2024 Prep Football Kickoff Go Long!
Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio
Bureau Valley • Fieldcrest
Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland
Hall • L-P • Marquette • Mendota
Ottawa • Princeton • St. Bede
Seneca • Streator
L-P to rely on talented veteran defense, young o ense
by Kevin Chlum
Looking for its first home playoff game in more than two decades, La Salle-Peru will rely on a veteran defense and a young but talented offense in 2024.
“I would definitely say our defense is a strength,” senior linebacker/tight end Andy Medina said. “We have a good linebacker corps. We’re all multi-year starters now. The defensive line is very quick and strong, and [op-
ponents aren’t] going to be able to cut through the gaps. Offensively, I think we can move the ball a lot. We’re coming together on the O-line. We have a very good running back room with a lot of speed and strength. We have some fast wide receivers.”
Medina will lead an experienced linebacker group along with returning seniors Danny Beavers and Joshua Bickford. Senior Zach Pocivasek and junior Nick Hachenberger will see time at outside linebacker.
Juniors Will Taylor and Caedan
Small will play defensive end, with senior Cameron Olivero at nose guard. Owen Mrowicki and senior Richie Santiago also will contribute on the defensive line.
“Defense is going to be one of our strongest areas,” 10th-year L-P coach Jose Medina said. “I do feel like we have three down linemen who can really put some pressure on, can really move, are strong and fast and can cause some issues for the offense.”
Seniors Noah Zebron and Mikey Hartman are back in the secondary,
while senior Brevyn Vogel also will play a key role after missing most of last season with injury.
“I think we have a good group,” Hartman said. “We have good communication. We got a good push up front. A good secondary. We’re all working as a whole right now. It’s really good.”
The Cavs, who went 4-5 last season, aren’t as experienced on the offensive side.
Up front, Santiago is the only returner on the offensive line. He’ll play
La Salle-Peru’s Adrian Arzola (center) runs the ball between Ottawa defenders Tyce Kubiak and Keevon Peterson during a game last season. Photo by Scott Anderson
tackle along with senior Evan Haskell. Senior Dane Wicinski and junior Cam Taylor will fill the guard spots, and junior Gus Konieczki takes over at center. Mrowicki and senior Ryder Delphi also will get time on the line.
Andy Medina started at guard last fall but is moving to tight end this season.
“I think we have some guys who are going to step up this year,” Jose Medina said about the offensive line. Along with replacing most of its offensive line, L-P has almost an entirely new group of skill position players.
The Cavs graduated quarterback Brendan Boudreau (72-130-4, 859 yards, nine TDs, 341 rushing yards, five TDs in 2023), leading rusher Brady Romagnoli (689 yards, five TDs) and top receiver Seth Adams (294 yards, three TDs).
Freshman Marion Persich, who is 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, takes over at quarterback.
“Marion coming in at QB, I think he’s a good addition,” Hartman said. “I think he’s a good addition. He has a great arm. He’s a smart QB. Athletic.”
Junior Easton Moriarty, Vogel and senior Adrian Arzola all will get carries this fall.
“We’re going to be all new at tailback,” Jose Medina said. “Easton
Moriarty ran hard last year as a sophomore and had some success (at the sophomore level). Brevyn Vogel got hurt early in the season last year, so he didn’t get many reps, but he’s been looking great in camp. Adrian Arzola is one of the fastest kids on the team. He has a different gear.”
Hartman (five receptions, 67 yards, TD), Zebron (23 receptions, 221 yards, TD) and senior Cordell Wheatley (seven receptions, 80 yards, TD) all saw action at receiver last fall, while junior newcomer Landon Zellers also is expected to contribute.
“We’ve seen some good progress,” Jose Medina said. “We saw some good things over the summer. I think we’re going to get better as the season goes on. As long as we stay healthy, I think we’ll be able to put some points on the board and help out the defense.”
After missing the postseason last year – snapping a three-season playoff streak – the Cavs hope to return to the playoffs and host the first playoff game at Howard Fellows Stadium since 2003.
“We want to get that home playoff game,” Hartman said. “It would mean everything – big crowd, lot of momentum, and just carry that on and make a run.”
New coach Logan Larson looks to return Hall to playo
by Kevin Chlum
For the first time since Gary Vicini’s 25-year tenure as Hall coach ended in 2008, the Red Devils will have a non-Red Devil alumnus leading the program as Logan Larson takes over.
Larson is a former assistant coach at Athens, which finished as runner-up in Class 2A last fall. He takes over for Randy Tieman, who went 53-50 with seven playoff appearances in 10 seasons over two stints as head coach.
“I thought overall we had a really
good summer,” Larson said. “It’s been a little slow installing stuff. Everything is new for us right now. Overall, I think the guys have been great. The guys who are here are showing up and giving great effort. We’re trying to get a little more physical.
“We’re building on everything.”
Junior Braden Curran said Larson has been a positive influence on the Red Devils.
“He’s been great,” Curran said. “He keeps us on our feet and makes us physical. Practices have been hardcore. I love it.”
Larson said his goal is to help the
Hall’s Braden Curran (8) snags an interception during a game last season. Curran returns at running back and defensive back for the Red Devils. Photo by Alex T. Paschal
Red Devils return to the playoffs after they fell short last year, going 3-6.
“We want to be the best we can be, and we want to get better every single week,” Larson said. “The first year, that’s the process of it. It’s just learning things.
“We’re young. We don’t have a lot of seniors. We’re going to rely on a lot of juniors. Even though we’re experienced, they’re still juniors. We want to keep improving and get to Week 9 and have a chance and see what happens.”
Offensively, the Red Devils will look to establish the run.
“We’re going to get the ball to our athletes, and then we’re going to execute,” Larson said. “That’s ultimately what it has to be. No matter what you
do, you have to be able to run the ball. Any teams that are winning state championships, they can run the ball, and they’re really good at it. So we have to run the football, we have to to execute, and we have to hang onto the football.”
