Byron routs Mt. Carmel to win Illinois Class 3A football championship

Bryon racks up 530 rushing yards in 69-7 victory

NORMAL, ILLINOIS – The Byron Tigers made a statement on Friday night. 

Then coach Jeff Boyer made a bold claim himself. 

Byron racked up 530 rushing yards in a dominant 69-7 victory over Mt. Carmel in the Illinois Class 3A championship at Hancock Stadium to capture the Tigers' third state championship and finish off their fourth undefeated season. 

"All I can say is this group of kids is just, they are unbelievable," Boyer said. "The season that these guys just had, first and foremost, state champs, that was the goal. But then just to kind of put an exclamation point on it here and kind of prove that they are probably one of the best teams in Illinois history." 

The 69 points Byron (14-0) scored on Friday were the second-most points scored by a state champion in Illinois High School Association history. 

"These guys certainly saved their best for last," Boyer said, "I'll tell you that."

With freshman quarterback Andrew Talbert, sophomore running back Caden Considine and junior running back Brayden Knoll running behind a big and strong offensive line, the Tigers broke the Illinois record (all classes) for most points scored in a season with 823. 

Byron finished its perfect season averaging 58.8 points per game.

"Our playbook actually decreased here this week," Boyer said. "We said we're just going to do what we do and be who we are and that's what we were tonight."

Illinois high school football: Top standouts, best performances at state championships (11/24/2023)

Byron led 21-0 after one quarter, 49-0 at halftime and 63-7 after three quarters. 

"Early on, we knew we had to keep the pedal to the metal and that's what we did," Considine said. "We broke their spirits and the score says the rest."

Talbert rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns on just five carries, including a 77-yard touchdown run late in the first half. Considine ran for 153 yards and two scores on 17 carries. Knoll added 103 yards and two TDs on six carries.

Byron ran the ball 53 times and averaged 10 yards per carry. 

Mount Carmel (12-2), which entered the contest with a 12-game win streak, had four of its first six series end with a turnover, including three interceptions. 

Byron scored touchdowns on its first 10 possessions.

"Early on we turned the ball over in the first half too much," Mount Carmel coach Michael Brewer said. "They were too good to do that – give them extra opportunities, give them short fields and things like that. Credit to Byron. They are a fantastic football team, really, really good on both the lines. I thought early on we had some times where we were moving the ball, doing some of the things we wanted to do, but it kind of came down to early on turnovers that hurt us. When you have those against an excellent football team, it's hard to overcome those."

ILLINOIS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE

Camp Point Central tops Lena-Winslow to win Illinois 1A football championship

Wilmington gets defensive to beat Athens in Illinois 2A football title game

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ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEWS

Players to watch at the Illinois football state championships

Illinois 1A title game preview: Lena-Winslow vs. Camp Point Central

Illinois 2A title game preview: Athens vs. Wilmington

Illinois 3A title game preview: Byron vs. Mt. Carmel

Illinois 4A title game preview: Rochester vs. St. Laurence

Illinois 5A title game: Joliet Catholic vs. Nazareth Academy

Illinois 6A title game: East St. Louis vs. Cary-Grove

Illinois 7A title game: Mount Carmel vs. Downers Grove North

Illinois 8A title game: Lincoln-Way East vs. Loyola Academy

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Illinois Class 3A football championship: Byron - Mount Carmel

Photos from Nate Latsch

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- Nate Latsch | latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveIL