November 9, 2026 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

SJO football bows out in first round of playoffs

The St. Joseph-Ogden High School football team saw its season end this past Saturday with a 54-26 loss at Williamsville in a Class 3A first-round playoff game.

The Spartans (5-5) never led in their season-ending loss, with the undefeated Bullets (10-0) jumping out to a 27-0 lead after the first quarter.

SJO managed its first touchdown in the second quarter on a 6-yard touchdown pass from junior Crayton Burnett to freshman Ty Pence, but Williamsville enjoyed a 33-6 lead at that point.
The Bullets expanded their lead to 47-6 early in the third quarter, putting a running clock in effect for the rest of the game. Pence hauled in another touchdown pass from Burnett, this one from 44 yards out, that trimmed SJO’s deficit to 47-12 midway through the third quarter.

A 15-yard touchdown run by sophomore Keaton Nolan and subsequent two-point conversion run by senior Jarrett Stevenson made it 54-20 with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter and a 5-yard touchdown run by Stevenson with less than three minutes left accounted for the final 54-26 score.

Nolan led SJO with 91 rushing yards on 16 carries, while Stevenson finished with 51 rushing yards on 18 carries. Burnett went 8 of 17 for 111 passing yards, with Pence recording four catches for 86 yards. Senior Jaden Miller (13 yards) and sophomore Coby Miller (12 yards) also hauled in a reception.

Williamsville racked up 446 yards of total offense, with running back Grant Ripperda rushing for 128 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns. Quarterback Conor McCormick went 8 of 13 passing for 166 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two rushing touchdowns and 79 rushing yards to add to the Bullets’ offensive success.

Banner
Related Posts

Michael looking to the future with coaching job

August 23, 2019

August 23, 2019

Nate Michael spent his youth playing basketball in every form.  After graduating this spring from McKendree University, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound...

SJO baseball hits 20-win mark, pushes win streak to four games

May 10, 2019

May 10, 2019

Every year Josh Haley has coached the St. Joseph-Ogden High School baseball team, the Spartans have won at least 20...

Relays shine for SJO track and field

March 25, 2019

March 25, 2019

A St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ track and field relay team won a title at a prestigious indoor meet, the...

Kaiser’s positivity a plus on court

October 4, 2019

October 4, 2019

Lacey Kaiser is a positive presence on the volleyball court. So much so, that her coach Abby McDonald nominated her...

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 Softball letter and award winners

June 7, 2022

June 7, 2022

Kennedy Hudson, Sr.Jacey Lewis, Sr.Jessica Palmer, Sr.Taylor Wells, Sr.Alyssa Acton, Jr.Shayne Immke, Jr.Peyton Jones, Jr.Ava Northen, Jr.Kat Short, Jr.Halle Brazelton,...

Izard, Cain, Pence key SJO boys’ basketball to sixth-place finish at State Farm Holiday Classic

January 3, 2020

January 3, 2020

The small-school State Farm Holiday Classic ended on a sour note for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School boys’ basketball team....

Bigger, Burnett play crucial roles as SJO volleyball pushes win streak to five

September 10, 2019

September 10, 2019

Balanced offense and strong serving. Both are critical aspects for successful volleyball teams. The St. Joseph-Ogden High School team followed...

SJO boys’ basketball to host 14-team Christie Clinic Shootout on Saturday

January 6, 2024

January 6, 2024

An annual staple on the high school boys’ basketball calendar is back in St. Joseph again this year.The Christie Clinic...

Get to know SJO volleyball player Josey Frerichs

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

What do you think makes the team so successful? We are all friends on and off the court which really...

SJO girls’ basketball looks to bounce back against Tuscola

November 29, 2021

November 29, 2021

Playing the Paris girls’ basketball team is always a challenge, with the Tigers as one of the premier small-school programs...

Softball bonds Witruk family

April 12, 2019

April 12, 2019

For the Witruk family of St. Joseph softball is a family affair. Every member of the household has played or...

Hamilton, Taylor spark SJO girls’ track and field at Sages Invitational

April 29, 2019

April 29, 2019

The regular season is winding down for the St. Joseph-Ogden High School girls’ track and field team. And the Spartans...

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...

SJO graduate Crowe thriving at Parkland as Cobras vie for national championship

April 23, 2021

April 23, 2021

Peyton Crowe knows a thing or two about championships. Crowe was a part of the 2018-19 St. Joseph-Ogden girls’ basketball...

Comments
Leave a Reply