I have a lot of trust in my teammates and when I trust my teammates, I know that I just have to do my assignment and everything will be OK.”

Dylan Manning

MORTON — Dylan Manning was a breakout star for the Rochelle Hub varsity football team last year, when he became the starting wingback halfway through the season and rushed for over 700 yards and 11 touchdowns enroute to earning First-Team All-Interstate 8/KRC honors.

Now a sophomore, Manning has added weight to his frame and gained both speed and strength in preparation for his second year with the varsity team. Manning’s growth was on display during Rochelle’s nonconference matchup against Morton on Friday, when the talented underclassman nearly returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and rushed for two first-half touchdowns in a 36-8 win over the Potters. Rochelle (2-0, 0-0 Interstate 8) totaled 419 yards and 30 first downs while dominating the time of possession on offense, holding the football for over 38 minutes.

“Most of the work we did over the offseason was to improve our team chemistry,” Manning said. “I tried to gain some weight and do whatever I could to help the team. It was an awesome experience to play with the older guys last year and I learned how to stick together as a team. I have a lot of trust in my teammates and when I trust my teammates, I know that I just have to do my assignment and everything will be OK… I want to be the best football player I can be.”

The Hubs took the first lead of the evening, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run from Manning that was set up by a series of quality runs from junior fullback Roman Villalobos, who finished with 120 rushing yards on 18 carries in the game. Rochelle’s defense delivered on Morton’s first possession of the game, forcing a turnover after seniors Ryan Senne and Ethan Goodwin combined for a tackle that resulted in a fumble recovered by senior safety Grant Gensler.

Rochelle carried an 8-0 lead into the second quarter, where the Hubs moved the ball inside Morton’s 10-yard line before a fourth-and-5 run fell short of the line to gain. The Potters (1-1, 0-0 Mid-Illini) capitalized on the defensive stand, with wide receiver Julian Alexander taking a jet sweep 88 yards for a touchdown before a 2-point conversion on a trick play tied the game.

The Hubs answered midway through the second quarter, scoring on an 8-yard touchdown run from Gensler, who finished with a team-high 150 rushing yards on 22 carries Friday evening. As the Rochelle offense gained its rhythm, the defense forced a three-and-out on Morton’s next drive, which allowed the Hubs to take the ball back and extend their lead after a 2-yard touchdown run from Manning late in the second quarter. Manning rushed for 55 yards in the win.

Leading 22-8 after halftime, Rochelle continued to deliver stops on defense throughout the second half. The Potters took their first drive of the second half into Rochelle territory, but a fourth-and-9 pass from quarterback Isaac Davis to wide receiver Matt Sander was stopped well short of the line to gain. The Hubs took advantage of the defensive stand, scoring on an eight-play, 77-yard drive that culminated with a 20-yard rushing touchdown from Gensler.

“We played heavily against the run and we forced them to pass,” senior linebacker Ethan Goodwin said. “We trusted our DBs to do their job against the pass… I’m really confident in the guys and it all comes back to how much we trust each other. We’ve played so much football together and I have total trust in them. I know they have my back and I’ll always have theirs.”

Another three-and-out led to the game-sealing drive for the Hub offense, which fed the Potters a heavy dose of Gensler throughout the fourth quarter to clinch the victory. Gensler took 10 fourth-quarter carries during a 17-play, 82-yard drive that concluded with a 15-yard touchdown run from the senior tailback. Friday’s win was a satisfying one for many of Rochelle’s returning seniors, who were dealt the bitter taste of defeat in a 27-26 home loss to Morton last year.

“I felt like we had to do this for the seniors from last year,” Goodwin said. “We came in and we went as hard as we could. We wanted to give them everything we had right from the start.”

Junior linebacker Brode Metzger recorded a team-high four tackles including two tackles for loss, while three seniors including Goodwin, Senne and Jordan Bly finished with three tackles. Rochelle will travel for a neutral site game against the Highland Bulldogs next Friday at 7 p.m. The nonconference matchup will be played at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Tucci Stadium.