A rough start led to a season-ending loss for Shepard on Nov. 1.
In the first three minutes of a Class 6A playoff opener against downstate Washington, the Astros fell behind 14-0 en route to a 52-21 road loss.
Shepard went three-and-out on its first possession. Washington blocked the ensuing punt and scored on a scoop-and-score. The Astros (7-3) then muffed the kickoff inside their own 3, allowing the Panthers (8-2) to recover and score soon after.
One of the game’s highlights for Shepard was the performance of senior wide receiver Cameron Tryon, who caught 10 passes for 199 yards and scored on 32- and 35-yard passes from quarterback Noah Vaughn (14-of-27 passing, 237 yards, two touchdowns).
Vaughn also rushed 11 times for 59 yards, and Tryon carried five times for 22 yards to conclude his three-year varsity career.
“Cameron stepped up in big games,” Rone said. “As the kids would say, ‘He wants all the smoke.’”
So did Washington’s ground game, as the Panthers ran for six touchdowns and 309 yards against Shepard.
“We couldn’t stop Washington’s running game,” Rone said. “And in that environment, when they’re running the ball like that against you, you definitely have a problem.”
Overall, it was a season of fewer problems for the Astros. After back-to-back 3-6 seasons, Shepard finished second in the South Suburban Red. The Astros appeared in the state playoffs for the first time since 2021 and the fourth time under Rone.
“We definitely had a good season,” Rone said. “I’m proud of and grateful for my seniors. They trusted the process, and I wish things would have worked out better for them in certain scenarios (against Washington).
“These kids got the program to where it had been before COVID. These are the guys that did it for us. I’ll remember the buy-in from the senior class despite the rough seasons before. The juniors fed off the seniors for that. I feel good about where the program is and what’s to come.”