Breese Central’s season ends with OT heartbreaker in state semifinals
Breese Central had its state title game hopes dashed by Evrim Tabag and Rochester on Saturday evening.
Tabag, the Rockets’ physical running back, scored a 10-yard touchdown in overtime and then ran in the two-point conversion, lifting the Rockets to a thrilling 43-42 victory over Breese Central in a Class 4A semifinal at Rochester High School.
Rochester (12-1) will face Lombard Montini for the IHSA Class 4A championship at 7 p.m. Friday at Illinois State University in Normal.
Helping Rochester reach the state championship game for the 10th time in program history was a thrill for Tabag.
“It feels great,” Tabag said. “We had some humps in that game, but we persevered and we came through,” Tabag said. “It’s a great team we went against, so we’ll get ready for next week.”
The Rockets got on the board in their fifth drive as Tabag scored on a 2-yard run, giving Rochester a 7-0 lead.
Late in the second quarter, Breese Central responded with a 53-yard catch-and-run touchdown from Owen Kehrer to Conlan Haar.
Rochester regained the lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Tabag midway through the second quarter, giving the Rockets a 14-7 halftime advantage.
Central’s offense found its stride in the third quarter. A 23-yard Kehrer-to-Haar touchdown pass and a 30-yard Kehrer-to-Aidan Huegen touchdown put the Cougars up 21-14.
Then a 45-yard Kehrer-to-Haar touchdown bomb stretched the lead to 28-14.
Rochester pulled within one score on a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Tanner Beal to close out the third quarter.
Central opened the fourth quarter with a 33-yard Kehrer-to-Cole Davis catch-and-run score, making it 35-21.
The Rockets rallied to tie it late in the fourth quarter on a 16-yard Kaiden Stout touchdown run, knotting the game at 35-35.
That sent the action to overtime.
Central struck first in overtime on a Kehrer-to-Bryce Wieter 2-yard fourth-down pass to go ahead 42-35.
Tabag responded with a 10-yard scoring run and then added the game-winning two-point conversion to end Central’s season.
“I knew when I got that ball, I needed to keep running for my seniors,” Tabag said. “I wasn’t gonna stop,” Tabag said. “I ran to the back of the end zone for them.”
Rochester coach Derek Leonard praised the Cougars’ effort. “They came here and punched us in the mouth like I knew they would, and give them a lot of credit,” Leonard said.
Falling short in its first semifinal trip was a tough outcome for Breese Central, which finished 11-2. Central coach Brian Short lauded his senior-laden club’s best finish in school history.
“Every year we talk about extending and extending (in the playoffs), what a group, what a group,” Short said. “Rochester and Sacred Heart are measuring sticks, and today we showed we belong — definitely.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 8:12 PM.