Hall will have a veteran offensive line to run behind with senior Cameron Spradling back at left tackle and juniors Jacob Mongan and Kaiden Kenny also returning. Senior Ben Heerdt and sophomores Alex Tucker and Caden Ellena also will be in the mix.
Juniors Braden Curran and Aiden Redcliff will be the team’s primary ballcarriers, while senior Jack Jablonski also will run the ball. Jablonski also will see time at receiver. Last fall,
Curran ran for 374 yards and four touchdowns while catching 13 passes for 257 yards and two scores. Redcliff ran for 232 yards and four TDs.
Junior Dylan Glynn takes over at quarterback.
“I think we’re going to be tough,” Curran said. “We’ll be able to trust our linemen. Up front, we’re very improved this year. I think we have a lot of guys who are stepping up and being physical. I think we have the speed to do some damage.”
Defensively, Larson said he wants the Red Devils “to run to the football and play with relentless effort.”
“We want that five seconds of chaos and giving your best effort,” Larson said.
Spradling, Kenny and Mongan will anchor the defensive line with other offensive linemen rotating in as well.
Redcliff is back to lead the linebacking corps after recording 43 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last year. Juniors Aidan McMahon and Hunter Corsolini also will play linebacker.
Braden and Jack Curran will play cornerback, while Jablonski and junior Gabe Wamhoff also will be contributors in the secondary.
“I think our defense will be really good this year,” Jablonski said. “We have a lot of fast guys, so we can get to the ball.”
Pirates hope last fall’s experience leads to ‘24 turnaround
by Brian Hoxsey
Last season, the Ottawa football team was a relatively young group with many sophomores gaining valuable experience.
This season, those players are back as juniors and hope to combine efforts with a relatively small senior class to improve on last fall’s 3-6 overall and 1-5 Interstate 8 Conference record.
“We have a lot of juniors on the roster this year, but not a ton of seniors. That said, many of the juniors saw time at the varsity level last season, some were two-way starters, and they’ve all worked hard to improve in the offseason,” Ottawa seventh-year head coach Chad Gross said. “We bring back about half our starters on both sides of the ball, but a key will be four of those guys in our offensive line and a couple more that rotated on the defensive line.
“We have a lot of kids back from last year that maybe didn’t start any or just a game or two but saw a lot of playing time. Looking back to Week 9 last year, there are 15 of them who started. Right now, there is still a lot of competition in practice to see who is going to be where.
“I like what I’ve seen this summer and what I’ve seen so far in practices. We are getting there.”
Ottawa — which opens the season Aug. 30 at home against Plano — will have to replace QB Colby Mortenson, who will suit up this fall at Elmhurst University and finished his Ottawa career third on the program’s all-time list with 2,025 passing yards. That spot will, at least early on, be shared by senior Weston Averkamp — a state medal-winner in the 300 hurdles last spring — and junior Mark Munson.
Averkamp was a Times All-Area first-team selection last season after making 16 receptions for 203 yards and two touchdowns, adding 213 yards and three TDs rushing while also recording 33 tackles on defense.
“Weston is a dynamic athlete that you want to get the ball to as much as possible,” Gross said, adding Averkamp will also see time at running back and wide receiver. “He is one of those rare kids that puts the time and 100% effort into everything he does. He’s one of the hardest working kids that I’ve had since I’ve been head coach.
“Those two will both take snaps in Week 1 against Plano. Weston will be more of a read-option QB throwing some short passes, where Mark has
a pretty good arm, and the playbook will be a little more open for him because of that.”
Gross says juniors Archer Cechowicz (RB/WR, Times All-Area second team), Owen Sanders (WR), Andrew
Vercolio (WR) and Jack Pongracz (RB) will more than likely see much of the time in the skill spots. The O-line will feature three-year senior starters
Payton Carretto and Miles Fredrickson, along with juniors Jax Carrier,
Also
Evan Paris (Times All-Area second team) and Cooper Smith, with all also seeing time on the defensive line.
seeing time in the rotation on the defense line will be seniors Cody Green and Hector Valdzez, as well as
Ottawa’s Archer Cechowicz tries to elude a tackle from Harvard’s Angel Deleon during a 2023 game at King Field. Photo by Katy Arnold
Stephon Patrick. The linebacker corps will feature senior Jace Veith, who is playing football for the first time but has made an immediate impression on Gross and may also get some carries on offense, and juniors Ethan Poutre and Charlie Woodyer. The secondary will be made up primarily of Archer and Averkamp on the corner or safety and senior Corwin Diaz and Bryson Valdez, who had a half dozen interceptions for the junior varsity team last season.
Junior Lucas Farabaugh will take over the kicking duties from Times AllArea second-team pick Cam Loomis, now at North Central College.
Gross says there are many things he
and his team are focused on, but one tops the list.
“You want to win every game, and the opening game is obviously one of those,” Gross said. “As a team if you can come out in that first game, play well and get a win, it can really set the tone in a way for the rest of the season. That’s our goal right now a couple days into practice – be ready and play solid against Plano.
“We know we have the rivalry games against Streator and La Salle-Peru, then the rest of our conference after Week 1, but we are concentrating on Plano. We want to play mistake-free and make plays right from the start.”
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Hard-nosed football the new blueprint for Cloe’s Bulldogs
]by J.T. Pedelty
When new Streator head coach Matt Cloe was hired last winter to replace Kyle Tutt, Cloe – a south-central Illinois native with a background in strength conditioning as well as football – unrolled a blueprint for the Bulldogs’ success built on a foundation of hard work in the offseason and a willingness to play physical, hardnosed football.
As summer offseason workouts and scrimmages end and the official IHSA preseason begins, Cloe likes the progress he’s seeing his Bulldogs making toward that new vision after a 2-7 campaign in 2023, the program’s sixth
straight losing season.
