down. Taylor, a junior, finished the game with 49 passing yards and 3 yards rushing. Top-right: Spartans' Nolan Earley plows into Hawks' quarterback Avery Elder, who got rid of the ball a split-second before impact between the two. Bottom-left: With Garrett Denhart holding, senior kicker Joe Frasca hits an field goal for SJO. Bottom-right: Logan Smith pitches the ball out to running back Justice Wertz. Smith threw for 189 yards on 21 plas and ran for another 39. Wertz finished the conference game with 69 yards.

Photos: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Linebacker Caleb Ochs puts a lick on Prairie Central quarterback Avery Elder to break up a fourth-quarter pass play. The Spartan football team plays at home again this Friday when they will host Illinois Valley Central. The 0-3 Grey Ghost will come to Dick Duval Field looking to spoil SJO's Homecoming plans for their first victory of the season.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Photo Gallery: Spartan football falls at home to Prairie Central

SJO's Isaiah Moore helps a teammate bring down Prairie Central's Camden Palmore during fourth quarter action. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Isaiah Moore finds open pasture on 42-yard kick return for the Spartans. The senior picked up 107 yards for the night returning kickoffs and punts for the Spartans. His shortest run was 14 yards, his longest was this 42-yard run. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

SJO's Owen Birt hangs on to Prairie Central's Drew Fehr during a play in the second quarter. The Hawks outscored St. Joseph-Ogden 20-14 at the midpoint of the game. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Spartans' Ethan Vanliew puts his shoulder into Hawks' Drew Fehr to help teammate Bryson Helfrich make a tackle during second quarter action of the game. Just a TD away from winning their first game of the season, SJO fell at home to Prairie Central, 34-28. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Lineman Conrad Miller gets physical while playing on the offensive line against the Hawks. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Seniors Griffin Roesch and Keaton Nolan (right) celebrate an SJO touchdown. Nolan found the end zone on a 25-yard Evan Ingram pass in the second quarter to narrow the Hawks' lead to eight points, 20-12. Later, the senior hauled in a second pass on a 10-yard play as time expired at the end of the third quarter. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

A member of the SJO Maroon Platoon cheers after her football team puts another six points on the scoreboard in the second half. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Senior Coby Miller reacts to the Spartans' third loss of the season as he walks of the field. Miller finished the night with just 26 rushing yards and 18 more from three passes. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Playing the roll of a valiant prince, Elijah Weinman performs with the SJO Marching Band during halftime show. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Flag girl Alyssa Shoviak performs during the SJO Marching Band's halftime performance. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Members of the SJO Marching Band reed section play during halftime. The band performed two numbers from this year's competition routines. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

St. Joseph-Ogden junior Aidan McCorkle drags down Prairie Central quarterback Owen Rafferty for a loss. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Assistant coach and St. Joseph-Ogden football alum Nick Bialeschki passes along saged advice to junior defensive lineman Peyton Sarver. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Tyler Burch runs the ball back 28 yards on a punt return for the Spartans. The explosive junior speedster posted 106 yards on special team returns on Friday. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Joe Frasca boots the ball deep in the second half after a SJO touchdown. The Spartans scored four times during this week's game, doubling the sophomore's time on the field over the previous two weeks combined. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Keaton Nolan sprays his face with water during a timeout in the second quarter. The senior finished with 102 all-purpose yards in this season's home game against the Hawks. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

St. Joseph-Ogden cheerleader Kyle Meccoli helps lead fans with a cheer during the fourth quarter. This season's cheer squad features 21 students under the direction of first year head coach MiReena Burris. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

St. Joseph-Ogden defenders Alex Funk and Jett Morris wrap up Prairie Central running back Drew Fehr. Fehr, who scored twice during the week three conference game, tallied 152 yards on 25 carries against the Spartans. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

An SJO cheerleader watches her team's football games between cheers. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Quarterback Evan Ingram looks for an open receiver as he drops back to pass during the second half. The senior completed 15 of the 23 passes for 203 yards. Three of the completions (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

Photo Gallery | SJO defeats Monticello in Week 1 at Dick Duval Field

St. Joseph-Ogden quarterback Logan Smith dives into the end zone to score the first touchdown on Dick Duval Field's newly installed turf surface on Friday. Smith scored five times and three a 31-yard TD in the Spartans 40-14 win over visiting Monticello.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO's Tim Blackburn-Kelley hauls in a short pass during the first quarter of play against the Sages. The explosive sophomore running back finished the night with 38 yards on seven carries and hauled in three passes for 31 yards. Blackburn-Kelley and the Spartans travel to Hicks Field this Friday to face Illini Prairie Conference favorite Unity. The Rockets also won their season opener defeating Prairie Central at home, 27-12.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Monticello quarterback Luke Teschke, a senior, prepares throw the ball deep into SJO territory during the first quarter of their conference game. Teschke threw for 248 yards against the Spartans and ran collected 128 of the Sages' 177 yards rushing.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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SJO student fans cheer after another Spartan first down during first quarter action.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Monticello's Jeremiah Wenke and Brandon Peters celebrate as teammate Raiden Colbert completes his 32-yard run through the St. Joseph-Ogden defense for a touchdown. The Sages would score their only other score in the third quarter on a 27-yard pass play.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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St. Joseph-Ogden English teacher Ashton Harwood (center) works with student-journalists Maya Botts (left) and Grace Getty (right) on the sidelines during first half. In just one year's time, the high school's journalism program grew from 12 students during the previous academic year to nearly 50 students. Harwood said that after a long hiatus SJO's school newspaper resume publishing again this school year.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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A trio of St. Joseph-Ogden football fans share a laugh during a lull in second half action at Dick Duval Field.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Student fans cheer for the Spartans during the first half of the Illini Prairie Conference game.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Spartan quarterback Logan Smith rolls out of the pocket in the second quarter. Smith led SJO's offense with 102 yards rushing and threw for another 163 yards. With the speed and mobility of a seasoned tailback, four of the five senior's touchdowns on Friday came inside the red zone.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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A flag girl waits for the command to begin her routine during the SJO Marching Band's halftime show.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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A member of the SJO Marching Band plays rototoms during halftime.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Ray Gutierrez, Braxton Waller, Kodey McKinney, and Corbin Wells celebrate a recovered Monticello fumble.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Lightning illuminates the sky to the west of St. Joseph forcing officials to suspend the game until a small storm system passes through the area.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Kicker Joe Frasca kicks off to resume the game after a lightning delay in the third quarter.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Die-hard SJO fans watch the game from under their umbrella after a nearly hour and half lightning delay.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Spartan fans endure a light rain during third quarter action.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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With his team up on the scoreboard, Spartan linebacker James Barron is all smiles in the fourth quarter.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Sophomore running back Wyatt Wertz takes the ball in a handoff from SJO quarterback Kodey McKinney for a short gain during fourth quarter action. Wertz had four touches to finish with 26 yards rushing.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Following tradition, the entire Spartan football team sings the school song after their first victory on Dick Duval Field's new turf.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Stat girls from the St.Joseph-Ogden football team sing the school song after the game with the team and fans.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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