Roper dominates again, earning Player of the Week honors

This week’s Rend Lake Cabins In The Woods Player of the Week goes to senior quarterback Callahan Roper of the Marion Wildcats.

This is Roper’s third time earning the honor and it’s no surprise, he’s been putting together an incredible senior season. Roper led the Wildcats past the Mattoon Greenwave in a 49-21 senior night win to close out the 2025 regular season and finish 6-3 clinching a playoff spot. At halftime Roper had already thrown for 355 yards and five touchdowns. He went on to finish the night with 435 passing yards, breaking his own record of 406, along with six touchdown passes.

Roper wrapped up the regular season with 2,801 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a 64% completion rate. He now sits just three yards shy of tying his assistant coach and Marion great Matt Brown for career passing yards. Roper currently has 5,998 while Brown finished his career with 6,001. Roper has already broken several of Brown’s records and it looks like he’s about to take this one too.

The Wildcats are the #9 seed in Class 5A and will hit the road to face #8 seed Mahomet-Seymour. Do you think the Wildcats can keep their season alive and pull out the win?

2025 Player of the Week Winners

Week 1: Brantley Kozuszek (Nashville)

Week 2: Johnathan Brown (DuQuoin)

Week 3: Callahan Roper (Marion)

Week 4: Callahan Roper (Marion)

Week 5: Nolan Schafer (Benton)

Week 6: Archie Goewey & Kenny Bratton (Centralia)

Week 7: Davin Wooley (Carbondale)

Week 8: Riley Spencer (Benton)

Week 9: Callahan Roper (Marion)