Getting to the playoffs is the expectation for the St. Joseph-Ogden football team.
Nearly four decades of sustained success and consistent postseason appearances bear that
out.
The Spartans can make themselves eligible for the 2025 playoffs on Friday night at Dick Duval
Field in St. Joseph.
All they have to do is beat Monticello, with the Illini Prairie Conference game slated for a 7 p.m.
kickoff, to get that desired fifth win needed for playoff eligibility.
Beating the Sages, however, is easier said than done.
SJO has won the last three matchups with Monticello, but Spartans coach Shawn Skinner
knows the challenges the Sages and Hall of Fame coach Cully Welter present.
Especially with Monticello (3-2, 2-2 Illini Prairie) smarting from a 41-13 home loss last Friday
night against undefeated Bloomington Central Catholic and coming in motivated against the
Spartans (4-1, 4-1) to avoid a two-game losing skid.
“You have to be ready for anything when facing Monticello,” Skinner said. “It starts with their
quarterback play because they always have a quarterback who can beat you with both his arms
and legs, so you can’t give him rush lanes or too much time to complete passes downfield.
“You have to keep the ball in front of you, tackle it and limit their splash plays. It will be a real
challenge for us.”
SJO is coming off a 56-21 road win against Rantoul at Bill Walsh Field last Friday night. A
lopsided outcome, but one that wasn’t determined until the second half against the winless
Eagles (0-5, 0-4). SJO only led 21-14 in the third quarter before scoring 35 straight points to put
the game away.
“I give Rantoul credit for playing with a lot of energy,” Skinner said. “We didn’t start off,
especially from a defensive point of view, matching that. We had some bumps and bruises that
led to us having to play a different combination of guys on the offensive line and defensive line,
and it took some time for us to get the personnel on defense that matched up with them.”
Kodey McKinney had a stellar game for the Spartans, with the SJO senior quarterback
completing 17 of 18 for 230 yards and four touchdowns. A dropped pass that turned into a
Rantoul interception was his only incompletion of the night.
McKinney spread the ball around, too, with five different players catching passes. Senior Ryker
Lockhart hauled in four receptions for 78 yards that included a 37-yard touchdown catch. Junior
Kaden Wedig made the most of his two receptions totaling 39 yards by scoring touchdown on a
33-yard pass and a 6-yard pass.
Senior Tim Blackburn-Kelley added 61 receiving yards on four catches, while sophomore Lane
McKinney had five catches for 36 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown reception, and
sophomore Lucas Waters chipped in with two catches for 16 yards.
Sophomore Logan Umbarger produced 116 rushing yards on 16 carries that included a 25-yard
touchdown run, while Kodey McKinney finished with 57 rushing yards on eight carries and
rushed for three touchdowns as well.
Senior Coy Hayes delivered a team-high 13 tackles, while junior Jameson Ennis (11 tackles)
and senior Logan Rosenthal (10 tackles) were constantly around the ball. Senior Brennan
Oleynichak also chipped in defensively with a sack.
The schedule ramps up this month for the Spartans, starting Friday night against Monticello. It’s
the second-to-last home game of the season, with SJO traveling to play at Bloomington Central
Catholic (5-0, 5-0) at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 in a game that could have implications on the Illini Prairie
title and then playing its lone nonconference game at Seneca (5-0) on Oct. 17.
“We are still not a finished product,” Skinner said. “We are still finding our best personnel on
defense and figuring it out. Offensively, we are still adjusting to injuries. We’re playing young
guys who are gaining valuable experience and having success along the way. And that’s great.
We are getting better every week, and that’s going to be good for us down the stretch of the
season.”
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