“The implementation of the [11vs.-11 scrimmages, added to the high school game in Illinois for the first time this summer], that was great for us,” Cloe said. “The first one, we went up against [historical suburban private-school powerhouse] Providence Catholic in New Lenox ... and we competed. We did OK. We weren’t outmanned out outmatched like we thought we might be.
“Then following up the next few weeks with La Salle-Peru and heading down south to scrimmage Carterville, we’ve gotten better. We’ve gotten better defensively, with our line play and with ball security. ...
“We’re still not where we need to
be, but we’ve gotten better.”
Isaiah Weibel taking over for graduated all-state quarterback/defensive back Christian Benning is undoubtedly the highest profile change on the Bulldogs’ depth chart. Aside from a handful of proven commodities at the varsity level – such as senior RB/ DBs Anthony Mohr (Times All-Area second team in 2023), Jake Hagie and Jordan Lukes, linemen such as junior Cole Winterrowd and senior Liam Martin, WR/DB JaiAndre Williams and the potent play-making 12thgrade duo of WR/DB Matt Williamson (Times All-Area first team in 2022 and 2023) and Weibel – the Bulldogs will be looking to a lot of new faces this fall to make its first run to the
playoffs since 2017.
With that in mind, expect players such as OL/DLs Luke Gebhardt, Jacob Isermann, Aiden Ferris, Kam Magana, Dave Harcharik and Jorrick Black; RB/LBs Tristan Finley, Leodis Jordan, Sharonn Morton; RB/lockdown CB LA Moton; WR/CB Keegan Angelico; and potential underclass call-ups such as QB/RB/DB Jerrad Clark and RB/LB Marcus Hunter to have opportunities to make big impacts on the Bulldogs’ 2024 season.
Whoever is on the field, Cloe expects them to play physically and to the whistle, down after down.
“[Fans] are going to see a team that is physical, a team that plays hard every down ... and hopefully we can
Streator’s Anthony Mohr works the sideline to get past Manteno’s Nathan Hope during a 2023 game at Doug Dieken Stadium in Streator. Photo by Tom Sistak
string some plays together and be successful as a team,” he said. “I think they’re going to see a difference in physicality. We’re a hard-nosed team.
“As a coach, it’s hard to predict what the big outcome is going to be. The main thing is, focus on the small ones first, and the big ones come later.”
As far as top weapons, the dual-threat Weibel (who rushed for 123
yards and three touchdowns in his lone start last season), electric Williamson (44 receptions, 681 yards, 10 TDs in 2023) and running-back tandem of Lukes and Mohr have to top the list. Even with a renewed dedication to building the line and running the football, Cloe says getting Williamson the ball will be one of many keys to his team’s success.
“He amongst others,” said Cloe, who plans to offer different looks to
defenses with one-back, two-back and three-back formations. “We have some kids who are decent athletes, and that’s what we want to do – get them in space in one-on-one situations, let their athleticism, skills, instincts take over.”
Streator opens the 2024 season Aug. 30 with a new opponent, traveling the 100-plus miles one-way to visit Decatur Eisenhower in Week 1. The Bulldogs then host archrival Ottawa
at Doug Dieken Stadium in Week 2 before diving into their Illinois Central Eight Conference schedule.
“As far as what we consider a successful season – and this conference is tough ... you’ve got to come to play every week – to measure success, it’s a playoff berth. That’s our goal,” Cloe said.
So is that achievable in Year 1?
“I think it’s possible,” he said.
FCW counting on another strong senior corps in 2024
by J.T. Pedelty
So was 2023’s return to the Illinois 8-Man Football Association playoffs a blip created by a strong senior class or a return to the Flanagan-Cornell/ Woodland football co-op’s status as a perennial playoff contender thanks to ramped up dedication to the offseason process?
Head coach Todd Reed and his Falcons feel strongly it is the latter.
“We are really fortunate to have back-to-back classes that were huge –not only big classes, but great kids,” Reed said. “We had awesome seniors last year, and we follow with this group of seniors this year who have been in the program a long time and have bought into what we’re doing. ...
“Same kind of [offseason] game plan. These guys really bought into it when we were preaching weight room this offseason. They saw the reward from last year, and it really carried over to this offseason.”
FCW posted an 8-3 record last fall and returned to the playoffs after missing the cut the year before. Their three losses – by three points in Week 2 to a St. Thomas More team that finished the regular season 9-0, in Week 3 to another I8FA playoff team, Milford/ Cissna Park, and in the second round of the playoffs to eventual state champion Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio – were the fewest the Falcons have suffered in a full season since also going 8-3 playing 11-man football under current Princeton head coach Ryan Pearson in 2012.
A lot of last fall’s top Falcons graduated from that team, including the lightning-and-thunder running-back tandem of Payton Quaintance and Kesler Collins, both 1,000-yard rushers in 2023. But Reed is quick to point out that stacked senior class had a stacked junior class hot on its heels, and the 2024 Falcons have plenty of proven senior leadership themselves.
“Having two back-to-back strong senior classes is an awesome thing to have in small-school football,” Coach Reed said. “We will be returning some great experience on both sides of the ball, and some of those guys will be three-year starters for us at the varsity level.”
Leading the way are last season’s top passer, wideout and lineman–namely QB/DB Seth Jones, WR/DB Connor Reed and all-state OL/DL Aydan Radke.
“As far as the seniors we’ve lost go, we lost a lot of depth, but we have so many talented young guys coming up who have taken to the program,” Aydan Radke said at FCW’s opening day of summer camp July 22. “They’re lifting a lot, learning our plays and our defenses and everything ... and a lot of team bonding over weights.”
Jones and Connor Reed promise to be a pretty potent combination, especially taking into account that Coach Reed said he fully intends to allow his third-year starting quarterback to showcase his strong arm more often. WR/DB Zandar Radke, another se-
nior, will also be a featured target.
The running back position, uncharacteristically for Flanagan-Cornell/ Woodland, is a bit of a question mark, one Coach Reed is looking to answer with talented juniors who have at least a little experience running the ball at the varsity level.
