We needed to come out and get a big win so we could bounce back from that loss last week.”

Elijah Harley

LASALLE — The Rochelle Hubs didn’t let a tough defeat linger when they took the field for their Interstate 8 Conference road matchup against the LaSalle-Peru Cavaliers on Friday evening.

Looking to bounce back from a home loss to Sycamore, Rochelle returned to the dominant form it showed over the first three weeks of the season, rushing for seven touchdowns and forcing three turnovers to roll over LaSalle-Peru 48-20. The Hubs (4-1, 1-1 Interstate 8) rumbled for 426 rushing yards and averaged 8.4 yards per carry en route to their first conference win this fall. Rochelle will host the Morris Redskins in a crucial Interstate 8 matchup next Friday at 7 p.m.

“We were told before the game that it was about us this week,” said senior safety Elijah Harley, who finished with six tackles and an interception in the game. “We needed to come out and get a big win so we could bounce back from that loss last week… We have to look at the film and take what Morris gives us. Hopefully we’ll be able to make some plays and get another win.”

LaSalle-Peru (2-3, 0-2 Interstate 8) moved the ball just beyond midfield before an incomplete pass on third down forced the Cavaliers to punt. Rochelle took advantage of the defensive stop, scoring on its first drive of the game, which went 85 yards on eight plays and concluded with a 6-yard touchdown run from senior tailback Grant Gensler. Running behind an experienced line featuring four seniors, Gensler rushed for a team-high 200 yards and three scores in the win.

“We were nastier than they were and we wanted it more than them,” said senior lineman Kaiden Morris, a four-year starting guard who also had five tackles on defense Friday evening. “The staple of our program has always been about being nasty and getting off the line. I thought we did that really well and that’s why we won the game. We’re all clicking and our backs are phenomenal. It’s easy to block for guys who can read things perfectly and score touchdowns.”

The Hubs carried a 6-0 lead into the second quarter, where LaSalle-Peru threatened to score after a string of successful passes from freshman quarterback Marion Persich moved the ball inside the Rochelle red zone. Faced with a second-and-goal scenario at the 3-yard line, the Hubs delivered a clutch stop, with Harley tackling Persich and forcing a fumble that junior linebacker Brode Metzger recovered to end the drive and take the Cavalier offense off the field.

A fumble on Rochelle’s next possession gave the ball right back, but the Hubs once again stood strong defensively, with Harley intercepting a third-and-goal pass toward the end zone and returning the ball near midfield. The turnover led to more points for the Hubs, who scored their second touchdown on a 30-yard run from sophomore wingback Dylan Manning. The play began with a pitch to Gensler, who then handed the ball to Manning on a reverse for the score.

“Coach [Zick] called for man coverage and they ran three hitches, so I drove on the ball and made a good play,” Harley said. “We’ve really chosen to lock in on defense during practice and we’ve made the plays we’ve needed to make. We’re letting our effort show on the field.”

Manning accumulated 108 rushing yards for the Hubs, who led 14-0 before a 1-yard touchdown run from LaSalle-Peru’s Adrian Arzola late in the second quarter put the Cavaliers on the scoreboard. Rochelle finished the first half with a physical drive that featured several carries for junior fullback Roman Villalobos, who ran for 92 yards on Friday night. A 19-yard touchdown run from Gensler capped off an 11-play, 80-yard drive to give Rochelle a 20-6 halftime lead.

More explosive runs from Gensler highlighted the opening drive of the second half for the Hubs, who went ahead 26-6 early in the third quarter after a 29-yard touchdown rush from the senior tailback, who took advantage of gaping holes created by the Rochelle offensive line. Trailing by three scores, LaSalle-Peru was unable to respond on offense, as mounting pressure from the Rochelle defensive line forced multiple incompletions, including one on a fourth-and-7 play.

“We switched from a three-man front to a four-man front in the second half and that was big for us since that gave us an extra rusher,” said Morris, who helped the Hubs record three tackles for loss and two sacks on defense Friday night. “That helped a lot because we threw their offensive line off and they couldn’t adjust on the fly, which helped us get some pressure.”

The Hubs continued to grind down the LaSalle-Peru defensive front during the third quarter, where Manning broke through the left side of the line of scrimmage for a 30-yard touchdown run before senior quarterback Carson Lewis threw to senior tight end Jack Pavlak for the 2-point conversion to give the Hubs a 34-6 lead. Rochelle ran for two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, where Villalobos sprinted for a 26-yard score and senior Jordan Bly added a 2-yard plunge.

Senior linebacker Ethan Goodwin compiled a team-high 10 tackles on Friday and intercepted Persich in the fourth quarter, returning the ball to the 2-yard line to help the Hubs seal their win over the Cavaliers. Junior linebacker Gavin Neale totaled five tackles and a sack for the Rochelle defense, which limited LaSalle-Peru to just 89 rushing yards in the victory.