TOLONO — Six photographs hang to the left of Scott Hamilton’s desk in his office at Unity High School.

All represent the six Unity football teams he has led to a state championship appearance, with the Rockets reaching the final day of the season in 2000, 2005, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2021.

A game ball from the Rockets’ 200th win as coach — a 48-18 win at Rantoul on Oct. 10, 2014 — sits on a shelf behind his desk, where he’s busy making and receiving phone calls while working on his computer on Tuesday. morning.

The accomplishments Hamilton has achieved in 31 seasons coaching the Rockets are clear to see in the office he usually finds himself at before sunrise each weekday.

How many more accomplishments Hamilton will add to his Hall of Fame coaching career — he was part of the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association’s 2017 class of inductees — is unclear, however.

Still chasing a state championship after six second-place finishes.

And he’s 13 wins short of 300 career wins heading into Friday night’s Illini Prairie Conference matchup at Hicks Field as the host Rockets (5-3, 5-2) welcome Monticello (7-1, 6-1). .

But Friday night could — key word could — be the last time he coaches the Rockets at Hicks Field.

“I don’t know. We haven’t decided yet,” Hamilton told The News-Gazette. “There are some plans in place if I don’t, and we’ll make that decision when it’s all said and done. My wife and I will sit down and we’ll talk about things I don’t know.

“It’s something I’ve thought about a lot. I don’t want to make a decision right after the season, but I don’t want to wait too long. I don’t know if I’ll get there before the school board meeting in December or if I’ll do it sometime over Christmas break and then get things moving right after we get back.”

Hamilton knows he won’t have the same daily routine next school year. That’s because he’s stepping down as Unity’s athletic director at the end of the 2024-25 school year, a decision he’s already announced.

“In education, when you get to 35, you’re kind of maxing out the retirement system,” said Hamilton, who arrived at Unity in 1994 after beginning his teaching and coaching career at Hardin Calhoun. “I reached that point in my tenure here and with my years at Hardin Calhoun. I think it’s a good time to move on and start a new chapter.”

Will the 2025 chapter involve him coaching the Rockets for a 32nd season?

“I have no idea,” Hamilton said. “It’s obviously going to be different if I’m a coach and I’m not an AD. Instead of stressing through a day of school before practice, maybe it’s a round of golf and then practice. I don’t know.”

Hamilton understands his coaching future is a topic of conversation around the football-centric communities of Tolono, Philo, Sidney, Pesotum and Sadorus that make up the Unity School District. Having a record of 287-73 with 28 playoff appearances in his tenure illustrates the success he had with the Rockets.

“I know some people are going to say we haven’t won a state title or we’re close to 300 wins,” Hamilton said. “Honestly, it would be great to have a state title or six of them, but I don’t know when it’s all said and done if that’s really important. Hopefully we have done good things for the school and the community. It’s going to be more about that and the longevity of doing things the right way versus 300 wins or six seconds or six state titles. I’m quite at peace with it all.”

The Unity administration plans to honor Hamilton by recognizing him before Friday night’s 7 p.m. kickoff.

“I don’t want them to do anything,” Hamilton said with a smile, “but they’re not leaving me with that as an option.”

Hamilton has options to consider in the coming weeks and months.

“We don’t start the offseason, one way or another, until we come back from Christmas break,” Hamilton said. “If I’m not going to coach, I want to make sure somebody has the right opportunities to make things work.”

But for this week, he’s mostly concerned with slowing down Monticello. The Sages have won seven straight after a season-opening loss to still-undefeated St. Joseph-Ogden with dual-threat quarterback Ike Young led another dynamic Monticello offense. An offense that, even though Hamilton and his Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dave Fink have watched countless films over the years, has the Rockets staff spending hours this week trying to come up with plans for the Rockets to be successful on Friday night.

“Coach Fink and I and our defensive guys would like to thank Coach Welter for the hours and hours of scribbling all over the paper,” Hamilton said with a laugh. “It’s good preparation for the playoffs. The last thing we wanted was to have four wins in this game because anything can happen in this game. There were times when we thought we were better and they won, and there were times when we thought they were better than us and we won. It’s just one of those games.”

The fact that Unity is finding its stride at the right time of the season and riding a three-game winning streak heading into Friday night’s game gives Hamilton confidence. The Rockets were dealing with an uncharacteristic 2-3 record after a 20-10 home loss to Bloomington Central Catholic on Sept. 27. Unity’s other two losses are a 24-21 loss at St. Joseph-Ogden at the last second. field goal on Sept. 6 and a last-second 53-52 loss at home to undefeated Belleville Althoff on Sept. 20.

“I thought the St. Joe is going to be a 50-50 type game and it was a great game,” Hamilton said. “I remember putting the film on for Althoff and thinking, ‘Yeah. It’s one of those deals where we have so many people refuse to play us for whatever reason. We’re frustrated about it, but I won’t be a hypocrite. Althoff was open, they needed a game and we needed a game. They were as good as anyone I’ve ever played with.”

The Rockets, however, are showing they are a team no opponent wants to see in the Class 3A playoffs. Junior quarterback Dane Eisenmenger completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,834 yards, 23 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Junior wide receiver Tre Hoggard is his primary option, with Hoggard having 52 receptions for 891 yards and nine touchdowns. Senior running back Garrett Richardson has already surpassed 1,000 rushing yards, bringing in 1,063 yards on 150 carries and 14 touchdowns through Friday night. Junior Coleton Langendorf has 78 tackles and junior defensive back Brayden Henry has 5 interceptions.

All the main reasons why Unity will hear its name called when the playoff pairings are revealed Saturday night. With the possibility of a first-round home game in the playoffs if the Rockets can knock off Monticello before Unity enters November aiming to reach a seventh state championship game under Hamilton.

“The important thing is we have to keep taking steps forward because it’s a process of building and getting ready for November,” Hamilton said. “Fortunately, we will get there. I knew there was a point in time when I wondered that. If this is the last try for me, I certainly didn’t want it to end in Week 9.”