The Taylorville Tornadoes hit the road Friday night with one goal in mind: get win No. 5.
They did exactly that.
Taylorville put together a dominant performance on the road, rolling past Charleston 47-13 to improve to 5-2 on the season and build momentum heading into one of the biggest games of the year next week at Mount Zion.
The Tornadoes came out firing from the opening whistle.
Taylorville quarterback Isaac Repscher connected with Maddex Havera on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 7:57 remaining in the first quarter to put the Tornadoes ahead 7-0.
Just over two minutes later, Havera returned the favor.
Havera connected with Wyatt Younker on a 35-yard touchdown pass, giving Taylorville a 14-0 advantage with 5:15 left in the opening quarter.
Taylorville continued to control the game in the second quarter, with Ben Peabody connecting on field goals of 33 and 22 yards to extend the lead to 20-0 heading into halftime.
The Tornadoes weren’t finished.
Repscher found Chase Rincker for a 12-yard touchdown early in the third quarter before connecting with Blake Ladage on a 33-yard touchdown pass later in the period.
Taylorville entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 34-0 lead.
Charleston got on the board early in the fourth when Waylon Shaffer returned an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, but the Tornadoes quickly answered.
Repscher connected with Rinker again, this time on a 59-yard touchdown strike, pushing the Taylorville lead to 40-7.
Charleston added another touchdown on a 22-yard run from CJ Patterson, but Taylorville had the final say.
Eliaja Nash returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown with 1:51 remaining, putting the finishing touches on the 47-13 victory.
Peabody Makes His Mark
While Taylorville’s offense produced plenty of highlights, Ben Peabody made an impact all over the field.
Peabody connected on both of his field-goal attempts, converted his extra-point opportunities and also recorded two tackles on kickoff returns.
Following the game, Taylorville head coach Coach Odam praised Peabody’s performance.
“He’s done a great job,” Odam said. “He’s put in a lot of work. I’m very proud of him.”
Odam also credited the entire special teams unit, including Cam, who stepped in with strong punting and kicking performances.
Havera Makes Plays All Over the Field
Havera was another key contributor for Taylorville, impacting the game both through the air and on the ground.
He threw a touchdown pass to Younker and also caught Repscher’s opening touchdown pass.
With Taylorville dealing with some injuries, Odam said the coaching staff made a point this week of getting younger players additional reps.
“All the guys that played tonight, we have a lot of faith in,” Odam said. “The guys made some plays when they needed to.”
Havera said the Tornadoes came out with energy and never took their foot off the gas.
“We started off hot and never let our foot off the gas,” Havera said.
Five Wins and Counting
The victory moves Taylorville to 5-2, an important milestone for a program looking to make noise in the postseason.
For Odam, reaching five wins is a big accomplishment — but the Tornadoes aren’t satisfied.
“Getting to five wins is a big deal for us,” Odam said. “It’s a lot of positive momentum into a big game, so hopefully we can carry that into a good week of practice.”
That big game is now on the horizon.
Mount Zion Awaits
Taylorville will travel to face Mount Zion next week with a playoff bye potentially on the line.
The Tornadoes know exactly what awaits them.
Odam called Mount Zion a talented and well-coached football team and expects a hostile environment for Friday night’s rivalry matchup.
“We know that they’re a very talented football team. They’re very well coached,” Odam said. “At their place, it’s going to be a hostile environment, so it’s going to be a lot of fun. I hope we can make some memories for our kiddos for a lifetime.”
For the players, the preparation remains simple.
“Just stay locked in,” Peabody said.
Havera echoed that message.
“Stay locked in and stay on our standard, and then we’ll do what we do.”
The Tornadoes are now 5-2, but the next challenge may be their biggest yet.
And according to Peabody, the special part of this Taylorville team is simple:
“Just the brotherhood.”
Taylorville will now turn its attention toward Mount Zion and a massive Week 8 matchup.
Taylorville 47, Charleston 13.
Taylorville improves to 5-2.
