In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Luke Teschke came up with big play after big play, willing the Monticello Sages to a 21-13 win over Prairie Central Friday night in Illini Prairie Conference high school football action from Fairbury.
After a tough loss last Friday night to Paxton-Buckley-Loda, Monticello came into Friday night's game needing a win in the final two weeks against two quality opponents in the conference.
After Hudson Ault ripped off an 84-yard run inside the Monticello five-yard line on the third play from scrimmage, the Sages forced a turnover and the Hawks never got inside the red zone again until under a minute to play in the fourth quarter.
With 2:07 left in the first, Monticello drove 76 yards and finished a methodical drive with a two-yard touchdown run from Ike Young on an option play that was well executed by Teschke.
Neither team scored again in the first half.
With 3:38 to play in the third quarter, Teschke faked a quarterback run, then dropped back a step and hit Carter Foran in stride for a 67-yard touchdown that put the Sages up 14-0.
The Hawks appeared to have gotten the score back on a 55-yard touchdown from Ault but the play was called back after a holding penalty on Prairie Central. Ault would find the end zone though as senior quarterback Avery Elder hit Ault in stride who lined up as a receiver for a 28-yard touchdown.
Monticello got the football back early in the fourth quarter and took up nearly eight minutes of game clock, finishing another methodical drive with a Teschke three-yard run.
The Hawks got a late score after a generous pass interference call in the end zone on a third down and 15 with under a minute to go but missed the two-point conversion. The ensuing kickoff trickled through the Monticello front line before the Sages were just able to fall on the ball 25 yards up the field.
Teschke finished 12-for-18 passing on a wet and windy night for 197 yards and a touchdown. He also had 25 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown.
With the 67-yard touchdown reception, Foran went over the century mark with five catches and 112 yards with the touchdown. Trey Welter had several big catches finishing with five receptions and 38 yards.
Young had two catches for 29 yards, including a big 29-yard screen pass that got Monticello out of the shadow of its own end zone in the third quarter after a masterful special teams play by Prairie Central pinned the Sages at their own one-yard line.
Young also had five carries for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Teschke's efforts for the game earned him the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game.
Monticello achieved playoff eligibility with its fifth win of the season to go 5-3 overall. They will host Tolono Unity next Friday in the regular season finale.
