The Rochelle Junior Tackle football program kicked off the 2019 season against Byron on Saturday. The Junior Hubs went 2-2 over four games, with the seventh-graders and the fifth-graders each locking down victories to begin the season.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account and connect your subscription to it by clicking here.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active, online-only subscription then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you've not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
BYRON — The Rochelle Junior Tackle football program kicked off the 2019 season against Byron on Saturday. The Junior Hubs went 2-2 over four games, with the seventh-graders and the fifth-graders each locking down victories to begin the season.
8th Grade
Rochelle (0-1) fell against Byron by a score of 30-6. The Junior Hubs went about 20 yards on their opening drive before turning the ball over on fourth down. The turnover on downs resulted in a 45-yard touchdown run from Byron, and the ensuing 2-point conversion gave Byron an early 8-0 lead.
Byron added its second touchdown of the game on a special teams miscue from Rochelle when a fourth-down long snap went over the head of punter Erich Metzger. Byron recovered the ball and ran in for the score. After an interception on a pass from Brock Metzger to Tommy Tourdot, Byron went ahead 22-0 with a 50-yard touchdown run and 2-point conversion.
Rochelle got its offense going with two 13-yard passes and one 20-yard pass on its next possession before a fumble gave Byron the ball right back. Byron led 22-0 entering the second half before scoring on a 65-yard-run on the first play of the third quarter to go up 30-0 with the 2-point conversion. Rochelle avoided the shutout with a 5-yard touchdown rush from Erich Metzger in the fourth quarter.
7th Grade
Rochelle (1-0) defeated Byron by a score of 26-6. Ethan Goodwin’s 52-yard rush on the second play of the game set up Grant Gensler’s 5-yard rushing touchdown to put the Junior Hubs ahead 6-0. Alex Pemberton then recovered a fumble on Byron’s first offensive snap of the contest, leading to a 23-yard pass from Carson Lewis to Gensler and a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Gensler. Lewis connected with Goodwin for the 2-point play.
Leading 14-0, Rochelle stopped another Byron drive when Goodwin intercepted a pass late in the first quarter. Byron scored its lone touchdown with minimal time remaining in the second quarter. Rochelle opened the fourth quarter with an 80-yard scoring drive capped off by a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Brandyn Metzger.
The Junior Hubs scored one final touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 34-yard pass from Lewis to Gensler on third-and-12. Kaiden Morris led the Rochelle defense with three tackles-for-loss in the second half.
6th Grade
Rochelle (0-1) was shut out against Byron by a score of 28-0. Byron scored two early touchdowns while missing both 2-point plays to go ahead 12-0 before a strip on Rochelle’s next offensive possession led to a 35-yard fumble return for Byron. Byron converted both 2-point plays after its last two touchdowns to force a running clock the remainder of the game.
5th Grade
Rochelle (1-0) went scoreless with Byron for nearly the entire contest before edging out the Tigers by a final score of 6-0. The Junior Hubs scored with roughly 15 seconds remaining in the game when Bobby Tourdot passed the ball to Brody Bruns, resulting in the game’s only touchdown.
