ROCHELLE – Curtis Lilly simply ran out of gas. Bidding for his second straight sectional title, he just could not find the energy to get it done.

The Sterling senior heavyweight, who placed fifth at state a year ago, is headed back to Champaign, but not as a sectional champ. Lilly dropped a 3-0 decision to Kaneland’s ninth-ranked Zach Theis in the 285-pound final Saturday at the Class 2A Rochelle Sectional.

Lilly (35-6) had beaten Theis 2-1 in the Northern Illinois Big 12 final, but Lilly’s road to the sectional final did him in.