In a game heard on WEZC, quarterback Colin Hayes accounted for five touchdowns and willed Bloomington Central Catholic to a 42-28 victory over Monticello in Illini Prairie Conference High Schoo football action Friday night in Bloomington.

The Saints jumped out to a quick 13-0 lead as Hayes marched the Saints down the field on the opening drive of the game, capped by a 13-yard score to Blaize Killian.

After Monticello quarterback threw an interception, Ian Whitaker scored from three yards out to put BCC up 13-0 in the first quarter. 

But Monticello rallied to two second-quarter scores. Sheppard first hit Wade Carroll from 33-yards out to pull the Sages to 13-6 then on a short 13-yard reception to put the Sages up 14-13. The second capped an 85-yard drive with just over two minutes to play in the first half. 

Monticello got the ball to start the second half but  BCC forced Monticello into a 3-and-out. Then Hayes hit Ryerson Pirtz from 22-yards out to put BCC up 20-14.

Tylor Bundy scored from 10-yards out to go up 21-20.

From there, it was all Hayes and BCC as they outscored Monticello 22-7 the rest of the way. Hayes scored from 18, 13, and 20 yards out to close out the victory.

Hayes finished 15-for-23 for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 153 yards on 17 carries and three scores. Whitaker finished with 16 carries for 95 yards and a score while Pirtz hauled in four passes for 69 yards and a touchdown.

For Monticello, Shepard was the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt Counties Player of the Game - finishing with 290 yards passing completing 29-for-40 attempts. He also accumulated 51 yards on the ground.

Carroll finished with seven receptions for 78 yards. Spencer Mitze had six receptions for 91 yards. 

BCC improves to 3-1 overall and puts themselves in the driver's seat to return to the playoffs with still Tolono Unity, St. Joseph-Ogden, and Praire Central still to play on its schedule.

Monticello drops to 2-2 overall and has never missed the playoffs since Cully Welter took over the program in the fall of 2010. With Paxton-Buckley-Loda, Prairie

Central, and Tolono Unity on the schedule in the final three weeks of the season, the road to the playoffs just became very difficult.

The Sages return home to host Pontiac next Friday night for Homecoming. Game time is 7:30 pm. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.