High school football special section 2024: Unity

What to know about Unity before the Rockets kick off their season Friday night on the road at Prairie Central:

Their quarterback is …Dane Eisenmenger, who’s back for his second year as Unity’s starter after a breakout sophomore season. Eisenmenger was both efficient and productive as a passer in 2023, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes for 2,455 yards, 32 touchdowns and just a handful of interceptions. The 6-foot-4 junior, who has recruiting interest from Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois, camped across the Midwest to get his name out to more college programs. “You get more comfortable as you get through them,” said Eisenmenger, who went to every available camp in Illinois plus Wisconsin, Iowa State and mega camps at Memphis and Lindenwood. “There’s kids that show up and cut you. You have to stand your ground almost. You can’t let them take your reps. I’m always trying to pick out the best guy and get next to him. If the coaches are looking at him, they have to look at me, too.” All eyes will be on Eisenmenger this season, though, as he leads a new-look Unity offense with a different slate of wide receivers and a healthy Garrett Richardson at running back. “It boils down to us being able to be balanced,” Unity coach Scott Hamilton said. “I think some people think, because Dane’s there, we’re going to throw it 40 times a game. For us to be at our best — especially for us to win big games and win in the playoffs — we’ve got to be able to run the ball and be physical.”

Their quarterback of the defense is …going to be a leader-by-committee approach this fall after the graduation of Brock Suding. If it seemed like the now former Unity linebacker was in on every play in 2023, it’s because he basically was. Suding finished his senior season with 178 tackles, leaving the Rockets having to replace both his production and his veteran presence in the middle of their defense. “This year, we made a lot of changes scheme-wise,” senior safety Ryan Rink said about Unity moving to a three-man front defensively. “It’s kind of difficult because we’ve been so used to playing the same zone forever. It’s a big switch this year, but we’ll spread everybody out a little bit more, and hopefully we don’t have any 180-plus tacklers on our team.” Hamilton is looking to his defensive line — guys like Hunter Eastin, Coleton Langendorf and Gavin Weaver — to step into bigger roles. “They’re the guys that are going to have to be the leaders for us — especially early in the season as we try to get everything going and try to have some consistency,” the Unity coach said. “You don’t replace a guy like (Suding) with one guy. You replace him with multiple guys stepping up.”

A successful season means …the same thing it always has in the communities of Tolono, Philo, Sidey, Pesotum and Sadorus. Unity has missed the playoffs just once in Hamilton’s last 30 seasons as coach. Going 4-5 in 2018 is a stark outlier amidst a successful run now entering its fourth decade. The Rockets expect to win and expect to do more of it with this group that includes a junior class that’s had expectations heaped on their shoulders. That there is a class that can propel Unity to that long sought after state championship. “Hopefully, people have worked hard in the weight room and on the field so we can prove to everybody that label is true,” Eisenmenger said. “It’s always been fun winning growing up, so hopefully it translates to the varsity level.” Hamilton, however, doesn’t want the weight of those outside expectations to be a burden. To bog down his team. “Sometimes, you’ve got to guard against guys doing too much,” the veteran coach said. “It’s why we focus a lot on senior leadership and those guys taking the lead. Honestly, it’s why, as a coach, I put so much emphasis on our seniors. They’re the ones that have the most — being this is their last go — invested. They’re the ones that are going to drive the ship.”

Follow the RocketsUnity’s 2024 scheduleDate Opponent Time

Aug. 30 at Prairie Central 7 p.m.

Sept. 6 at St. Joseph-Ogden 7 p.m.

Sept. 13 vs. Illinois Valley Central 7 p.m.

Sept. 20 vs. Belleville Althoff 7 p.m.

Sept. 27 vs. Bloomington Central Catholic 7 p.m.

Oct. 4 at Pontiac 7 p.m.

Oct. 11 vs. Rantoul 7 p.m.

Oct. 18 at Paxton-Buckley-Loda 7 p.m.

Oct. 25 vs. Monticello 7 p.m.

Meet the staffHead coach:

• Scott Hamilton

Offensive coordinator:

• Tony Reetz

Defensive coordinator:

• Dave Fink

Defensive backs coach:

• Patrick Striegel

Defensive line coach/special teams coordinator:

• Chad Eisenmenger

Defensive line coach:

• Logan Patton

Defensive backs coach:

• Conner Plotner

Wide receivers coach:

• Luke Ryan

Linebackers coach:

• Mitch Negangard

Wide receivers coach:

• Derek Hooker

Defensive line coach:

• Collin Davis

Offensive line coach:

• Austin Bonnell

Defensive backs/wide receivers coach:

• Rich Bonnell

Scott Richey