All Football Content
All-Area Football Coach of Year: Unity's Scott Hamilton
Directed the 12-2 Rockets into the Class 3A state championship game, the fourth time in 13 years a Hamilton-coached team reached the title game. All 19 of his Unity teams have qualified for the postseason.
All-Area Football POY: Urbana's Cameron Mammen
URBANA — Cameron Mammen’s varsity football debut at Urbana High School came in Nathan Watson’s first game as the Tigers’ head coach in August 2009.
The opener against Normal Community wasn’t supposed to be Mammen’s Friday Night Lights debut.
Final area prep football statistics
RUSHING
Player,School Att Yrds TD AVG
Bruning, LeRoy 195 2141 35 11.0
Isbell, CG 146 1807 24 12.3
Final area prep football standings
Big 12
SCHOOL CONF. ALL
Urbana 7-1 9-2
Bloomington 7-1 7-3
Normal Community 6-2 6-4
Normal West 6-2 6-4
Danville 4-4 4-5
Future's uncertain for Rantoul AD
RANTOUL — Rantoul Township High School operated the second semester of last school year with an interim athletic director.
Could the district find itself in a similar situation again this year? Stay tuned.
First-year AD Joe Bendoraitis, who is also the Eagles’ head football coach, has not been at the high school since Nov. 29.
Ref relishes opportunity at state football
CHAMPAIGN — Ken Nelson has had different vantage points for football games at Memorial Stadium.
“I’ve watched Illini games here and worked as an usher,” said Nelson, a Philo resident.
Rockets promise to stay the course
CHAMPAIGN — The winningest senior class in Unity High history couldn’t add to its record Friday.
The Rockets were unable to maintain a first-half lead and lost 42-12 to two-time IHSA state champion Aurora Christian in the Class 3A title game at Memorial Stadium.
Hamilton: 'Our kids played as well as they could'
CHAMPAIGN — Micah Johnson attends high school and played football for a school whose name embodies the team.
Unity.
“This team,” Johnson said, “was the most close-knit. I wouldn’t trade any of them. I’ll remember how great of a team we were.”
Aurora Christian, wind prove to be frustrating for Unity
CHAMPAIGN — Darkness fell on Memorial Stadium Friday during the playing of the IHSA Class 3A state championship football game.
For Unity’s Rockets, it meant lights out.
Unity scored twice — during the daylight portion of the contest — but defending champion Aurora Christian scored four touchdowns during the final 8:01 and pulled away for a 42-12 triumph.
Scott Hamilton Q&A: 'This became ... home'
Four days before he coaches in his fourth state championship game, Unity football head coach Scott Hamilton sat in his office with Prep Sports Coordinator Fred Kroner to discuss everything from family to football to life in Champaign County:
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