“Leelynd Durbin, Cole Bradbury and Logan Ruddy will have some big shoes to fill,” he said, “but all had some experience running the ball last season, and we expect big things from them this year.”
The O-line looks strong again, starting with Aydan Radke and continuing with returnees such as seniors Calix Stout, Blake Ruddy, Cohen Schneider, Adam Westerhold as well as junior Oliver Weber. Connor Decker returns as FCW’s placekicker, a
weapon Coach Reed expects could become more potent this season as he’s added distance to his accuracy.
On defense, many of those same names – plus Elijah Detwiler, Jaxon Torrez, Darren Howell, Zane Drysdale and Riley Wallace – will be vying for playing time.
After opening the season Aug. 30 at West Prairie/Southeastern, the Falcons host three consecutive home games. The first, at Flanagan versus Peoria Heights on Sept. 6, will see the program honor the 1974 Class 1A state champion Flanagan Falcons ahead of back-to-back games at the Wood Shed in rural Streator in Weeks 3 and 4.
Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland football coach Todd Reed (standing at center) talks things over with his Falcons during FCW’s rst 2024 summer camp day in Flanagan. Photo by J.T. Pedelty
Princeton reloaded for another deep postseason run
by Kevin Hieronymus
Princeton has won six straight Three Rivers Mississippi division championships and made three straight Class 3A quarterfinal appearances.
And even though they sent two players off to the Division I ranks, there are no signs for the Tigers to be slowing down anytime soon with eight starters returning on offense and seven on defense.
“We lost some really good kids, but you know, we’ve done that every year, seems like,” eighth-year Tigers coach Ryan Pearson said. “We’ve lost some big-name kids. It’s really kind of become the mindset of our program that it’s truly the next-man-up mentality. We’ve got so many kids that are sitting there waiting their turn having those really good kids in front of them. And now it’s kind of their time to shine, and they’re really relishing that role.
“I truly don’t feel that we’re going to have a dropoff. I really don’t. I think as a staff, we do a great job of trying to figure out what our kids do well, instead of fitting the square peg into a round hole. I’ve always believed that you have to try to adjust to the talent of your kids.”
The Tigers return most of their offensive weapons that put up 35.6 points per game, 42.7 in the regular season.
Running backs Casey Etheridge (1,897/29 TDs), a junior, and Ace Christiansen (738/8), a senior, combined for 2,635 yards rushing and 37 touchdowns last season.
Senior Noah LaPorte, who has committed to Northwestern University, is a force at tight end with his receiving (34-517, 8 TDs) and blocking talents.
Senior quarterback Will Lott held
his own after facing the unenviable task of succeeding all-state quarterback Teegan Davis, now playing for the University of Iowa, throwing for 1,024 yards and 11 TDs.
Pearson said Etheridge and Lott will only be better with a year under their belt. Etheridge, however, will no longer be a surprise as he was last year when he had a breakout season opener against Monmouth-Roseville when he rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns.
“They are light years ahead of where we were at this point last year. I think a lot of that’s maturity,” Pearson said. “Now they kind of know what to expect. At the same time, they’re also much more confident than what they were. They hadn’t had (much) game experience. Well, now Will’s got, what, 12 games under his belt, and same thing with Casey.”
The offensive line will have a bit of a makeover beyond seniors Cade Odell, a three-year starter at tackle, and Anthony Vujanov at guard, who return on the left side, along with junior center Rhett Pearson.
The Tigers opened summer camp with five players vying to fill the slots on the right side of the O-line with senior Ian Morris, who’s played defensively exclusively so far, and juniors Grady Cox, Matthew Lord, Owen Hartman and Damien Dalrymple all in the mix.
The Tigers defense is stacked with the likes of seniors Morris (83 tackles) and Arthur Burden (84 tackles) and junior Common Green (73 tackles) and Etheridge at linebacker and LaPorte, Christiansen (48 tackles) and Lott in the defensive backfield with junior Gavin Lanham and senior Kaydin Gibson looking to break in.
Odell anchors the defensive line, joined by Cox, Hartman and Jase
Stuckey.
Pearson sets high goals for his team every year and those remain.
“I mean, I think we’ve won conference, what, six years in a row now? Obviously adding to that to go to No. 7 I think would be a huge goal for us,” Pearson said. “It just comes back to we’re not preparing for just a playoff entry. We want to do some damage once we get to the playoffs. And we’ve been so close last three years, losing the quarters.”
To achieve those goals, the Tigers coach said everyone will have to pull together for a common goal.
“The biggest thing is everybody’s got to come together and believe in the bigger goal rather than just what role I’m in or the position that I’m playing or maybe how much I’m playing,” he said. “Everybody has an important role. If we can get all of our kids to buy into accepting that role, relishing in that role and understanding that that’s what it’s going to take for our team to have the most success, to me that’s when you have a chance to be special. ...
“When you get kids that buy into team above self, man, you’ve got a chance. And that’s what we have.”
Princeton’s Noah LaPorte catches a pass during the rst day of football practice Monday, Aug. 12, 2024 at Little Siberia Field in Princeton. Photo by Scott Anderson
Deep and solid, Marquette seeking 12th straight playo berth
by Charlie Ellerbrock
The beauty of the wing-T offense is that it can be adapted to whatever personnel you have on hand, whatever strengths and experience level those players might have, whatever weaknesses you’d like to try to cover up.
That’s why Tom Jobst runs it at Marquette and why the Crusaders have been to the playoffs for the last 11 seasons.
It works.
The Cru are shooting for an even dozen straight postseasons, and while they’ve lost some considerable talent from last year’s 7-3 club that went 6-1 for second behind powerhouse Seneca in the Chicagoland Prairie Conference, there’s enough quality back – and coming up – to make it a real possibility.
“Any personnel we have is a good fit for the wing-T, which is more a system than an offense,” said Jobst, who has posted a 107-39 mark in 14 seasons at the MA helm. “That’s why we run it, because you can adapt to various strengths and weaknesses. It may look like we’re doing the same thing every year, but we’re not.
