The Program: A season with St. Joseph-Ogden football, Week 5

The St. Joseph-Ogden football team improved to 4-0 following a 42-28 win at Chillicothe IV last Friday night. Next up? The Spartans return home to play nonconference foe Carterville at 7 p.m. this Friday at Dick Duval Field in St. Joseph.

Before the Spartans and Lions meet, get to know a bit more about two of SJ-O's 18 seniors on its roster. This week's guests: defensive linemen Corbin Smith and Josh Courter.

No. 59 Corbin Smith, senior defensive lineman

1. What’s your favorite St. Joseph-Ogden football uniform combination?

The blue jersey and the white pants. It just meshes really well.

2. What’s the best part of Dick Duval Field?

The home crowd. I don’t think any other team in our conference has a comparable student section to ours.

3. Who is your funniest teammate?

Nolan Earley. He can be pretty serious, but when he’s joking around, he’s as funny as can be.

4. What is your go-to spot to eat in St. Joseph?

Roch’s. They’ve got really good cheeseburgers.

5. Who does the best Shawn Skinner impression?

Brodie Harms. His tone and his cadence, he’s got that Shawn Skinner roughness in his voice that fits so perfectly.

No. 67 Josh Courter, senior defensive lineman

1. What’s your favorite St. Joseph-Ogden football uniform combination?

Blue jersey and white pants. I really like the blue jersey.

2. What’s the best part of Dick Duval Field?

The fans because it wouldn’t be the same without them cheering us on.

3. Who is your funniest teammate?

Gabe Matta. Since we were little kids, he just always knows what to say and how to make a joke out of everything.

4. What is your go-to spot to eat in St. Joseph?

I’ve got to say Subway. I work there, so I’ve got to rep it. My favorite sandwich is The Monster, which is steak and bacon, but they just took it off the menu.

5. Who does the best Shawn Skinner impression?

Brodie Harms.

Coach speak

Each week, we’ll catch up with St. Joseph-Ogden coach Shawn Skinner to look back at how the Spartans fared in their previous game and look ahead at what’s next this upcoming Friday night:

Week 4: St. Joseph-Ogden 42, Chillicothe IVC 28

Kodey McKinney rushed for two touchdowns and went 18 of 21 for 230 passing yards and one touchdown as the Spartans remained undefeated with an Illini Prairie Conference road win. Coy Taylor (nine catches for 112 yards), Tanner Siems (five catches for 68 yards, one TD) and Tim Blackburn-Kelley (five catches for 50 yards) also chipped in significantly.

“We did a great job of starting fast again,” Skinner said. “I love our effort. We just have to pay attention to details. We’re already having a nice season, but if our effort is there, we’re a tough out.”

Week 5: Carterville (3-1) at St. Joseph-Ogden (4-0)

The Spartans are at Dick Duval Field for the first time since beating Unity 24-21 on Sept. 6 with their lone nonconference game of the season. Against a team that has won three straight and handed SJ-O its first loss last season. The Lions beat the Spartans 32-28 in Carterville during Week 5 in 2023.

“Super program. Great coaches. They don’t beat themselves,” Skinner said. “They have some massive human beings on the line. We’re not going to be faster than them. Most nights, we think we can do that against teams. That’s not true against these guys. It’s going to be a heck of a football game.”