Not even a short week could slow down the Rochelle Hubs, who rumbled for six first-half touchdowns during their varsity football matchup against Marian Catholic on Thursday.
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ROCHELLE — Not even a short week could slow down the Rochelle Hubs, who rumbled for six first-half touchdowns during their varsity football matchup against Marian Catholic on Thursday.
Senior tailback Grant Gensler rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries, while sophomore wingback Dylan Manning eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season as the Hubs cruised over the Spartans 48-23 in their regular-season finale at RTHS. Rochelle (8-1, 4-1 Interstate 8) will ride a five-game winning streak into the playoffs, which are scheduled to begin next week. The Hubs are averaging 49.8 points per game over that five-game stretch.
“I thought our kids handled the scheduling change with a level of maturity that we need in order to have a successful program,” head coach Kyle Kissack said. “They balanced a lot of things we asked them to do this week and they came out focused. This group plays with a chip on its shoulder and the kids play really hard for one another. Thursday and Friday nights mean a lot to them and we faced some good players tonight, but our kids responded to the challenge.”
The Hubs showcased their balance on the game’s opening drive, moving the ball 80 yards on 11 plays and using over six minutes of the clock before taking the lead on a 27-yard touchdown run from Manning, who burst through the left side of the line of scrimmage untouched. Marian Catholic answered on its first series, capitalizing on a pair of penalties against Rochelle before eventually scoring on a 19-yard touchdown run from wide receiver Jeremiah Stonewall.
That was all for the Spartans in the first half, as Rochelle racked up 40 points on five rushing touchdowns during the second quarter to surge ahead and put the game away. After Gensler helped the Hubs take a 16-7 lead with a 16-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, Rochelle’s defense created its first turnover of the evening, forcing a fumble during a Stonewall run on a first-and-10 play near midfield that senior lineman Kaiden Morris recovered.
The Hubs took advantage of the Marian Catholic turnover, extending their lead after Gensler broke loose again off the right side for a 35-yard touchdown run. Rochelle settled in on defense after the forced fumble, generating a three-and-out on Marian Catholic’s next series that led to another rushing touchdown for the Hubs, who went ahead 32-7 after Manning’s 36-yard score.
“We’re really balanced, not only up front but also in the backfield where we have guys who are explosive and physical,’” Kissack said. “We can run base and down schemes on both sides and we can challenge the edge on both sides as well. That’s been the key to our success. When we’re preparing for another team’s offense, we have to defend all 11 players. But we’re getting to the point where teams are defending 11 against us and it hasn’t been like that in a few years.”
Junior Reece Harris delivered the special teams highlight of the evening, recovering a short kickoff that bounced off a Spartan returner to give the Rochelle offense great field position for its next series, which culminated with a 39-yard touchdown run from Gensler. Another special teams gem came minutes later, when Manning fielded a short punt on fourth and 26 and nearly scored, steamrolling a Marian Catholic player to bring the ball down to the 2-yard line.
Junior fullback Roman Villalobos turned the special-teams play into points, punching in a 1-yard touchdown run that capped off Rochelle’s 40-point second quarter. Villalobos finished with 65 rushing yards on 15 carries, while Manning ran for 85 yards on only six carries in the win. Defensively, the Hubs were led by senior linebacker Ethan Goodwin and junior lineman Markell Pogue, who combined for 11 total tackles and two sacks Thursday night. Junior linebacker Brode Metzger added one sack in the win.
With the regular season now over, Rochelle will await its bracket and seed for the upcoming IHSA playoffs, which the Hubs are participating in for the fourth consecutive year. The playoff brackets will be released during the 2024 IHSA Football Pairing Show on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. While Rochelle advanced to the state quarterfinals two years ago, the Hubs saw their season ended abruptly last year, as the team fell to Wheaton St. Francis in the first round.
“The way the postseason is set up, we know it’s about our draw, which we have no control over regardless if we’re in 4A or 5A,” Kissack said. “We’re pretty healthy and the most important thing is whether or not we want to keep playing… Our kids want to keep playing and that’s the fire inside our locker room. I’m excited for them and for the opportunity to continue competing together. These last nine weeks have been a lot of fun and we’re excited for the future.”