“I like what I’ve seen from this group. This group is pretty intelligent, they pick things up quickly, and they all get along well together – you have to have that – and they’re hard workers. … Unlike some years, we have options. We have some depth, with some good young kids coming up.
“I’m really optimistic.”
Graduated are four Times All-Area first teamers – Pete McGrath, Charlie Mullen, Jacob Smith and Stefen Swords. But the good news is there are four all-area second team choices returning – seniors Peyton Gutierrez and Sam Mitre and juniors Anthony Couch and Marcus Baker.
Couch returns under center after going 31 of 61 passing for 508 yards, five TDs and two interceptions as a sophomore. That year of experience should make him a more reliable, confident thrower.
Leading the rushers is Gutierrez (90 rushes, 652 yards, six TDs), last year’s No. 2 rusher behind Smith, who will now figure more prominently in the passing game. He will be joined by junior Grant Dose (46-336-5), who could see time at fullback or halfback. When he’s at the former, it will likely be senior Rush Keefer or junior Jaxsen Higgins at half. When it’s the
latter, Baker will step in at fullback.
The offensive line will be anchored by three-year starter Mitre. Classmates Jaxon Rix and Tommy Walsh, both noticeably larger for their work in the weight room, will man the tackles. Battling for left guard are senior Sean Kath and junior Austin Ferracuti. Sophomore Alex Schaefer will handle snaps at center, while classmates Caden Shreve and Jerrick Maher seem certain to find time in either the offensive or defensive lines.
The tight ends will be senior Keaton Davis and improving junior Matt Graham. Top candidates at split end are 6-4 sophomore Lucas Craig and 6-5, 235-pound freshman Blayden Cassel.
“I don’t know that anything is really settled on positions, especially in the line,” Jobst said. “In fact, we have
a number of guys who could step up. … I think we’ll have a solid running game this year, and with Anthony being a year older, our passing game should perk up a little more too as he becomes more confident.”
The depth continues on the defensive side, giving Jobst the chance play fewer players both ways, or at least rotate others in for them for a series or two. Shreve, Maher, Rix, and Baker will handle the trench work, along with Ferracuti and senior Adrian Schaefer when they’re not needed at linebacker. Mitre, Walsh and freshman Cassel will also see time inside.
The linebackers should be a foursome from Davis, Dose, Ferracuti, Schafer, Couch, senior Sean Kath and sophomore Lucas Craig. Projected starters in the defensive backfield
are Gutierrez, Higgins and Keefer. Seniors Nolan DeMink and Tommy Stafford and junior Billy Galyen will fill in wherever they can.
The schedule will be just as tough as a year ago, this time with two games slated against both Seneca and Dwight. They’ll see Aurora Christian, a 42-0 winner over the Cru last fall, in Week 1 again, this time in Ottawa.
“That’s two tough teams we play twice, large 2A/small 3A teams, so this schedule is no picnic ... but that’s the hand we’ve been dealt,” Jobst said. “They say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, so I guess we’ll find out. Until then, we’ll just take it as it comes, see where we’re at and try to get better each week.”
Marquette’s Payton Gutierrez sti -arms St. Bede’s Jake Miglorini at Gould Stadium. Photo by Scott Anderson
Storm venture into the Lincoln Trail/Prairieland Conference
by Kevin Hieronymus
Bureau Valley made big strides last year, going from 0-9 the year before to 4-5 and on the threshold of the playoffs.
Storm coach Mat Pistole believes the Storm were just a handful of plays away from being 6-3 and looks for the Storm to continue that progress moving into the 2024 campaign.
“The details and fundamentals in crucial moments made the difference last year, and correcting that is going to be big,” Pistole said. “We were super proud of last year’s group and all they did to elevate the program. We have challenged this year’s seniors to continue to do the same, and I know they are more than capable.
“I really like our group this year. The young men we needed to have big offseasons have done the work and made the progress we needed. Now it’s time to show it on the field.”
Those steps will come in a new venue. Bureau Valley has joined the Lincoln Trail/Prairieland Conference after playing 24 years in the Big Rivers/Three Rivers Conference.
The Storm haven been assigned to the large-school division of the conference this year, paired with defending champion Farmington, Carthage Illini West, Elmwood-Brimfield, Hamilton West Hancock, Knoxville, the Lewistown co-op and Macomb.
Pistole is excited for the new challenges that lie ahead in their new conference.
“It is an honor to be joining such a proud, successful and competitive conference,” he said. “It is really exciting to be playing a bunch of new teams that we don’t know much about and get to see new stadiums. It is almost going to give a playoff feel to our entire season. I think that will be a lot of fun for our kids.
“Make no mistake about it – we have our work cut out for us, as there are some really good football programs and we look forward to competing.”
Pistole said getting off to a good start, building confidence and staying healthy will be big keys for his Storm squad.
The Storm have a strong nucleus to build around, including seniors Bryce Helms (QB/DB), Elijah Endress (RB/ LB) and Bracin Patnoe (G/DL).
Helms returns for his third season at quarterback and was an all-conference safety. He passed for six touchdowns and rushed for two. He also led the Storm with two interceptions and was second in tackles with 57.
“It is really nice having a QB with as much experience returning as he has,” Pistole said. “Bryce has came a really long way since his sophomore year. We have gotten to the point that he can finish all my sentences, and he’s even corrected me a couple times this offseason.
“The biggest step we need Bryce to take this year is stepping up as a vocal leader, and then on the field being more decisive post-snap.”
Endress was a first-team all-Three Rivers Mississippi selection at running back, leading the Storm with 14 rushing touchdowns while gaining 738 yards with 100 receiving yards and one touchdown.
“He has a chance to be special on both sides of the ball, and I think he can be one of the best players in 2A if he continues to work,” Pistole said.
Pistole said Patnoe’s experience last year and “huge progress this offseason” set him up with the potential to be a two way all-conference lineman.
Other seniors expected for some big contributions are Ryan Wasilewski (WR/LB), Kai Walowski (WR/DB), Ayden Andrade (OL/DL), Aidan Besler(OG/LB), Kai Walowski (WR/ DB) and Brock Rediger (OL/DL).
Pistole calls Wasilewski “our Swiss Army knife that defensively just seems to find the ball and is our best tackler,” adding Wasilewski can play anywhere offensively.
Andrade was better than he got credit for last year as a nose guard, Pistole said, and has first-team all-con-
ference potential.
While they didn’t see a lot of playing time last year, Pistole said, Besler, Kai Walowski and Brock Rediger have had “great offseasons and will be big contributors for us.”
Blake Foster (WR/DB) and Brady Hartz gained valuable experience as sophomores last year and are expected to be big playmakers on both sides of the ball this year for the
Storm.
Newcomers to watch in the Storm camp are juniors Gus Anderson (DL), Tyce Barkman (RB/LB), Jake Bolin (C), Brandon Carrington (WR/DB), Bryson Foster (OL/DL), Alex Michlig (WR/DB) and Brad Schoff (OL/DL) and sophomores Reid Maynard (OL/ LB) and Dane Stewart (RB/LB).
The Storm will open the season Aug. 30 in a crossover game at Mon-
Bureau Valley Mat Pistole will be mapping out plays in the Lincoln Trail/ Prairieland Conference this year. Photo by Scott Anderson
8-Man champion Amboy co-op looking to reload in 2024
by Ty Reynolds
After the last two seasons ended with appearances in the Illinois 8-Man Football Association state championship game, the defending champs are “reloading,” according to head coach Scott Payne.
Last year’s Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio Clippers were on a mission and steamrolled pretty much everybody who got in their way. After losing just one senior to graduation following 2022’s runner-up finish to West Central, anything less than a state title wasn’t going to be enough for last year’s Clippers.
And while they ended last season with the coveted title, now their goal is to go back-to-back.
“A lot of kids who are seniors this year are excited to make their marks,” Payne said. “With the type of team we were last year, all the seniors we had, these guys didn’t get on the field as much as they could have with other teams – a lot of them would’ve started for other teams – and they want to show what type of team we really are, even after losing some of the great players that graduated.”
Led by seniors like Brennan Blaine, Landon Whelchel, Austin Heath, Ian Sundberg, Trey Payne, Landon Montavon and Troy Anderson, Amboy rolled through the regular season last year with a 437-137 scoring edge. Only one game was decided by one score – 48-42 over Cambridge in Week 5, which came right after a Week 4 forfeit win – and only one other game was decided by two scores (a 32-20 win over Milledgeville in Week 6).
The next-closest margin of victory was 46 points, achieved three times, before a playoff run that included wins of 54-6 over Hiawatha, 62-7 over Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland, and 40-6 over Polo before routing Cambridge 74-22 in the title game. The Clippers led that one 30-0 midway through the first quarter and stretched the lead to 60-0 midway through the second.
All year long, Amboy put up impressive numbers while being considered the team to beat in the I8FA. This year’s team hopes to have the target squarely on its back again.
“In our mind, we want to be that team everybody wants to knock off,” Payne said. “A few teams will look at our roster and see who’s graduated and might think that we’ll be down, so we might sneak up on some people this year.
“We just want to go out and play our game, and our kids understand the type of football we want to play. We want to be the most physical team on the field, and we take pride in that. We’re not flashy, but the kids buy in, and they like that style.
“We had a little swagger last year, and I see it carrying over into this year.”
Amboy has a few key pieces returning from the title run.
Quarterback Eddie Jones is entering his second year as the full-time starter, and he also started five games as a sophomore in 2022. Fullback/ linebacker Quinn Leffelman will be starting for the fourth straight season, and Payne mentioned Caleb Yanos and Evan “Tank” Flanagan as stepping into the tight end/defensive end
Amboy’s Eddie Jones (2) dives into the end zone against Milledgeville during their Week 6 game at Milledgeville High School. Jones is back as the Clippers’ starting quarterback this season. Photo by Earleen Hinton’
position manned by the two-time allstater Blaine.
Payne also said he likes his team’s speed to complement the physical power run game.
“We’re probably faster than we were last year; we have three tailbacks who are really good and really fast, who played behind our really good tailback [Whelchel] last year,” Payne said. “Our senior linemen also got a lot of playing time in the second halves last year as juniors, and we’ve seen great things out of them.
game and a championship trophy were on the Clippers’ minds all season long, and they accomplished their goal. Now, they know what it takes to get the job done, and are eager to stay atop the I8FA mountain.
“Obviously, every team in the state talks about winning a state championship at this time of year, and we’re no different,” Payne said. “Our kids understand what it takes to do that, and our motto is the same one this year from last year: Our goal is to 1-0 every week, and the most important team is who we’re playing next.
“And then, of course, with Eddie and Quinn, it’s great to have guys like that who know the offense, know what we want on defense and really fill that leadership role.”
Last year, a return to the state title
“We concentrate and fully focus on our next opponent, then once that game is over, we’ll worry about the next one. If we do that, things will take care of themselves.”
With veteran roster, Mendota looks to be more competitive
by Kevin Chlum
With a young team last fall, Mendota took its lumps on the way to a 1-8 season. Now the Trojans have a seasoned roster for the 2024 season with 10 starters back on offense and eight on defense.
“A lot of young guys were pressed into service earlier than we would have liked, so now they get a chance to play against kids their own age and have a better chance to compete as opposed to just holding the wheels together,” Mendota coach Keegan Hill said.
Quarterback Justin Randolph (87205-10, 973 yards, five TDs) is the only starter who has to be replaced on offense. Junior Aden Tillman moves to QB after seeing time at running back and receiver last season.
“Tillman got some chances to play quarterback last year,” Hill said. “We like what he can do as far as being a passer and a runner, so we’ll maximize his skills in both ways.”
