Photo Gallery: Unity wins playoff game over PBL, 21-14

Paxton-Buckley-Loda Seth Hitz misses a tackle on Unity's Tyler Hensch during the second-round playoff game last Saturday. The Panthers (7-4), new to the Illini Prairie Conference, put up a good fight against the state-ranked Rockets at Hicks Field before their season came to a close after a 21-14 finish in Unity's favor. Next, the Rockets host the Bullets of Williamsville at 2pm tomorrow.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Unity quarterback Blake Kimball sheds PBL linebacker Dalton Jones keeping the ball for a short gain. On a beautiful November afternoon in Tolono, Kimball set a school record on Saturday for most completions in a single season with the Rockets at 136. Tomorrow, he will have an opportunity to set the bar higher when the Rockets host their third home playoff game this season against Williamsville for a quarterfinal showdown. Saturday's forecast calls for mostly cloudy conditions with the high in the upper 30s. West winds 10 to 15 mph with gusts to around 25 mph could be a problem for extending his mark much higher.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Austin Langendorf and another Unity player breaks up a pass play

Austin Langendorf and another Unity player break up a pass play to PBL's Jacob Gronsky. The Rockets, who entered the game scoring 41.9 points per game during the regular season, got the job done with a 21-14 victory is in its 26th playoff appearance in the last 27 fall seasons. A win tomorrow and the following week will mark Unity's sixth playoff appearance in as many years. See more game photos at Unity Rocket Football.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

The Unity Rockettes perform on the sidelines for fans during the game on gorgeous fall day.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Braxton Manuel bursts through a banner before the start of second-round game between Illini Prairie Conference foes. Manuel and the Rockets defeated the Panthers earlier in the season, 35-0.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Rockets' Boden Franklin grabs on to Panther ball carrier Tyler Smith on a third-and-three play for a loss. The stop forced PBL to punt the ball putting it on Unity's 9 yard line. See more game photos at Unity Rocket Football.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Paxton-Buckley-Loda senior Tyler Smith along with help from teammate Garret Sanders brings down Unity's Matt Brown. With a chip on their shoulder and something to prove, the Paxton-Buckley-Loda defense held Unity, who averaged 41 points/game during the regular season, to a total of 21 in their playoff game. PBL gave up an average of just 11.9 points in their first nine games in the IPC.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Unity assistant coach and offensive line coach Tony Reetz talks to players during the game. UHS trailed 14-7 early in the second half of an exciting high school football game. The Rockets erased the deficit, first, on a pass from Blake Kimball to Dillon Rutledge on a fourth-and-15 play, and later when Kimball found his way into the end zone on a 13-yard run with 6:42 left in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Matt Brown evades PBL's Tyler Smith. Brown will be key to Unity's advance past Williamsville when they meet on Saturday at Hicks Field. In their last meeting back during the 2012 playoffs, Unity survived 10-7 on a last-second field goal on a day shaping up with similar weather conditions nine years ago. Brown finished the game against the Panthers with 87 yards on 24 carries.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Unity senior Blake Kimball stretches forward to get the ball into the end zone for the game-winning score. Kimball called his own number 23 times tallying 101 rushing yards producing a come-from-behind playoff win for the Rockets. See more game photos at Unity Rocket Football.

Photo: Unity Rocket Photos

Unity crushes Golden Aces, playoff rematch set for Saturday against the Monticello Sages

The Rockets rolled over Mt. Carmel in the first round and now prepare for a revenge-fueled playoff rematch with the Monticello Sages at Hicks Field.

Unity's Colton Langendorf celebrates a sack

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Colton Langendorf celebrates after putting Mt. Carmel quarteback River Deisher on the turf for a stop during first half action of their Class 3A first-round playoff game. Langendorf was a beast, leading the defensive unit to hold the Golden Aces to just 208 yards in the Rockets' seventh consecutive win.

by Clark Brooks

Sentinel Sports

TOLONO - The echoes of last November still linger in Tolono. A bitter 23-20 semifinal loss to Monticello ended Unity’s state title dreams and sent the Sages to the Class 3A championship game. Now, nearly a year later, the Rockets are rocketing toward redemption - and the rematch is set.

Unity made that clear Saturday afternoon at Hicks Field, where the fourth-seeded Rockets (9-1) dismantled Mt. Carmel 42-14 in a first-round playoff rout that felt over before it began.

