In a game heard on WEZC, Drew Sheppard accounted for four touchdowns and Luke Teschke returned a kickoff 90 yards leading Monticello past Paxton-Buckley-Loda 41-26 in Illini Prairie Conference high school football action Friday night in Monticello.
Friday's win qualifies the Sages for the postseason as they move to 5-2 overall.
Monticello marched down the field on the opening drive of the game as Sheppard capped an eight-play, 72-yard drive with a 22-yard run.
The Sages defense kept PBL off the board after the Panthers opening drive went for 13 plays and 52 yards but they turned it over on downs inside the red zone.
A 17-play drive for the Sages stalled out on downs. The very next play, sophomore tailback Robert Boyd-Meents went 72 yards to bring PBL within 7-6.
On the kickoff, Teschke fielded the kick at the 10 yard line and went to the house.
Later in the first quarter, Sheppard hit Spencer Mitze for a 45 yard touchdown pass to put the Sages up 20-6 before the half.
Out of the break, PBL fumbled the opening kickoff and Tylor Bundy ran in an 18-yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 27-12.
Starting the fourth quarter, Sheppard hit Teschke from eight yards out to go up 34-12 but PBL was not going to go away.
Boyd-Meents scored from 59 yards out and converted the two-point attempt at 10:29 in the fourth to get withing 34-20. Then the Panthers recovered an onside kick. 11 plays later, Boyd-Meents connected with Aiden Johnson on a halfback pass from four yards out. PBL missed on the two point conversion to make the score 34-26 and that would be as close as the Panthers would get the rest of the way.
Sheppard sealed the win with a 13 yard run to send Monticello the final score of 41-26.
Sheppard finished 15-for-23 for 184 yards through the air with three touchdowns and added 67 yards on the ground on 11 carries and a touchdown.
Bundy finished with 57 rushing yards on six carries and a touchdown, all in the second half.
Mitze hauled in six passes for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Boyd-Meents led PBL with 206 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns.
PBL drops to 5-2 overall.
The Sages host Prairie Central next Friday night for senior night. Hear all the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.
