ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Hub varsity football team is rolling into the IHSA 5A Playoffs riding a five-game winning streak. Rochelle concluded the regular season with a home victory against Marian Catholic and it’s likely that the Hubs will need to break through more teams from the Chicago Catholic League if they hope to advance to the state championship game this fall.

One of those teams is Marmion Academy, who Rochelle will host in the first round on Friday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. The Cadets (5-4, 3-0 CCL/ESCC Red) finished first in their division and clinched playoff eligibility with a 20-14 win over Leo in the final week of the regular season. Marmion, who’s in the postseason for the first time since 2021, will play as the No. 15 seed, while the Hubs will take the field as the No. 2 seed in the north end of the Class 5A bracket. 

“Class 5A is a grind,” head coach Kyle Kissack said. “Between the public schools and the private schools… It’ll be a weekly test. Having the opportunity to compete with what lies ahead of us in 5A is something our group looks forward to… It’s important that we operate with a chip on our shoulder and I think one of the consistent messages from our staff to our kids is to play with an edge. Our kids have embraced that and at this point of the season, no matter who we play, we’re playing a quality opponent and our kids need to have an edge about themselves.”

Senior wide receiver Bryan Scales and senior running back Sean Dahlman headline the skill players on offense for the Cadets, who are averaging only 11.7 points over their last four games. Marmion, who defeated Marian Catholic 21-7 earlier this season, will deploy a defense that features skill players including senior linebacker Michael Roche and junior Vinnie Testa. Senior Kamron Tolliver and freshman Roy Magana Jr. have each played quarterback this season. 

“They have some really nice skill players, specifically at quarterback and running back,” Kissack said. “They want to establish the run and it’ll be important for us to be solid inside the box and play good coverage behind, which we’ve done better as the season has gone on… We’ve consistently gotten better and we want to be at a point in the season where we’re playing good football, but there are still things to work on. Our kids are humble and they understand that.”

Rochelle (8-1, 4-1 Interstate 8) has dominated on offense during its five-game winning streak, averaging nearly 50 points per game over that span. Most of that success has come on the ground, where senior tailback Grant Gensler (1,205 yards) and sophomore wingback Dylan Manning (1,070 yards) have each exceeded 1,000 rushing yards this season. Junior fullback Roman Villalobos (844 yards) is also approaching the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

“We’re playing with a tremendous amount of consistency and that’s a credit to our kids and their ability to continue staying focused and in the moment,” Kissack said. “We’ve talked about our balance offensively and that’s something we haven’t had in a long time here. As a playcaller, having everything available in each and every situation is a compliment to the work our kids have done up front. We’re confident in running our scheme to both sides of the line.”

The Hubs are seeking to reach the second round for the third time in the last four seasons. A win over Marmion would mean that Rochelle faces the winner of the matchup between No. 10 seed Chicago Perspectives IIT Math & Science and No. 7 seed Benet Academy, another program from the Chicago Catholic League, in the second round next weekend. Should the Hubs make the quarterfinals, a potential matchup with No. 3 seed Nazareth Academy awaits.

Rochelle will have postseason experience on its side, as the Hubs roster several seniors, including four-year starting lineman Kaiden Morris as well as three-year starters like cornerback Xavier Villalobos, who have been to the playoffs multiple times during their respective careers. The Hubs reached the quarterfinals just two years ago, when Rochelle saw a 9-3 season conclude with a 35-16 loss against Wheaton St. Francis.

“It’s interesting to talk about the amount of big games this group has played in,” Kissack said. “There’s no substitute for experience and our kids certainly have a lot of it. Having the ability to handle a big win and not be complacent, as well as working through a tough loss and being resilient… Those are some of the markers I see with this group and they show how much the kids have grown. That doesn’t mean there won’t be bumps in the road, but the kids certainly have a leg up in terms of how they can handle being in those big-game situations.”