Football Recap: Auburn Comes Up Short

Auburn extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to five on Friday, dropping them down to 0-3. They were beaten by Maroa-Forsyth 48-14. While losing is never fun, Auburn can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked 387th, while Maroa-Forsyth is ranked 54th).

Despite the loss, Auburn still got an impressive performance from Chance Crissey, who rushed for 100 yards and one touchdown.

Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 1.8 yards per carry. The team can thank Zion Blue for the heroic effort on defense: he. Auburn's ground attack was stronger, having averaged four.

As for Maroa-Forsyth, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record up to 3-0. Those wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they've averaged 54.7 points this season.

Ryne Sheppard went supernova, throwing for 341 yards and four TDs while completing 89.5% of his passes, and also punching in a pair of scores on the ground. What's more, he racked up 168.3 passer rating, the most he's had since back in September of 2024. Zach Smith was another key player, picking up 120 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Auburn didn't take long to hit the field again: they've already played their next matchup, a 48-35 loss against Pleasant Plains on the 19th. As for Maroa-Forsyth, they also wasted no time getting back out on the field and have already played their next game, a 53-0 victory against PORTA/Ashland-Chandlerville Central/Greenview on the 19th.