Illinois State's Road to Glory: A Nazareth Native's Wait is Over
Jake Cestone, a talented wide receiver from Nazareth, Illinois, will finally get to witness his future team, Illinois State, play in person. The Redbirds are set to face off against Montana State in the FCS title game on Monday night at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.
Cestone, one of seven local players in ISU's 2026 recruiting class, had been patiently waiting for this moment after originally planning to attend a home playoff game, only to be told that the team would be on the road the rest of the season. However, it seems that coach Brock Spack has lived up to his reputation as a transparent leader, who values hard work and dedication from his players.
The Redbirds have had an impressive run in the playoffs, beating four ranked teams on the road, including a stunning 29-28 victory over top-ranked North Dakota State. With quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse leading the charge, throwing for 3,257 yards and 36 touchdowns, and receiver Danlel Sobkowicz providing crucial support with his career-high 40 receiving touchdowns, ISU is looking like a strong contender.
Coach Spack's focus on developing local talent has been a key factor in the Redbirds' success. As Cestone noted during his recruitment process, "They were very transparent... Coach Spack was, like, 'I'm not going to pay these guys big money. I want guys who come in here and work their butt off.'"
The Redbirds are now seeking their first national championship in their second trip to the final. With Cestone and his Nazareth teammates cheering them on from Nashville, it's anyone's game.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with ESPN televising the highly anticipated match-up. Will Illinois State bring home the title? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure – Jake Cestone will be there to witness history in the making.
Jake Cestone, a talented wide receiver from Nazareth, Illinois, will finally get to witness his future team, Illinois State, play in person. The Redbirds are set to face off against Montana State in the FCS title game on Monday night at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.
Cestone, one of seven local players in ISU's 2026 recruiting class, had been patiently waiting for this moment after originally planning to attend a home playoff game, only to be told that the team would be on the road the rest of the season. However, it seems that coach Brock Spack has lived up to his reputation as a transparent leader, who values hard work and dedication from his players.
The Redbirds have had an impressive run in the playoffs, beating four ranked teams on the road, including a stunning 29-28 victory over top-ranked North Dakota State. With quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse leading the charge, throwing for 3,257 yards and 36 touchdowns, and receiver Danlel Sobkowicz providing crucial support with his career-high 40 receiving touchdowns, ISU is looking like a strong contender.
Coach Spack's focus on developing local talent has been a key factor in the Redbirds' success. As Cestone noted during his recruitment process, "They were very transparent... Coach Spack was, like, 'I'm not going to pay these guys big money. I want guys who come in here and work their butt off.'"
The Redbirds are now seeking their first national championship in their second trip to the final. With Cestone and his Nazareth teammates cheering them on from Nashville, it's anyone's game.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with ESPN televising the highly anticipated match-up. Will Illinois State bring home the title? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure – Jake Cestone will be there to witness history in the making.
! Did you know that their offense has been on fire this season? 
Tommy Rittenhouse is throwing for 3.5 yards per attempt and Danlew Sobkowicz has a catch rate of 75%! 
That's a huge reason why they've won four road games against ranked teams 
Their running back, Cam Smith, is averaging 4.8 yards per carry! 
It's clear that Coach Spack's emphasis on developing local talent has paid off big time 
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According to Google Trends, ISU's search volume is up 300% this season compared to last year! 
It's awesome to see the Redbirds' excitement growing across the state. Go Redbirds! 
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. I mean, it's about time ISU gets some love, right? coach spack is definitely doing something right with this team, all these local kids from nazareth getting a shot... it's like he said, hard work and dedication pays off 
. but at the same time, they gotta bring home that title, I don't want to see them choke in front of cestone and his squad 
. espn is gonna make a killing with this one, btw... kickoff can't come soon enough 
Jake Cestone is going to be an awesome addition to the team and I love that he was treated with respect and transparency from day one. 
It's always awesome to see underdogs come out on top, so Redbirds all the way! 
Go ISU! 
. Illinois State's squad has been lookin pretty solid this season too - Tommy Rittenhouse is a beast behind the wheel 
. I'm lovin how Coach Spack keeps it real with his players though, all about puttin in the work and no flashy money 
. Bring on that FCS title game, it's gonna be a wild ride! 
I'm so stoked for Jake Cestone, a Nazareth native who gets to see his ISU team play live! 
Tommy Rittenhouse and Danlel Sobkowicz are a deadly duo, for sure. 
The energy at FirstBank Stadium is gonna be electric... let's hope ISU brings home that national championship! 
. And let me tell you, with Rittenhouse and Sobkowicz leading the charge, this team is looking super strong 