Tyler Henry celebrates a second-quarter pass TD

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Tyler Henry celebrates his 46-yard TD catch in the east end zone at Hicks Field. The score came after his 35-yard pick-six less than two minutes earlier in the second quarter.

On a sun-splashed Saturday at Hicks Field, the Unity Rockets didn’t just win a playoff game - they made a statement. From the opening kickoff, it was clear that this wasn’t going to be one of those nail-biters fans talk about years later. It was domination, pure and simple, wrapped in maroon and white. The Rockets scored on their second play from scrimmage - just 28 seconds into the game - and never looked back, building a 42-0 halftime lead before turning the second half into a showcase for their freshman squad.

The win marked Unity’s seventh straight and punched their ticket to a second-round showdown with fifth-seeded Monticello, a rivalry game steeped in history, heartbreak, and high stakes.

But before we get there, though, the Rockets had business to take care of first. Let’s rewind to Saturday’s statement win.

Fast Start, Furious Finish

Crewe Eckstein wasted no time setting the tone. The junior running back sliced through the Golden Aces defense for a 21-yard touchdown run on Unity’s opening possession, then added a second score minutes later on a 10-yard burst. By the end of the first quarter, Unity led 21-0.

Tre Hoggard added to the fireworks with an 18-yard touchdown run in the first frame, then hauled in a 47-yard over-the-shoulder strike from quarterback Dane Eisenmenger in the second quarter. Eisenmenger was nearly perfect, completing 6 of 7 passes, while Hoggard finished with three catches for 70 yards.

Tyler Henry delivered the exclamation point before halftime. With 2:17 left in the second quarter, the senior intercepted a Mt. Carmel pass and sprinted 35 yards to the end zone, igniting the Unity bench and student section. Henry had already scored earlier on a 46-yard reception and finished with 55 yards on two catches.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Golden Aces' Jack Webb makes a leaping catch despite tight coverage by Rockets' Brayden Henry. Webb, a senior, finished the last game of his prep career with just three yards rushing on two touches and six yards on this catch.

Defense Dominates

Unity’s defense was relentless. The Rockets held Mt. Carmel to just 208 total yards on 48 plays - a stark contrast to Unity’s 306 yards on 34 plays. Chason Daly recorded two sacks, Desmond Winfrey added a tackle for loss, and Graydin Cler snagged an interception to cap a suffocating defensive effort.

Mt. Carmel’s lone bright spot came in the second half against Unity’s JV unit. Senior Elliott Acree led the Golden Aces (5-5) with 83 all-purpose yards, including a 22-yard reception and 61 rushing yards on 13 carries. Jack Webb and Owen Blake each scored late touchdowns, but the damage had long been done.

Looking Ahead: Monticello Awaits

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Tre Hoggard runs the ball for a Unity touchdown in the first half. The senior rolled up 24 yards rushing and 70 receiving yards. Hoggard and the Rockets turn to defeating Illini Prairie foe Monticello for a second time this season.

The last time the two teams met, Unity rolled to a 34-7 win on the road in their regular season contest back in September. But the memory of last year’s semifinal heartbreak, when Monticello edged Unity 23-20 to reach the state title game, still lingers and there is redemption that needs to be settled.

Last November, nearly 50 weeks ago, Monticello stunned Unity on the last play of the game on their home field, sending the Sages to the state final. Saturday, with revenge and redemption on the line, the Rockets are will put the 2024 game behind them once and for all.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Hicks Field, where the fence line is expected to be packed three deep with fans, for an Illini Prairie team advance to a quarterfinal game.

TAGGED: Unity Rockets playoff football, IHSA Class 3A second round, Unity vs Monticello rivalry, Tolono Illinois high school sports, Unity Rockets dominate Mt. Carmel 42-14, Unity football wins

State Bound!
Unity prevails over SJO in 3A semifinal clash

Unity topped St. Joseph-Ogden 51-44 in a playoff thriller loaded with big plays. The Rockets capitalized on two second-quarter interceptions to build a crucial lead.

Unity football team celebrates win over St. Joseph-Ogden

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Members of the Unity football team celebrate their win over St. Joseph-Ogden. Winning the semifinal game, the Rockets earned the right to face Byron next Friday for the Class 3A title.

ST. JOSEPH - Unity earned its ticket to the IHSA Class 3A championship game with a 51-44 win over St. Joseph-Ogden on a bright mid-November afternoon at Dick Duval Field. The matchup between two of central Illinois’ most consistent football powers delivered everything expected from a playoff showdown, with both teams trading big plays and momentum swings before the Rockets closed the epic battle out.

