Big offensive plays are bound to happen with the St. Joseph-Ogden football team.
The Spartans, simply put, have too many playmakers. And the reigning Illini Prairie Conference
champions got the 2025 season started off right with a 44-7 win against Prairie Central last
Friday night at Lewis Field in Fairbury.
SJO (1-0, 1-0 Illini Prairie) never trailed against the host Hawks (0-1, 0-1) and used a strong
second half to win its season opener.
The Spartans have won 12 straight Illini Prairie games dating back to the 2023 season and will
try to keep that streak going this Friday night. SJO hosts Paxton-Buckley-Loda (0-1, 0-1) at 7
p.m. at Dick Duval Field in St. Joseph for its home opener. PBL is coming off a 21-14 home loss
against Bloomington Central Catholic last Friday night.
“PBL has some really solid players,” SJO coach Shawn Skinner said. “They clearly want to be
physical, and they have some guys up front who can just bully you. We are going to need to
prepare for their physicality because they are really tough. They could have won the game
against BCC, so they are going to be very motivated and ready to go in Week 2.”
Kodey McKinney, Kaden Wedig and Wyatt Wertz shined for SJO in Week 1. McKinney, the
Spartans senior quarterback, completed 10 of 14 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns.
He added 19 rushing yards on seven carries.
“Kodey was great in that you could see the game has really slowed down for him,” Skinner said.
“He made sure guys were where they should be, and he made great decisions. What really
impressed me was we called on him to run the ball on some third-down and fourth-down and
short plays, and he understood that he just needed to get the first down. He didn’t try to do too
much. Again, that’s a sign of maturity and understanding the game.”
Much like Wedig. The Spartans’ junior wide receiver battled injuries for most of his sophomore
season in 2024, but made an immediate effect in 2025. Wedig caught six passes for 125 yards
and two touchdowns. His 16-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter, combined with a
successful extra point by senior Lucas Smith, put the Spartans ahead 14-7. He added a 66-
yard touchdown catch in the third quarter as SJO increased its lead to 28-7.
“Wedig has had such a tough time getting his hand healed and getting in a position to be back at
full strength,” Skinner said. “He’s a highly capable wide receiver, and he showed that he can be
a real factor in our passing game.”
Same for Wertz in the run game. The Spartans’ senior running back scampered his way to 130
rushing yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. His 5-yard touchdown run in the first quarter
gave SJO a 7-0 lead, and he closed his night with a 15-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter
that padded the Spartans’ lead to 37-7.
“Wertz has just worked hard this offseason, and he’s really ready to carry the load,” Skinner
said. “We know how capable he is, and his hard work is paying off.”
Senior Tim Blackburn-Kelley (three catches for 21 yards, one carry for 13 yards), sophomore
Lane McKinney (two carries for 10 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run, and two catches for
24 yards) and sophomore Logan Umbarger (six carries for 38 yards) also chipped in offensively.
Senior Colton Overstreet came down with an interception for the Spartans’ defense, which did
not allow a touchdown.
Prairie Central scored its only touchdown on a 94-yard kickoff return by Collin Kilgus early in the first quarter that tied the game at 7. The Spartans limited Prairie Central to just 94 yards of total offense, with seniors Logan Rosenthal, Coy Hayes and Jonathon Moore also sparking the defensive efforts, with SJO adding a safety after a Prairie Central snap on a punt went out of the end zone near the end of the third quarter that extended SJO’s lead to 30-7.
“We were really solid in our tackling and pursuit,” Skinner said. “We played a lot of guys, and
most of them were seeing their first true varsity plays. It was a very good showing, and we know
we need to get better, but it was a great start by that side of the ball.”
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