ROCHELLE — The 2024 season was a culmination of years of development seen within the Rochelle Hub varsity football program over the course of multiple seasons. With 20 seniors leading the way, including several seniors who returned as three or even four-year starters, Rochelle turned in a successful season that featured historic individual and group accolades.

The Hubs finished with a 10-2 overall record while taking second in the Interstate 8 with a 4-1 conference record. Rochelle returned to the playoffs for a fourth straight season and clinched a berth in the state quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons. The Hubs entered the playoffs as the No. 7 ranked team in Class 5A and won 10 games for the first time since 2003.

“This was a special group of kids who complemented each other really well,” head coach Kyle Kissack said. “It came down to their competitiveness, not only as individuals but as a group. They were competitive amongst each other, whether it was in a group drill or an individual drill. They had genuine love and care for one another and their intentions to buy in and be a team really stood out. We had a lot of different personalities that brought out the best in each other.”

Rochelle won as many as seven games in a row and knocked off three opponents from the Chicago Catholic League including Marian Catholic, Marmion Academy and Benet Academy. The Hubs churned out historic numbers on offense, scoring 39.3 points and posting an average of 394.5 yards per game. Rochelle rushed for 4,241 yards and for the first time in school history, the Hubs saw three running backs exceed 1,000 yards on the ground in the same season.

“We were able to be balanced offensively,” Kissack said. “The balance really set us apart on offense. This year, we had three running backs who were really dynamic and physical. Not only did they carry the ball well, but they were really important pieces in our blocking scheme. Up front, most of those kids had played with each other for two full seasons. Their ability to work together and communicate with each other was a credit to the time and energy they put in.”

Rochelle was no slouch on defense, either. The Hubs generated 38 tackles for loss, 19 sacks and 20 pass breakups in addition to six interceptions and five forced fumbles. Rochelle limited opponents to 18.5 points per game and 14 players recorded at least 10 tackles this season. 

“We had very athletic and fast strikers at the second and third levels of our defense,” Kissack said. “They rallied really well to the ball and they tackled in space really well. We paired that with bringing in three fresh defensive linemen into the game and we had two full groups of players who were dynamic and put a lot of pressure on quarterbacks this year. I’m really happy with how our defense has transitioned and grown over the last few years since we installed it.”

As Rochelle attempts to reload for the 2025 season, the Hubs will lose eight senior starters on offense and eight senior starters on defense. Tailback Grant Gensler (1,485 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns) now ranks sixth all-time in rushing yards for a season and second all-time in rushing touchdowns for a season. Quarterback Carson Lewis threw for 493 yards and six touchdowns with only two interceptions. Rochelle will lose tight end Jack Pavlak and starting linemen Kaiden Morris, Jack Carmichael, Alex Pemberton and Colton Czekala.

Defensively, Rochelle will lose three defensive backs including safeties Grant Gensler (26 tackles and two interceptions), Elijah Harley (25 tackles and two interceptions) and cornerback Xavier Villalobos (50 tackles and two fumble recoveries). The Hubs will lose two linebackers including Brandyn Metzger (34 tackles and one sack) and Ethan Goodwin (79 tackles, two sacks, one interception), who now ranks eighth all-time in tackles for a single season.

Ryan Senne (28 tackles and four sacks), Kaiden Morris (20 tackles, two sacks, two fumble recoveries), Colton Czekala (13 tackles and two sacks) and Jack Pavlak (11 tackles and two sacks) are among the senior defensive linemen who will be departing from the roster.

“The kids we’ll have back have been through some big wins and some tough losses,” Kissack said. “With the younger group coming in and trying to fill some of those roles, it’ll be important for our returning kids to communicate what the standard is… Those moments sometimes get lost and it may feel like a routine, but this is more than just a routine. Every moment matters.”

Rochelle will have key players eligible to return on both sides of the ball. Sophomore wingback Dylan Manning (1,250 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns) and junior fullback Roman Villalobos (1,111 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns) highlight the running backs eligible to return, while sophomore lineman Adam Cobos and junior tight end Brode Metzger are two more starters who're able to come back next season. 

Juniors Gavin Neale (58 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery) and Brode Metzger (32 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one fumble recovery) are two starting linebackers eligible to return next season. Junior lineman Markell Pogue (28 tackles, 1.5 sacks) and sophomore cornerback Dylan Manning (34 tackles, one interception) are both eligible to return.