St. Joseph-Ogden struck early behind senior standout Wyatt Wertz, who found the end zone twice in the first quarter. Wertz continued to power the Spartans’ offense throughout the game, finishing with 94 rushing yards on 16 carries and adding a game-changing 99-yard kick return for another score in the third quarter. His 210 all-purpose yards fueled SJO’s effort to keep pace in a contest that rarely slowed.

Quarterback Kodey McKinney added two rushing touchdowns on runs of 16 and 18 yards while also throwing for 210 yards. The senior led the Spartans on the ground as well with 119 rushing yards, helping SJO briefly capture momentum as the teams traded long drives and explosive plays.

Unity’s offense matched the challenge with a productive day from Crewe Eckstein, who was a force between the tackles. Eckstein piled up 161 yards and scored twice on short runs of 2 and 5 yards, helping the Rockets keep the chains moving and maintain balance as the game tightened.

But the true difference came from the Unity defense, which delivered back-to-back lightning strikes midway through the second quarter. With St. Joseph-Ogden driving, Brayden Henry jumped a pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown. Just 78 seconds later, Caden Hensch intercepted another ball and sprinted 28 yards to the end zone, pushing Unity to a 25-17 lead that swung the game’s momentum for good.

St. Joseph-Ogden, the No. 14 seed entering the postseason, wrapped up a strong run with an 8-5 finish.

Unity (12-1), which has reached the playoffs 33 times and owns six runner-up trophies, now moves on to next Friday’s championship game at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium. First-year head coach Tony Reetz has his program one win away from its first state title.

Standing in the Rockets’ path is undefeated Byron (13-0), which advanced with a 44-10 win over Richmond-Burton. The Tigers have reached the postseason 31 times and carry three state championships and two runner-up finishes into the matchup. The teams last met in the 2021 title game, when Byron won 35-7, two years after falling 24-20 to Monticello in the 2018 final.

Photo Gallery

Crewe Eckstein celebrates a Unity touchdown against St. Joseph-Ogden

Unity's Crewe Eckstein celebrates his 5-yard TD run with the help of lineman Coleson Miller in the third quarter. He scored the Rockets' first touchdown of the game with a two-yard plunge to make up a 7-0 first-quarter deficit.

LEFT: SJO's Ryker Lockhart and Coy Hayes help Kodey McKinney bring down Unity running back Crewe Eckstein. MIDDLE: Unity's Brayden Henry tries to juke his way around Spartans' Logan Rosenthal on a kick return play. RIGHT: A SJO Maroon Platoon member leads the student section in a cheer during first half action.

LEFT: Spartan senior Ryker Lockhart breaks up a pass play on a Dane Eisenmenger pass to Tyler Henry. RIGHT: SJO's Ennis Jameson tries to fight his way past Rocket lineman Coleson Miller in the first half.

LEFT: Jonathon Moore records a tackle for a loss for the Spartans, putting Unity quarterback Dane Eisenmenger on the turf in the fourth quarter. MIDDLE: Eisenmenger leaps happily over the goal line, sealing the Rocket's victory on a 25-yard run to give Unity a 51-37 advantage with 2:28 left in the ball game. RIGHT: Feeling the agony of defeat, SJO center Brennan Oleynichak and quarterback Kodey share a hug after the game.

Spartans Wyatt Wertz runs the ball past the 50-yard mark on his way to a 99-yard kick return against the Rockets.

All photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity vs St. Joseph-Ogden Class 3A semifinal recap, IHSA 3A football state championship preview Unity vs Byron, Unity Rockets football playoff history and results, St. Joseph-Ogden postseason football performance analysis, Illinois high school football semifinal game highlights

Late rally propels Rockets past the Sages into 3A quarterfinals

Unity edged Monticello 21-20 in a dramatic Class 3A playoff rematch at Hicks Field. The Rockets sealed the victory on a last-second interception by Tre Hoggard.

Tre Hoggard catch wins Unity football game

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Tre Hoggard makes a leaping catch in front of a pass intended for Monticello's Jake Robinson on a two-point conversion attempt by the Sages. The snag by Hoggard as time expired ended the game with the Rockets on top 21-20 and advancing to the Class 3A quarterfinals.

TOLONO — The atmosphere was as electric and palpable as expected from the opening kickoff to the final interception that sealed Unity’s one-point victory over Monticello (8-3) at Hicks Field in their Class 3A second-round playoff game on Saturday. In a gritty, hard-fought battle, the Rockets avenged last year’s semifinal loss at Monticello with a dramatic finish of their own, winning 21-20 in a finale for the ages.