Tillman will be protected by a veteran offensive line that won’t start any underclassmen this season. Seniors Gabe Vallejo and Angil Serrano are back on the line along with juniors Reese Lane, Austin Welch and Nathan Giberson. Junior Joe Stewart “is a nice blocker,” per Hill, and will be used as either a tight end or a lineman.
Junior Corbin Furar returns in the backfield after leading Mendota’s running backs in carries last season and finishing second on the team in rushing yards.
Seniors Rhett Watson and Braiden Freeman and junior Keegan Beetz could also get some carries while also playing receiver. Sophomore Jayden Lesley will get some touches at running back.
Hill said having the versatility to move players around among running
back and receiver will be an asset to the offense, which scored 70 points last season (7.8 per game) with 35 points coming in the Trojans’ lone win.
“I think it’s a must,” Hill said. “A lot of those guys play defense. We have to be better on both sides of the ball and special teams, so having fresh
GOOD LUCK TROJANS!
guys available is a big part of that. Defense takes priority, then maximizing what’s available to move the ball and score points and be sound on special teams.
“The more names in the hat, the more options to keep people fresh and maximize what they do.”
Hill said the Trojans need to im-
prove on defense after allowing 44.7 points per game and surrendering more than 50 points five times.
“We have to be better on the line of scrimmage to give linebackers a chance to read and react and make plays as opposed to getting caught up in offensive linemen blocking them or a defensive lineman being knocked
Mendota’s Aden Tillman is brought down by Bureau Valley’s Bryce Helms during a game last season. Tillman takes over at quarterback for the Trojans this fall. Photo by Scott Anderson
back,” Hill said. “The
Stewart, Serrano, Vallejo, Lane, Welch and senior Mike Thornhill will be contributors on the defensive line along with others.
Junior Gavin Evans will play a big role at linebacker after being one of the team’s leading tacklers last fall. Furar, Lesley, sophomore Javi Hernandez and junior Wyatt Ossman also will play on the interior, while Watson, Tillman, sophomore Cam Wasmer and junior Anthony Seablom will play on the outside.
Watson, senior Brandon Leadley and juniors Brennan Northcutt and Will Musanovic will play cornerback, while Beetz and Freeman are back at safety.
With a more experienced roster, Hill said the Trojans look to be more competitive after losing six games by more than 40 points last season.
“We want to play 100% of our games, so taking accountability for our grades, our health and our choices. That’s priority No. 1 to give ourselves an opportunity to be competitive,” Hill said. “If we lose anybody, that hurts our chances, and we don’t want to do that. Collectively, we want to compete in every game as opposed to just keeping the wheels on the cart. The guys did that last year and would rather not do that again.
“A chance to step forward, be competitive and play as a unit in each game is a goal, and I think we can do that.”
After 11-1 season, Fighting Irish aim to reload, not rebuild
by Brian Hoxsey
The past two seasons have been pretty special for the Seneca football program, with 21 wins against just two losses including last year’s squad that reached the IHSA Class 2A playoff quarterfinals and rushed for more than 3,600 yards out of a power-T offense behind a strong offensive line.
Graduation has left the Fighting Irish with just a trio of starters back, meaning a number of spots need to be filled, including the entire offensive line and a pair of running back slots. But despite that, fourth-year head coach Terry Maxwell feels the expectations of this year’s group are no different than last season’s 11-1 team that finished Chicagoland Prairie Conference play a perfect 7-0.
“I told the kids from the start, ‘Are we going to reload, or are we going to rebuild?’ ” Maxwell said. “I think they took that as a challenge.
“Making it to the playoffs for a third year in a row would be a big accomplishment. Like every other football team in the state, our goal is to make the playoffs, and once you do that anything can happen. The Seneca football program hasn’t reached the playoffs in three straight seasons in over 20 years, so that would be something special to have happen as well.
“We lost a pretty special group on the offensive line. Their size and strength were pretty special for a small-school football program. But we’ve had a number of guys step up through the offseason and summer camp who are working on taking over those spots. I’m liking what I’m seeing from those guys so far.”
Senior Paxton Giertz, a Times second-team selection at wide receiver and defensive back last season who stepped in at quarterback midseason, is back after passing for 119 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and rushing for 343 yards and three TDs on 36 carries. Senior RB/LB Nick Grant also returns after rushing 43 times for 446 yards and three TDs, also making 25 tackles. The third returning starter is senior TE/LB Casey Klicker, who recorded 25 tackles, 16 being solo stops.
Maxwell says one of the obvious keys to the season – which starts for Seneca at Tremont on Aug. 30 –will be how well players can step in to new roles. He said many of them saw a good amount of playing time last year in the second half of games where the Irish had big leads. Expect to see a combination of
Grant, senior Brody Rademacher (FB) and juniors Cam Shriey, Gunner Varland and Liam Knoebel at the running backs spots. Along with junior Landen Venecia (OG/DT), who started one game while also seeing a significant amount of playing time last season, Maxwell sees the O-line made up of seniors Klicker (TE), Kellen Arnold (C), Memphis Echeverria (G), Sam Finch (TE), and juniors Landyn Ramsey (T) and Zeb Maxwell (T), Brady Sheedy (TE) and Brayden Simek (TE).
“(The power-T) is a nice, quick-hitting offense with a ton of deception,” Maxwell said. “It has a lot of moving parts, but when all the parts are working together, it can be a very hard of-
fense to defend. I feel like with all the fakes and misdirection used in the backfield, it helps keep the pressure and stress off the offensive linemen a little as well.”
On the defensive side of the ball, junior Colton Angeloff (NG), Venecia and senior Sullivan Feldt (DT) will be up front, with a combination of Shriey, Finch, Grant, Knoebel, Klicker at linebackers. The secondary will be manned by three-year cornerback Giertz on one side and a onetwo punch of senior Kevin Einhaus and junior Ethan Othon on the other, with Simek and Varland at the safety spots.
