Story by Parker Cassidy
It’s the opening round of the IHSA playoffs, and the 5th seeded Monmouth-Roseville Titans (8-1) hosted the 12th seeded Manteno Panthers (6-3) at Coach Dobry Field in Monmouth.
The Titans entered the postseason 8-1 for the second straight year, coming off a huge victory over Sterling Newman last week. Manteno also came in hot, riding a three-game win streak to close the regular season.
The game opened with Monmouth-Roseville kicking off to Manteno. The Panthers converted a couple of fourth downs, driving to the Titans’ 20-yard line before facing a 4th and 1. They took it all the way to the house, but a false start brought the play back, setting up 4th and 6 instead. Manteno looked toward the end zone, but Andrew Way came up with his first interception of the season, going down in the end zone for a touchback.
After the turnover, the Titans started at their own 20-yard line, and Nick Huston’s first carry of the game pushed Monmouth-Roseville into Panther territory. The Titans continued to march before Huston capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run. The extra point was good, and the Titans led 7-0 with 3:41 left in the first quarter.
The Titans’ defense stayed aggressive on Manteno’s second drive, as Asa Braun got into the backfield for a sack on the first play. Just one snap later, on 3rd and 17, the Panthers were picked off by freshman Ke’shawn Crawford.
The first quarter ended with the Titans driving deep into Manteno territory, setting up at the 26-yard line.
Monmouth-Roseville opened the second quarter with a pair of runs before facing a 3rd and 6 from the 7-yard line. Huston stayed hot, punching in his second touchdown of the game. After a missed extra point, the Titans led 13-0 with 10:29 left in the half.
Momentum stayed with the Titans on the ensuing kickoff, as sophomore Keegan Smith delivered a huge hit that forced a fumble, recovered by Monmouth-Roseville at the Manteno 40-yard line.
The Titans’ offense stayed relentless, with strong runs from Huston and Landon Montroy before Huston struck again, this time on an 8-yard toss, marking his third touchdown of the night. The Titans extended their lead to 19-0 after a failed two-point conversion.
Manteno, desperate for a response, gained 51 yards on its next two plays to reach the Titans’ 23-yard line. But on 4th and 8, Asa Braun and Cody Johnson met in the backfield for the Titans’ second sack of the game.
Monmouth-Roseville wasted no time on the next drive. Quarterback Clay Casteel connected with Huston for a 43-yard completion on the first play, putting the Titans at the Panthers’ 32-yard line. They kept the pressure on, running the clock before Huston punched in his fourth touchdown of the night from 4 yards out with just 26.5 seconds left in the half. The Titans missed the two point try but led 25-0 heading into halftime.
Manteno tried to get points on the board before the break, but defensive lineman Cody Johnson had other plans, recording a sack on the first play as the final seconds ticked off the clock.
The Titans picked up right where they left off in the second half, with solid runs from Montroy and Huston before Casteel joined the scoring with a 2-yard quarterback sneak, his first rushing touchdown of the season. Huston added the two-point run to put Monmouth-Roseville ahead 33-0 with 6:29 remaining in the third.
Manteno opened its next drive needing points to stay alive, converting multiple third and fourth downs to move to the Titans’ 13-yard line before the end of the third quarter. On 3rd and goal to start the fourth, the Panthers went to the air, but Elliott Rogers read it perfectly, intercepting the pass and returning it to the Titans’ 41-yard line just 13 seconds into the quarter.
With the ball back, the Titans’ offense went to work running the clock. After a series of runs, Elijah Noel broke free for a 25-yard touchdown rush with 4:39 remaining. The extra point was missed, but the Titans led 39-0.
Manteno was finally able to punch a few scores in late after the Titans opted to rest the starters, as the Titans roll to a 39-14 win in round 1 of the IHSA playoffs.
Leading the Titans’ offense was Nick Huston, who carried the ball 28 times for 205 yards and 4 touchdowns. Backing him up was Landon Montroy with 17 carries for 86 yards, Elijah Noel with 3 carries for 35 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Clay Casteel with 1 carry for 2 yards and a score.
The Titans’ defense was outstanding, holding Manteno to 214 total yards while recording 4 sacks, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Monmouth-Roseville will now travel to Bloomington next weekend for a matchup with perennial power Bloomington Central Catholic. For the exact date and game time, tune into the Sports Report Monday morning.
For the replay of the WMOI radio broadcast of the game, click HERE
