ROCHELLE — Senior Night set the tone for the Rochelle Hub varsity football team, which dominated the first half enroute to a season-opening victory over Woodstock on Friday night.

Rochelle rumbled for nearly 350 rushing yards while capitalizing on key mistakes by the Blue Streaks, who conceded a blocked punt and an onside kick as well as a first-quarter interception. The Hubs shut down Woodstock in the first half, where the purple and white built a four-score advantage before ultimately cruising to a 39-20 win over the Blue Streaks. Rochelle (1-0, 0-0 Interstate 8) will travel for a nonconference road game against Morton next Friday evening.

“It felt good to come out here and play after a good week of practice,” said senior Grant Gensler, who rushed for 98 yards and three touchdowns against the Blue Streaks. “We have some things we need to clean up, but we have to move on now. We worked together really well during the first quarter. Our seniors have been playing together since flag football and we have a special bond. We get along with each other really well and we’re pushing each other every day.”

Rochelle’s special teams unit delivered the first highlight of the evening, as senior Ethan Goodwin blocked a Woodstock punt early in the first quarter that set the Hub offense up in prime field position. Rochelle took advantage with a quick scoring drive that concluded with a 3-yard touchdown run from Gensler. The Blue Streaks took their second series into the Rochelle red zone, but senior cornerback Xavier Villalobos nabbed a key interception to end the threat.

“We have a lot of trust in each other and we have each other’s backs,” Villalobos said. “This team is really physical and we like to play with a lot of energy right off the bat. It’s a big win for our confidence, but there are a lot of things we can improve on to get better. It’s a great feeling to be with this senior class and grow up as brothers. We’ve really enjoying this moment.”

The turnover led to more points for the Hubs, who saw sophomore wingback Dylan Manning explode for a 57-yard touchdown run on Rochelle’s ensuing drive. Manning ran for 107 yards on only five carries for the Hubs, who took the ball right back after Villalobos successfully recovered an onside kick near the end of the first quarter. The Hubs held a 21-0 lead after a 21-yard touchdown scamper from Gensler, who added a 28-yard rushing score in the third quarter.

Despite a slew of penalties on both sides, Rochelle extended its first-half lead midway through the second quarter, where senior quarterback Carson Lewis launched a 51-yard touchdown throw to senior wide receiver Jack Tilton on a fourth-down play. Trailing 27-0 at halftime, Woodstock found success on the ground during the second half, where running back Stewart Reuter motored for two scores while running his rushing total up to a game-high 139 yards.

But the three second-half touchdowns, which included a 27-yard throw from quarterback Caden Thompson to wide receiver Matthew Cress, weren’t enough to upend the Hubs, who received a second-half boost from junior fullback Roman Villalobos. Villalobos rushed for a 6-yard score late in the third quarter and totaled a team-high 119 rushing yards on 14 carries in the win.

Seniors Ethan Goodwin and Ryan Senne each had a sack for the Hubs, who had three tackles for loss in the victory on Friday. Goodwin totaled seven tackles to lead the defense. 

Senior Night

Rochelle honored all of its seniors in a pregame ceremony Friday evening. The senior class includes Grant Gensler, Jack Pavlak, Elijah Harley, Ethan Goodwin, Carson Lewis, Jack Tilton, Jordan Bly, Xavier Villalobos, Jordan Spears, Mason Moore, Jackson Smith, Frankie Pelan, Brandyn Metzger, Colton Czekala, Kaiden Morris, Ryan Senne, Nick Novak, Parker Campos, Alex Pemberton, Jack Carmichael and Krew Sullivan.

Members of the Rochelle Township High School cheerleading, dance and cross country teams were also recognized during Friday's Senior Night ceremony. The cheerleaders honored included Marianna Saldana, Jasmynn Lipscomb, Abbey Jarvis, Trent Kreider, Lydia Osborne, Naleia Fonfara and Jocelyn Cervantes. The dancers honored included Kylie Davis and Damaris Macias. Cross country seniors honored included Chris Beckman, Alexis Duran, Cash Budde, Evileth Mendez, Bridgett Ramirez, Drake Ramos and Brisa Zepeda.