September 7, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Spartans bring home title

They say that defense wins championships.

That could not be truer than the St. Joseph Junior Varsity Youth program, which won the Central Illinois Youth Football League championship by a score of 14-13 over the Danville Seahawks on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.

All season, the Spartans JV team used their stingy defense to wrangle opponents, only giving up 26 points the entire season. According to head coach Matt McKinney, he attributes the defense as the main catalyst to his team bringing home the title.

“Our defense has been outstanding all season and has only given up five touchdowns, and four of them were to the Seahawks.  They have been in some tough positions with their backs against the wall, but they have stood tall and kept the other team out of the end zone.  Stuffing the extra point attempt was the difference in Sunday’s game,” McKinney said regarding the defensive effort all season and the key play in Sunday’s game that proved to be deciding factor.

Gary Page, who was the defensive coordinator, worked tirelessly during the last two weeks of the season after the Spartans suffered their first loss of the season, 12-8 to the Seahawks in week five of the regular season at Garfield Park in Danville.

Knowing that loss stung, the Spartans took the setback as a lesson and vowed that they would see the Seahawks again, most likely in the title game.

McKinney, Page and the offensive line coaches, Derek Von Meenon and Jake Wagner, decided to change things up once the playoffs began since the Spartans received a first-round bye by virtue of their second place regular season finish. The coaches had players watch film of themselves playing on a few occasions, and according to McKinney, that made a huge difference in the attitude of the players during practice.

“Offensively, I couldn’t be prouder of our linemen.  The first time we played the Seahawks, we did not block well and we struggled to move the ball.  Yesterday, we were pushing their d-line backwards and creating monster holes.  We were also able to go on different counts and keep their defense off balance.  I believe the biggest reason for our improvement on the offensive line was watching film of ourselves when we played Urbana.  We coaches didn’t know how well a film session would go with a classroom full of 5th and 6th graders, but we decided to give it a shot.  For most of the players, this was the first time that they had ever seen themselves play.  I think it really woke some of them up and they knew that they could do better.  They proved it yesterday,” McKinney added about all the work his team put in to prepare for the Seahawks a second time.

Throughout the season, the Spartans shut out their opponents five of the eight games, and in the three contests where the opponent scored, they allowed 6, 12 and 13 points, respectively. That’s domination.

The excitement of the young Spartans playing on the same field that the Fighting Illini play on showed before, during and after the game, as McKinney alluded to after his team had hoisted the trophy.

“Yesterday was a roller coaster of emotions.  Before the game even starts, you could see the excitement and anticipation in the players’ eyes to be playing in the Championship game at Memorial Stadium.  There were a lot of nerves before the game, and we coaches are probably the worst ones, but we try not to show it.  After the kickoff though, everyone breaths and the players go to work.  But then throughout the game we experienced every emotion you can think of,” McKinney said about the range of emotions on the day.

With the recent decline of the program numbers-wise after the junior varsity level, that is a trend that McKinney would like to change, and he is going to do his part to see that a varsity level returns to the youth program as early as next season.

“I’m going to start talking to kids about coming out next year so we can get a varsity program back at SJO. There is too much talent on this team, as well as the pee-wee team to not have them continue,” McKinney said about his desire to keep youth football going strong in the community.

Members of the 2019 C.I.Y.F.L Champions are as follows:

1 Logan Rosenthal

2 Paityn Mann

4 Kaden Wedig

5 Jonathon Moore

7 Cameron Buskirk

8 Brayden Waller

10 Wyatt Wertz

12 Kodey McKinney

18 Jackson Glasa

23 Chevy Williams

26 Eli Garrett

30 Landon Frick

33 Garrick Page

34 Hunter Van Meenon

40 Mason Olinger

50 Cam Wagner

54 Elias Krall

62 Matthew Alexander

64 Nathan Wagner

80 Tim Blackburn-Kelley

84 Coy Hayes

89 Caleb Cotter

Coaching Staff:
Matt McKinney
Gary Page III
Derek Van Meenon
Jake Wagner

Banner
Related Posts

Live at St. Joseph Village Sept. 13, 2022

September 13, 2022

September 13, 2022

I am here. I am the only one in the audience. Here’s some big news if you missed it. https://www.stjosephrecord.com/2022/09/13/village-expected-to-accept-bid-for-boy-scout-building/...

Franzen, Knap pace SJO girls’ cross-country at Spartan Classic

October 1, 2021

October 1, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ cross-country team had a strong showing at the Spartan Classic this past Saturday. SJO...

SJO heading to state in boys track and field

June 17, 2021

June 17, 2021

By Jim Cotter After not having any kind of a season in 2020, the St. Joseph-Ogden boys track and field...

SJO softball rallies to win season opener

March 20, 2019

March 20, 2019

The spring sports season is a little more than a week old for St. Joseph-Ogden High School. Here’s how the...

Armstrong, Cramer help lead SJO girls’ basketball in two wins

February 1, 2020

February 1, 2020

Postseason play is right around the corner for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ basketball team. And the Spartans continue...

Gilliland coaching legacy strong at PVO

June 1, 2020

June 1, 2020

Coaching legacies can last decades for families. For the Gilliland family of rural Ogden, that notion has resonated for a...

5 questions with TANNER SIEMS

March 1, 2024

March 1, 2024

How would you describe your team?I would describe our team as a family. What is the biggest lesson you have...

Jones named SJO student-athlete of the month

November 18, 2020

November 18, 2020

Helene Jones likes a challenge. Jones, the October St. Joseph-Ogden student-athlete of the month, enjoys math because it challenges her....

Smith, Spartans on roll entering playoffs

October 29, 2022

October 29, 2022

Hosting home football playoff games became common for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School football team in the past. In fact,...

SJO boys’ track and field looks to build upon past success

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

Jason Retz is no stranger to success when it comes to St.Joseph-Ogden High School athletics. The sixth-year coach of the...

‘Genuine excitement’ for SJO football heading into 2019 season

August 29, 2019

August 29, 2019

Lofty expectations are attached to the St. Joseph-Ogden High School football team every year. This season is no different for...

Walsh giving back: Former SJO quarterback now an assistant with the Spartans

November 2, 2019

November 2, 2019

Dalton Walsh has grown up around St. Joseph-Ogden High School football. Quite literally. “I remember being a kid and always...

SJO softball wins Mattoon Tournament, but fall twice in conference play

April 16, 2019

April 16, 2019

Coaches always are eager to see how their teams respond after losses. For St. Joseph-Ogden High School softball coach Larry...

Ingram, Behrens lead SJO soccer in spring season

April 21, 2021

April 21, 2021

The St. Joseph-Ogden boys’ soccer team experienced a whirlwind of aseason during the 2020-21 school year. A season they’ll likely...

First night game in program history in books, SJO soccer looks to continue successful start

September 11, 2023

September 11, 2023

The St. Joseph-Ogden soccer team was scheduled to play Uni High on Thursday, Aug. 24. At a normal time for...

Comments
Leave a Reply