In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello ate up enough clock on a long drive in the fourth quarter and held off Prairie Central 28-13 to win its seventh in a row in Illini Prairie Conference high school football action Friday in Monticello.
Both teams started slow offensively but Monticello struck first on a three-yard scramble by Ike Young to go up 6-0 at the 3:02 mark of the first quarter.
The Sages weren't done in the first. Carter Foran scored his first of two touchdowns on an end-around with 56 seconds left and the Sages converted the two-point conversion to make it a 14-0 lead.
The Hawks' scores came on big plays. Tagen Fehr took a kickoff 99 yards to bring Prairie Central within 14-7.
After a slow offensive second quarter by both sides, Monticello finished the half with a score as Nolan Beuhnerkemper scored on a shovel pass from Ike Young to make it 21-7 at the break.
Prairie Central came out of the half and turned the ball over on the second play from scrimmage, setting up a short field for the Sages but Monticello could not score and 31-yard field goal by Buehnerkemper was wide to the left.
The next possession by Prairie Central was its most sustained of the night but the Hawks stalled out and late in the third, Foran caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Young to make it 28-7.
The first play of the next drive, Hudson Ault ran 65 yards for a score to make the score 28-13.
Monticello was able to put the game away with a long, methodical drive and while they did not get points, they did not give Prairie Central enough time to come back and held on for its seventh straight win.
Young finished 26-for-35 through the air for 286 yards and had 64 yards on 23 carries. The senior passed for two touchdowns and ran for another.
Young was the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt Counties Player of the Game.
Foran hauled in 11 catches for 150 yards with a touchdown and ran for another.
Buehnerkemper caught seven passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.
Ault ran for 109 yards on 17 carries highlighted by the 65-yard touchdown run.
Prairie Central falls to 4-4 overall and 3-4 in the Illini Prairie Conference. They will need a win next week against Bloomington Central Catholic to qualify for the postseason.
Monticello is 7-1 overall and 6-1 in the Illini Prairie Conference. They will wrap up the regular season next week at Tolono Unity. Game time is 7 pm. Hear the action on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com.