“I feel if we can execute the Seneca brand of football we’ve established
the past couple of years – which is a solid run game and a tough defense that flies around and makes plays –we’ll be in good shape,” Maxwell said. “I feel like we have an overall more athletic team than we had last season, and we have all of the pieces of the ultimate puzzle to be a pretty good football team. It’s just a matter of getting those pieces put together. This group is very committed, and it showed by having an even higher average attendance in weight room sessions than the previous offseason, which was very high itself.
“They want to keep this thing going, and I’m excited to what they can accomplish.”
Seneca quarterback Paxton Giertz looks to get past Dwight’s Dylan Crouch on a keeper in a game last season at Seneca High School.
Photo by Tom Sistak
Bruins look to make 4th straight playo appearance, advance further
by Kevin Chlum
If St. Bede hopes to extend its playoff streak to four consecutive seasons, the Bruins will have to get through a challenging regular-season schedule.
St. Bede’s 2024 slate includes six playoff teams from last season, and its opponents went 53-38 last fall with three teams that won double-digit games.
The Bruins open at Tri-Valley, which went 10-1 last season, and they also have nonconference games against 2023 playoff teams in Eureka (5-5) and Bloomington Central Catholic (11-1) before closing against Class 5A Ottawa. In the Chicagoland Prairie Conference, St. Bede faces playoff teams in Seneca (11-1), Marquette (7-3) and Dwight (5-5).
“We have our work cut out for us,” St. Bede coach Jim Eustice said. “We’re going to really have to coach and have our kids ready to play. We have to be able to stop the run a little better on defense than we were last year and still be able to be effective on offense like we’ve been.”
Despite the challenging schedule, Eustice said the Bruins hope to return to the playoffs and get past the second round for the first time since 2011.
“This group of seniors has never been part of a team that’s not been [to the playoffs], so they want to keep the tradition going,” Eustice said. “Our seniors have been great in the offseason. The leadership has been fantastic. Our goal is to get in. We’ve made it to the second round a couple times, but we want to get past that.
“With our schedule, if we can get into the playoffs, I think we’re going to be battle-tested for anybody we’re going to see in 1A. But on the other hand, we have to be ready to play every week or we might not be around Week 10.”
The Bruins return a strong core of starters on both sides of the ball.
St. Bede has a big hole to fill on offense with the loss of all-area quarter-
back Max Bray, who threw for 1,421 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 1,006 yards and 19 TDs last fall.
Juniors Geno Ferrari and AJ Hermes are battling to take over at QB. Ferrari saw some varsity action last season.
“Neither one has done anything for us to say, ‘You’re the guy,’ but neither one has done anything to not be the guy,” Eustice said. “They’re both great kids, both great athletes and both good students.”
Eustice said whoever is not the quarterback will likely see time elsewhere on offense and definitely on defense.
Sophomore Landon Marquez will be the lead running back after running for 303 yards and two TDs on 44 carries last fall. Senior Halden Hueneburg got some carries last fall, while sophomore Brennen Hirst also will run the ball.
“We’re trying to develop the run game, being able to deceive and be more powerful,” Hueneburg said. “We have to have that competitive mindset.”
The Bruins have plenty of options at receiver, including juniors Carson Riva (18 receptions, 175 yards, three TDs in 2023) and Jose De La Torre (10 rec., 88 yards). Seniors Aidan Mullane, Marco Rizzi and Phillip Gray and junior Drew Carboni also will be in the mix.
The offense will operate behind a veteran offensive line that returns four starters. Seniors Mason Moreno and Jake Migliorini return at tackles, while senior Garrett Connelly and junior William Sramek are back at guard. Senior Jaxon Kozak steps in at center.
Eustice said the Bruins will have to be better defensively after struggling toward the end of last season, allowing 57 points per over their final three games against Marquette, Seneca and Hope.
“You can’t say injuries (are the reason), because everybody has injuries, but we had some linebackers go down last year midseason, and we strug-
gled,” Eustice said. “We played some good teams like Marquette, Seneca and Hope, and we kind of got trampled. We had some young guys who were overmatched, and they’re back, so that’s a good thing.”
Moreno and fellow seniors Jack Maschmann and Gavin Marquez return on the defensive line, while Connelly, Sramek, Hueneburg and senior Grady Gillan are back at outside linebacker. Gray, junior Trajan Raffety
and sophomore Niko Pappas will play in the outside linebacker/defensive end spots.
“We’re working on getting in the gaps and filling,” Maschmann said. “I think we’re going to be strong (defensively).”
Riva and senior Ryan Nawa are back in the secondary after seeing playing time last fall, while senior Logan Pineda will play free safety.
Landon Marquez (36) takes a hando during a game last season. Marquez will be the Bruins’ lead running back after rushing for 303 yards and two touchdowns on 44 carries last fall. Photo by Kyle Russell
e Knights have a strong core returning for head coach Nick Meyer
By Kevin Chlum
After going a combined 1-17 in 2021 and 2022, the Knights (4-5 in 2023) bounced back last season and were a few plays away from qualifying for the playoffs. The Knights have a strong core returning for head coach Nick Meyer as they look to take the next step, including four-year starter Eddie Lorton at running back and defensive back and three-year starters in FB/DL Jackson Hakes, OL/DL Jordan Carey and Cooper Haugens and two-year starter OL/DL Chance Hedrick. Lorton, Hakes and Hedrick were second-team All-Heart of Illinois Conference picks last fall. Lorton ran for 927 yards and 12 touchdowns as a junior. “We have varsity experience and size,” Meyer said about the team’s strengths. TE/LB Lucas May, WR/DB Lucas Anson, OL/DL Tony Stalter and OL/DL Tyler Petrimouix are expected to step into larger roles this fall, while OL/LB Jax Puetz, WR/DB Drew Overocker and QB/DB Kash Klendworth are newcomers who will contribute. “We want to improve each week, fight for each other and earn the right to play Week 10,” Meyer said. The Knights open the season at home Aug. 30 against Macon Meridian.
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