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Isaiah Brown, Batavia take down Rockton Hononegah

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Batavia’s Isaiah Brown didn’t have to be asked twice.

With concerns about the health of a few of his players on offense, Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron turned to the junior wide receiver and asked for something extra last week.

The response? No worries.

“He looks like he weighs 18 pounds — he’s a skinny kid,” Piron said of Brown, who moved in from Yorkville in the offseason. “He has really nice hands, very good speed, nice energy.

“We’re banged up, so we’re giving him extra reps, putting him in spots we normally don’t. I said, ‘You need to have a game because we’re not 100%,’ and he just had a great game.”

A great game, indeed. The 6-foot-1, 165-pound Brown delivered Saturday with five receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns in a 55-14 rout of host Rockton Hononegah.

All were from senior quarterback Ryan Boe as Batavia (11-1) advanced to next weekend’s Class 7A state semifinal against Mount Carmel (11-1), a 61-14 winner over Quincy.

Rockton Hononegah (11-1) entering Saturday’s game having defeated opponents by an average of 36.4 points. That theme didn’t last very long, however, against the Bulldogs.

Batavia's Isaiah Brown (2) runs untouched for a touchdown in the second quarter against Rockton Hononegah during a Class 7A state quarterfinal game in Rockton on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.

Brown, who also returns punts, had TD catches of 69 and 26 yards and another reception of 46 yards from Boe, the North Dakota State recruit who completed 15 of 24 passes for 303 yards and five TDs.

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“It started last summer at Throw it Deep, where Ryan trains,” Brown said of his connection with Boe. “Ever since then, every practice, the chemistry has built, built, built. It’s higher and higher every week. It pays off during the games.

“He’s a great quarterback, great person, everything.”

Brown led Yorkville in receiving last season, which included a quarterfinal loss in overtime to Batavia. He came into Saturday’s quarterfinal tied for third on the team with 25 receptions for 366 yards and four TDs.

“He practices great,” Piron said of Brown. “It’s just that our offense isn’t a get-the-ball-to-a-guy offense. It’s a spread-the-ball-around offense.”

Batavia's Charlie Whelpley (4) celebrates with Isaiah Brown (2) celebrate after Brown's TD in the second quarter against Rockton Hononegah during a Class 7A state quarterfinal game in Rockton on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.

Senior running back Charlie Whelpley, who had 16 carries for 100 yards with TDs of 4 and 2 yards, said Brown’s transition has been smooth.

“It was like nothing,” Whelpley said. “He flipped a switch and turned into a Bulldog.”

Batavia’s offense piled up 511 yards Saturday, including two TD passes from Boe to Brett Berggren, a sophomore call-up for the playoff run.

“He’s a young talent everybody has to watch out for,” Whelpley said of Berggren. “He’s good.”

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Berggren’s 71-yard TD on a catch-and-run was the second of the game for the Bulldogs, who opened the scoring on Zach Granberg’s 53-yard run in the first quarter en route to a 28-0 lead.

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Pat McNamara had the other TD on a 7-yard reception for the Bulldogs, who have outscored three playoff opponents 146-31. And the defense has been just as impressive.

Batavia's Isaiah Brown (2) talks with a teammate at halftime against Rockton Hononegah during a Class 7A state quarterfinal game in Rockton on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023.

“What we want to do is make a team one-dimensional, and our numbers had them a 70% run team,” Batavia defensive coordinator Matt Holm said. “We tried to take that away from them, force them to do one thing so we can pin ‘em back and go.”

Batavia did just that, led by senior linebacker Ben Brown and his two sacks, one that forced a fumble recovered by junior lineman Xavier Blanquel to set up a score.

“Huge credit for stopping the run goes to the D-line,” Ben Brown said. “Those dudes get off the ball like crazy. (Hononegah) had to go to the pass.”

The night before, Isaiah Brown showed off another talent, according to Piron, with karaoke featured at Friday’s team gathering.

“The stars were Isaiah and Ben Fiegel,” Piron said. “Who’s the pop star going out with the Chiefs’ Travis Kelce, Taylor Swift? They won the amount of awards she would win at an awards show.”



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