... it was really fun to represent Rochelle one more time and play the sport I love. The players were phenomenal and they played hard. We all worked as hard as we could.”

Brock Metzger

BLOOMINGTON — Rochelle senior graduate Brock Metzger represented the Hubs during the 2024 Illinois High School Shrine Game at Illinois Wesleyan University over the weekend. The annual All-Star event unites the top high school football players in the state each summer.

The Illinois High School Shrine Game has been played since 1975 and this year’s contest marked the 50th anniversary of the event. Players arrived on campus Tuesday for the start of team practices before eventually taking the field at Tucci Stadium on Saturday for the game. Metzger is the latest Rochelle standout to represent the Hubs in the annual event. Previous honorees include Braden Alfano, Ben Harvey, Greg Ricketts, Will Jandak and Alex Harvey.

“It was awesome and it was so much fun learning new things about football,” said Metzger, who will be playing baseball at Kishwaukee College next year. “We ran a similar defense to what we run in Rochelle and it was really fun to represent Rochelle one more time and play the sport I love. The players were phenomenal and they played hard. We all worked as hard as we could.”

Metzger competed alongside the Blue Team, playing outside linebacker during the event. The Red Team emerged victorious 21-13, but the weeklong event was as much about the activities off the field as the ones on the field. One of those activities was the Central Illinois Miracle League Baseball Game, where players partnered with children with mental or physical disabilities. Metzger said the game was one of his favorite moments throughout the week.

“I really enjoyed the baseball game,” Metzger said. “I was with this little kid named Bo and he was the funniest kid ever. He had fun playing baseball and he was a bit smaller and younger than everyone else. He was a little confused, but he still had a lot of fun.”

Additional special events included the annual Shriners of Illinois cookout and a Pattrick’s Magic show on Thursday. In previous years, athletes visited with patients at the Shriners Children’s Hospital. The entire week was an eye-opening experience for Metzger, who said he enjoyed learning a new position and working with new coaches and student-athletes in practice.

“The defensive coordinator had me playing outside linebacker and I actually did pretty well,” Metzger said. “He taught me a lot of new things and I was able to learn quickly. The coaches did a great job with everything. They were really encouraging and they wanted us to have fun.”

Saturday’s game was the final high school football game for Metzger, who played four years of football at RTHS and was an I-8/KRC All-Conference honoree over his junior and senior seasons. In addition to earning the RTHS Hackett Award as Rochelle’s most valuable player, Metzger was also named the I-8/KRC Defensive Player of the Year during the 2023 season.

“Football has taught me a lot of grit and I think that’s something that will push me through life,” Metzger said. “I know I have to try hard and stay focused in everything I do. I know not to slack off and I know to have people around me who have the same sort of goals as me.”