January 19, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Commitment pays off for Mattsey

St. Joseph-Ogden Junior Brandon Mattsey is a leader.


That is why his cross country coach Jason Retz, nominated him for athlete of the month.


Retz said Mattsey showed commitment to practices, meets and bettering himself.


Mattsey said he enjoys being a student-athlete at St. Joseph-Ogden High School and especially enjoys being surrounded by the positive atmosphere created by teammates and teachers even when striving to meet the high expectations of the athletic programs at SJO.


“I’d say the hardest part of being a student-athlete at SJO is meeting the expectations of excellence that others have for you and in turn raising the bar for others,” he said.


Mattsey, who’s favorite class is American History, plans on going to college and plans on running at the collegiate level.

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