1999 IHSA Boys Football Class 3A Championship Game: Byron vs. St. Joseph-Ogden

(11-20-18) The last time Byron won their only state championship back in 1999, the Tigers finished with a perfect season at 14-0, 19 years later they can repeat that same fete this Friday (4pm) in Champaign when they play Monticello (13-0) in the 3A State Title game..

The Byron coaching staff knows about winning a state title, current Head Football Coach Jeff Boyer was the starting QB on that 1999 state title team, in the backfield with him was Sean Considine (who would go on to win a Super Bowl Championship and is now a Byron assistant coach). Boyer now looks to add a state title for the Tigers as a head coach.

State semifinal wins

State Journal-Register video

Monticello’s 40-14 win over Carlinville earned the Sages their first ever trip to the state title game, after losing six times before in other semifinal games.

Monticello senior quarterback Braden Snyder (6′ 195 lb) completed 12 of 18 passes for 283 yards and five touchdowns. Asher Bradd (5’10 Sr) and Luke Stringer (6’0 Sr)  (3 for 94 yards) both had two TD receptions. Alek Bundy rushed for another 103 yards.  The Sages had 154 yards on the ground and had 432 yards total offense in the win.

Monticello head coach Cully Welter told sj-r.com after the game about his team’s speed after the win:

All year long, that’s been our main advantage against other teams. We have maybe not that one single burner, but overall at every position, we’re just pretty fast.”

Monticello played three of their four playoff games at home. They scored 40 or more points in each tournament win.

How they made it to the finals

  • Oct 27 50-7 St. Joseph-Ogden (5-5)
  • Nov 3 49-14 Anna-Jonesboro (8-3)
  • Nov 10 63-21 Greenville (8-4)
  • Nov 17 40-14 Carlinville (12-1)

 

byron football

Byron breezed to their semifinal win over #15-seed Herscher 42-0, scoring all of their points in the first half.

The Tigers starting backfield, who all have rushed for a 1,000 yards this year, only played the first half. Isaac Stickler (11 carries for 82 yards), Ricky Messling (11 carries for 75 yards) and Drake Snodgrass (9 carries for 57 yards.), as the three combined for 214 yards on the ground. Zak Alberts, who caught a 28 yard TD pass from Ben Carlson and added a TD run added to the big first half.

After the game Byron Head Coach Jeff Boyer told the Rockford Register-Star:

“Every year is a little bit different, but we always want to run the football, and play good defense, and that’s what we did today.”

Byron score 28 or more points in each of their four wins, in their other three wins they accounted for 50, 49 and 42 points.

How they made it to the finals

  • Oct 27 50-14 Rock Island Alleman (5-5)
  • Nov 3 28-0 Princeton (7-4 )
  • Nov 10 49-7 Lisle (10-2 )
  • Nov 17 42-0 Herscher (15 seed) (8-5)

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