These next few weeks come down to some of the foundational principles we have in our program. That means playing with physicality and being disciplined in our approach.”

Kyle Kissack

ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Hub football team welcomed the Forreston Cardinals in for a combined practice and scrimmage Tuesday morning, when the purple and white geared up for its second day of the team’s two-week padded camp for returning and incoming high-schoolers.

The two weeks of padded camp serve as the team’s final push toward the start of the 2024 season, which kicks off with the first week of fall practices beginning Monday, Aug. 12. While the Hubs held separate skills and lineman camps earlier in the summer, the two weeks of padded camp bring back players at all positions in both helmets and shoulder pads. Tuesday’s practice with Forreston included lineman drills as well as 7-on-7s for the varsity and JV skills players.

“These next few weeks come down to some of the foundational principles we have in our program,” head coach Kyle Kissack said. “That means playing with physicality and being disciplined in our approach. We’re really able to dial those in once we get the pads on and these two weeks are a great opportunity for us to finish what we’ve laid the foundation for throughout the summer. It’s a great opportunity to get all of our kids together in a competitive environment.”

Rochelle returns a stable of linemen on both sides of the football. Among the returning seniors are All-Conference honorees Kaiden Morris, Colton Czekala, Jack Carmichael, Alex Pemberton and Ryan Senne. The Hubs also welcome back several All-Conference seniors on offense such as quarterback Carson Lewis, tailback Grant Gensler, tight end Jack Pavlak and wide receiver Elijah Harley. Juniors including fullback Roman Villalobos and sophomore wingback Dylan Manning, who each received All-Conference recognition last fall, are also back in the fold. 

“I’ve been happy with the way we’ve played in our 7-on-7s,” Kissack said. “We’ve had a number of kids who’ve had an opportunity to compete on that side of the ball. What’s been a coaching point for us is consistency. We’re a capable football team, but the challenge right now is being consistent and reliable… Our kids understand what the expectation is and I believe in them. I’m excited about what that challenge means to them and I’m interested to see how they’ll respond.”

The Hubs are welcoming back a host of starters on defense including senior cornerback Xavier Villalobos, who was an All-Conference honoree last season. Two returning seniors who could take on much larger roles for the Hubs this fall are safety Jack Tilton and inside linebacker Brandyn Metzger, who have each taken first-team reps throughout the summer workouts. 

“Jack’s a perfect example of a kid who has continued to develop over the course of his career,” Kissack said. “Having the discipline to stay with the program and trust the process is something we really stress to the community because the kids mature over those four years and they gain a deeper understanding of what they want to accomplish. If our kids trust the process and continue to come in with the intention of getting better, they almost always get their opportunity.”

Junior linebacker Brode Metzger, who will also start at tight end, is another player to watch this year. Rochelle will conclude its summer schedule with 7-on-7s at Byron on Friday, Aug. 2. The Hubs will travel to Sterling next Tuesday for a combined padded practice that will also include 7-on-7s. Rochelle’s first game of the season will be at home against Woodstock on Aug. 30.

“This is our second season in our defensive scheme and our kids have responded really well to a lot of the language, the coverages, the calls and the movements,” Kissack said. “Brandyn has had a great summer in the weight room and he’ll be relied upon to get us lined up defensively. Brode was banged up at the beginning of last season, but he worked his way back into the lineup and finished the season really well. He’s really grown up and I’m excited for him.”

The padded camp will run Monday through Thursday from 8-10:30 a.m. over each of the next two weeks. Rochelle’s combined practice with Forreston headlines a week of events including the team’s annual summer Lift-A-Thon as well as the team’s annual youth summer camp with the Rochelle Junior Tackle program. The Lift-A-Thon will be held on Thursday evening at the RTHS parking lot and the youth camp will run Monday through Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m.