The Monticello Sages will open the 2023 football season with rival St. Joseph-Ogden tonight in week one of the high school football season.
For a second straight season, Monticello turns to a first-year starting quarterback in senior Luke Teschke. The Illinois State baseball commit will lead what the Sages hope is another dynamic offense under Hall of Fame Coach Cully Welter.
Teshke was a playmaker on offense and special teams last year and will have returning receivers Trey Welter and Raiden Colbert to rely on but junior Carter Foran and sophomore Nolan Buehnerkemper could emerge as reliable playmakers for the Monticello.
Defensively, the Sages will rely on a young group up front that was last year led by juniors Ryan Frazee and Mason High.
Juniors Ike Young and Matt Swartz will lead a defense that will also rely on Teschke, who will play some at the linebacker position this year and senior Hunter Romano returns.
Monticello finished 5-5 last fall. The season got off to a rocky start with a 21-14 loss to St. Joseph-Ogden in week one last year.
Coach Welter hopes to lead the Sages to the postseason for the 14th time. Excluding the COVID year, Coach Welter has led Monticello to the postseason every year he's been in Monticello.
Game time tonight has been moved to 8 pm. Hear it all on 95.9 FM WEZC.
Illini Prairie
Prairie Central at Tolono Unity
Paxton-Buckley-Loda at Illinois Valley Central
Pontiac at Bloomington Central Catholic
Week 1 high school football matchups....
Big 12 Conference
Normal West at Champaign Central
Peoria Manual vs. Peoria Notre Dame at Richwoods
Peoria Richwoods at Bloomington
Urbana at Champaign Centennial (Sat.)
Central State Eight
Jacksonville at Decatur Eisenhower
Lincoln at Springfield Lanphier
Normal U-High at Springfield (Sat.)
Springfield Southeast at Decatur MacArthur
Lincoln Prairie
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond at Argenta-Oreana
Cerro Gordo-Bement at Toledo-Cumberland
Sangamon Valley at Oakland Tri-County
Nokomis at Arcola
Sullivan-Okaw Valley at Villa Grove
Sangamo
Auburn at New Berlin
Petersburg-PORTA at Williamsville
Pittsfield at Athens
Pleasant Plains at Maroa-Forsyth
Riverton at Olympia
Non-Conference action this week
Limestone at Mt. Zion
Ridgeview at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley
Danville at Chatham-Glenwood (Sat.)
Decatur St. Teresa at Linton-Stockton, IN
Dunlap at Galesburg
East Peoria at Streator
El Paso-Gridley at Meridian
Dee-Mack at Chicago Academy
Mahomet-Seymour at Morton
Central A & M at LeRoy
Pekin at Rolling Meadows
Peoria Heights at Polo
Rochester vs. Peoria at Peoria Stadium
Shelbyville at Newton
Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin at Normal Community
Sterling at Metamora
Taylorville at Olney-Richland County
Tuscola vs. Peru St. Bede at Illinois Wesleyan University
Warrensburg-Latham at Tri-Valley
Washington at Maple Park-Kaneland
8-man football
Blue Ridge at Champaign St. Thomas More (Sat.)
