After a second-quarter safety and a touchdown on the ensuing possession, Monticello scored 28 unanswered points to finish the first half and rolled to a 38-8 victory over IVC in Illini Prairie Conference football action Friday night in Chillicothe.

It was another slow start for the Sages and a bad snap on a 4th down deep in their own territory forced Cole Sowinski to field the errant snap in the end zone and was tackled for the first score of the game.

After IVC quarterback Nate Dennison hit David Russell in the back of the end zone from 11 yards out to put IVC up 8-0, Tylor Bundy returned the kickoff 48 yards to the 32-yard line, and then Drew Sheppard hit Raiden Colbert from 32 yards out to bring Monticello to 8-6.

Monticello got the ball back and used a hook-and-lateral that sprung Bundy for 67 yards on the pitch from Colbert and a double reverse two-point conversion made it 14-8.

With 2:58 to go in the second quarter, Bundy picked off a Dennison pass and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to put the Sages up 21-8.

But Monticello wasn't done. After they forced IVC into a 3-and-out, Drew Sheppard hit Bundy over the middle for 38 yards setting the Sages up for a red zone opportunity, and Luke Teschke's touchdown from two yards out on a shovel pass made it 28-7.

Out of the half, Monticello received the opening kick and Sheppard took the opening play of the half 37 yards on an option run, setting up another Bundy touchdown from 3-yards out to send Monticello up 35-8.

The scoring concluded in the fourth when Sowinski slammed a 32-yard field goal through for the 38-8 score.

Bundy's efforts earned him the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt County Player of the Game. He finished with 133 yards receiving with a touchdown, 35 yards rushing with a touchdown, his pick six, and several tremendous special teams plays. 

Sheppard was 17-for-27 with 278 yards passing to go along with three touchdowns and an interception. He added 61 yards rushing.

Colbert hauled in three passes for 44 yards with a touchdown. Spencer Mitze recorded three receptions for 32 yards and led a tenacious Monticello defense throughout the night from the linebacker position. Trey Welter had four catches for 36 yards. 

Monticello moves to 1-1 overall while IVC falls to 0-2. 

The Sages host the Milwaukee Academy of Science next Friday night in Monticello. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.