By FRED KRONER
Featuring a team where 12 of the 22 players in the opening lineup were making their first varsity start, St. Joseph-Ogden fell short in its Illini Prairie Conference football opener on Saturday (March 21) at Chillicothe IVC, 33-16.
SJ-O’s Brady Buss scored the first touchdown and the Spartans led, 8-0, after the first period.
The Spartans managed just one more TD, along with a safety, the remainder of the game.
“It was a great introduction for our kids into what it means to play varsity football,” SJ-O coach Shawn Skinner said. “You can’t simulate game speed and after 16 months of not playing the game, we really introduced ourselves to the varsity level.”
Junior quarterback Evan Ingram completed 9 of 25 passes for 142 yards, and one touchdown.
Buss caught three passes for 66 yards, including the TD strike. Jackson Rydell also had three receptions and gained 44 yards. Brock Innes caught two passes for 26 yards and Keaton Nolan gained eight yards on his one reception.
The top SJ-O rushers were Isaiah Moore (69 yards on eight carries and one TD) and Nolan (55 yards on 18 carries). Teammates Coby Miller and Ethan Vanliew each finished with six rushing yards on two attempts.
Nolan garnered the two-point conversion.
“Playing in March wasn’t an issue,” Skinner said. “I was impressed with how the field conditions held up, and it was great to be out on a Saturday with fans.
“Thirty-three points is too much to give up and that’s a credit to them making some plays. Obviously, they made more than we did, but there were a lot of positives for us to build off of moving forward.”
Besides the safety SJ-O generated, the Spartans forced three turnovers.
“Coby Miller did a great job of directing our defense,” Skinner said. “Max Shonkwiler really played well on the line offensively and defensively. He showed a lot of leadership and did everything we could ask from a senior.”
SJ-O (0-1) will play its home-opener on Friday (March 26) against Pontiac, which is playing its second consecutive road contest. It will be one of just two home games for the Spartans during the abbreviated spring season.
