Rochelle News

Jul 27, 2023

By: Russell Hodges

Updated: 21 hours ago / Posted Aug 28, 2023

ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Junior Tackle football teams hosted Byron at Helms Park on Saturday, with the Junior Hubs finishing 1-2-1 over four contests with the Junior Tigers. Rochelle will continue the Big 14 Conference schedule against Sterling this coming weekend.

8th Grade

Caiden Redlarczyk sparked the offense with a 17-yard rush early in the first quarter. Presented with a fourth-and-23 scenario later in the quarter, Rochelle scored its first touchdown of the game after quarterback Cohen Haedt launched a 31-yard pass to tight end Holden Liebhaber. With the contest tied at 6-6 in the second quarter, the Junior Hubs retook control of the lead when Redlarczyk returned a kickoff down the Byron sideline for a 78-yard touchdown.

Rochelle held a 14-12 advantage late in the second quarter, where Redlarczyk added a 22-yard rush and Haedt completed an 11-yard pass to Andrew Eyster. The Junior Hubs extended their lead after Haedt fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to running back Bo Lundquist near the end of the first half. Eyster ignited the Rochelle offense with a 31-yard rush during the third quarter.

Redlarczyk’s 21-yard touchdown run enabled the Junior Hubs to command a 28-12 lead over the Junior Tigers, who scored two late touchdowns but were unable to come back as Rochelle hung on for a 28-26 win. Eyster rushed for 79 yards on 12 carries for the Junior Hubs (3-0), while Redlarczyk totaled 64 rushing yards on nine carries. Eyster led the Rochelle defense with eight tackles and Zach Johnson followed with five tackles. Luke Chadwick had four tackles.

7th Grade

A defensive battle resulted in a 6-6 tie between Rochelle and Byron on Saturday. The Junior Hubs (2-0-1) took the lead during the second quarter, where quarterback Riley Smith rushed for a 4-yard touchdown. Byron tied the score with a fourth-quarter touchdown, but neither squad was able to convert a 2-point rush. Joey Chadwick rushed for 37 yards on eight carries for the Junior Hubs, while Mikey Chadwick followed with 36 rushing yards on six carries in the game.

Smith completed 2-of-3 passes for 7 yards, hitting tight end Vinny Tornabene for an 8-yard gain during the game. Braxton Bruns carried the ball 10 times for 25 yards and Kyler Rowe added three carries for 9 yards. Rowe led the defense with five tackles as well as one sack in the tie.

6th Grade

Byron defeated Rochelle 26-8 on Saturday to hand the Junior Hub sixth-graders their first loss of the season. First-quarter highlights included a 10-yard rush from Korbin Milos along with a defensive interception from Vaughn Manning with Byron leading Rochelle 14-0. Milos broke loose for a 28-yard rush in the third quarter, where quarterback Maddex Jackson launched a 30-yard touchdown pass to tight end Austin Sarver for Rochelle’s lone score of the game.

Jackson connected with Milos on an 18-yard pass later in the third quarter. Byron held a 14-0 lead after a 62-yard touchdown pass and a 73-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. The Junior Tigers followed with a 54-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to go up 20-0. Byron sealed its win on Saturday with a 51-yard touchdown run during the fourth quarter.

Milos rushed for 44 yards on nine carries for the Junior Hubs (2-1), while Quentin Ansteth added five carries for 11 yards and Eli Underwood finished with six tackles to spearhead the defensive charge. Zachary Waddle and Sean Hudzik each compiled two tackles in the loss to Byron.

5th Grade

Byron won 30-8 over Rochelle to hand the Junior Hub fifth-graders their first loss of the season. The Junior Tigers held a 14-0 advantage after touchdown runs of 38 yards and 41 yards during the first quarter. Dominic Escatel’s 12-yard and 18-yard rushes headlined Rochelle’s offensive effort in the opening half, while Landon Johnson added a 7-yard touchdown rush for the team’s lone score of the afternoon. Escatel also recovered a fumble on the defensive side of the ball.

Johnson recorded a 14-yard carry and Grange Kissack recorded a 12-yard carry in the second quarter for the Junior Hubs, who also saw Noah Hayden carry the ball for 18 yards near the end of the first half. Third-quarter highlights included a 15-yard rush from Johnson and a 16-yard run from Brayson Bouland. Byron sealed the win with two rushing touchdowns in the third quarter.

Johnson finished with 59 rushing yards on six carries, while Escatel had 48 rushing yards on 13 carries and Hayden had 34 rushing yards on four carries. Bouland totaled 29 rushing yards on eight carries and Escatel led the defense with six tackles, while Charlie Chadwick had three tackles for the Junior Hubs (2-1).