The Taylorville Tornadoes will take on the Rochester Rockets at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Friday, Taylorville was able to grind out a solid victory over Civic Memorial, taking the game 24-17. The win continues a trend for the Tornadoes in their matchups with the Eagles: they've now won three in a row.
Spencer Brown
| 10/24/25 @ Civic Memorial | 146 |
| 10/10/25 vs Charleston | 112 |
| 09/05/25 vs Canton | 81 |
| 08/29/25 @ Richland County | 75 |
| 10/03/25 vs Mattoon | 52 |
Taylorville's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Spencer Brown, who rushed for 146 yards and two TDs while picking up 9.1 yards per carry. Those 146 rushing yards gave Brown a new career-high. Owen Mateer also helped out as he racked up 104 rushing yards.
Meanwhile, Rochester had just enough and edged out Sacred Heart-Griffin 31-28 on Friday.
Taylorville better keep an eye on Kaiden Stout. He was instrumental in Rochester's win, rushing for 185 yards and one score while picking up 9.3 yards per carry. They also got help from Tristan Stanton, who showed off his sure hands for 132 receiving yards.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Rochester proved: they limited Sacred Heart-Griffin to a paltry 2.5 yards per carry. While five picked up at least eight total tackles, Connor Broughton stood above the rest. He picked up two sacks and made eight total tackles. Rochester didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged six.
Rochester's defense didn't let the opposing QB, get away unscathed either: they got into the backfield for four sacks. Broughton refused to say out of the backfield, picking up two sacks all by himself. He was another major factor on D, picking up two sacks and making eight total tackles.
Rochester's record now sits at 8-1. As for Taylorville, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Taylorville has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 201.3 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Rochester struggles in that department as they've been averaging 234.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Taylorville was dealt a bruising 64-26 defeat at the hands of Rochester in their previous meeting back in November of 2018. Can the Tornadoes avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
