When Richmond-Burton needs a big play, Hunter Carley expects the ball to be in his hands.

Par for the course, the junior got the scoring going with a 4-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter, and the top-seeded Rockets cruised to a 31-6 quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Monmouth-Roseville on Saturday.

The undefeated Rockets will host second-seeded Byron, a 28-6 winner over IC Catholic, in a semifinal at 2 p.m. Nov. 22. It’s R-B’s first semifinal appearance since 2021.

The Titans (10-2) were able to keep the game competitive early on, but had no answer for the Rockets (12-0) and Class 3A all-stater Carley in key situations.

Carley’s 69-yard return to open the third quarter set up a Riley Shea (10 carries, 54 yards, TD) 18-yard gain, followed by Shea’s 2-yard rushing TD just 31 seconds into the half.

“He’s got great vision,” Richmond-Burton coach Mike Noll said of Carley, who ran 13 times for 77 yards and one TD. “He’s been our guy all year, so I’m never really surprised. First play of the second half, that was a backbreaker, I think. He got that kickoff and almost took it the distance. That was a big, big play.”

Not done yet, Noll called Carley’s name when R-B went for it on fourth-and-1 late in the third quarter. Carley muscled his way for the first down, which had to be confirmed by measurement.

“I think it just shows that Coach can trust me to make plays when I need to, and if there’s a big situation, he knows that I can make that play and do what I have to do,” Carley said.

Carley’s conversion was the only gain on that drive not by Blake Livdahl. Livdahl (team-high 122 rushing yards, two touchdowns) carried for 57 of the 58 yards during the eight-play drive.

Livdahl also capped the Rockets’ scoring with a 54-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Trey Maziarz tacked on a 25-yard field goal for the Rockets that gave them a 10–0 lead at halftime.

From the start, the R-B defense handled its opponent in dominant fashion, pinning the Titans in their own territory and forcing four first-half punts on a team not used to punting.

Senior captain Gavin Busa helps lead that defense, and said that everyone came together and played well.

“If we keep our composure and play tough football, we’ll win,” Busa said. “If I’m confident in myself, I’ll do great, and I know I got players around me to help me.”

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Richmond-Burton's Hunter Carley breaks out of the backfield for a long run against Monmouth-Roseville during an IHSA Class 3A quarterfinal playoff football game on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Richmond-Burton High School, in Richmond. (Gregory Shaver/Gregory Shaver )

A credit to Busa and the tough R-B defense, the Titans did not have comparable offensive success with their all-state running back Nick Huston.

Huston was held to just 31 first-half yards on 12 carries. Most of his game-high 144 rushing yards came with the game out of reach. He scored his team’s only points on a 1-yard rushing touchdown.