Unity, which advanced to the state quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive season and the 18th time in program history, will play at Williamsville (11-0) at 2 p.m. next Saturday.

Monticello receiver Zeke Young goes up for a Nolan Buehnerkemper pass

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Monticello's Zeke Young goes up for a pass between Unity defensive backs Tyler Henry and Adam Reedy early in the second half of their playoff game.

The matchup between the rival Illini Prairie Conference programs was a classic gridiron struggle filled with big plays and momentum swings on a gray, overcast day. Fueled by determination, athleticism, and sound fundamentals on both sides, “epic” might have been an understatement.

“Monticello is a great team with a great game plan,” Unity head coach Tony Reetz said. “We knew they would give us everything we could handle. They did a great job of making long drives and keeping our offense off the field. We never really got the field flipped the way we wanted. Hats off to them.”

Monticello senior quarterback Nolan Buehnerkemper’s swan song was bittersweet. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound senior played quarterback, safety and kicker, seemingly everywhere for the Sages. He completed 24 of 35 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns.

Buehnerkemper scored Monticello’s first touchdown on a 1-yard plunge that gave the Sages a 7-0 lead with 5:56 left in the first quarter. Just over two minutes later, he connected with Zeke Young on a 75-yard touchdown strike, stunning the heavily favored Rockets with a 14-0 advantage.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Crewe Eckstein pushes Sages' Drake Weeks away on his way to the tying touchdown before the end of the first half. The senior ran for 157 yards on 25 touches.

Down two scores at the start of the second quarter, Unity responded immediately. On the first play of the quarter, Tre Hoggard ran nine yards for a touchdown. With 6:16 left in the half, Crewe Eckstein found the corner of the west end zone for another score. Kicker Ty Rodems converted both extra points to tie the game 14-14 at halftime.

“A lot of respect to them. They are a good team,” Eckstein said after posing for photos with friends. The senior finished with 157 yards on 26 carries. “They filled all their gaps. They hustle and they play hard.”

Neither team scored in the third quarter as both defenses stood firm.

Unity took a 21-14 lead with 9:41 left in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Dane Eisenmenger.

“We were all clicking in the second half. The first half was a little iffy,” senior defensive back Coleton Langendorf said. “But we picked it up in the second half.”

Keegan Germano puts a major hit on a Monticello reciever

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Unity's Keegan Germano tries to fold Monticello tight end Jake Robinson in half with a solid tackle during third quarter action. Teammate Coleton Langendorf said Germano delivered an outstanding effort on defense for the Rockets. "He was just flying around everywhere. He was making things happen," Langendorf said singing praises.

Monticello didn’t back down. With less than nine seconds remaining, Buehnerkemper found Heyden Ramano, who scooped the pass just inches above the ground for a touchdown to make it 21-20.

Instead of kicking the extra point to force overtime, Monticello head coach Cully Welter made the gutsy decision to go for two. Buehnerkemper threw over the middle to senior Jake Robinson, but before the ball could reach his neon-gloved fingertips, Hoggard leapt into the air and intercepted it — ending the Sages’ season and sending Unity to the quarterfinals.

“When the ball touched my finger, it was amazing,” Hoggard said. “I just knew the game was over.”

Not bad for a player who hadn’t played defense all year but stepped in for an injured teammate in the Sages' last drive in the third quarter. He was on the field for just six plays, but his presence made the difference.

“It feels good. I wouldn’t say I was responsible for the win. There are others on our team who stepped up when they needed to. Defense stepped up in the fourth quarter for sure.”

After the game, Monticello players, even after a heartbreaking loss, displayed an impressive level of class, sportsmanship and conference camaraderie during postgame handshakes, telling their opponents, “Go get the big win.”

“They were wishing us good luck,” Eckstein said. “A lot of respect to those guys. They are all nice. They are all great.”

Desmond Winfrey and Coleton Langendor celebrate a defensive stop for the Unity Rockets

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Desmond Winfrey and Coleton Langendor celebrate a defensive stop in the third quarter. The Rockets move on in the Class 3A bracket with a roadtrip to Williamsville next Saturday.

Tags: Unity Rockets Class 3A football playoffs, Monticello Sages vs Unity playoff game recap, Illinois high school football quarterfinal preview, Unity football Hicks Field Tolono Illinois, IHSA Class 3A playoff highlights 2025

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

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