4 minute read
Amboy
Roster
No. Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.
By DAN WUSSOW
dwussow@shawmedia.com
AMBOY – Ending the 2021 Illinois 8-Man Football Association season in a 34-12 loss to Orangeville in the eight-man state semifinals was a bitter ending to an otherwise satisfying season for the Amboy-LaMoilleOhio football team.
This year, however, there’s plenty of optimism and excitement surrounding the team with the return of senior quarterback Tucker Lindenmeyer and several juniors who started last season.
“We’re excited to be back, especially after a tough loss to Orangeville last year in the semifinals. We’re looking to build on that this year,” said junior TE Brennan Blaine, an I8FA first-team selection in the utility category last season. “We don’t want to lose like we did. We’re looking to go all the way this year.”
“I’m really excited to be back. We took a tough loss last year after the Orangeville game,” junior MLB Levi McKinley said. “And the fans know, the whole community knows, the school knows: we’re gonna come back this season, we’re gonna get that game back, get all the games back, try to push to state, and really just show everyone what we can do this year.”
The Clippers will be tested right away in Week 1 when they travel to Polo to take on the two-time defending eight-man state champion Marcos. In Week 5, they’ll get their highly-anticipated rematch with Orangeville.
Through summer camp and the first few practices of the offseason, Amboy coach Scott Payne has been impressed with the leadership he’s seen – and struck by how close-knit this year’s team is.
“These guys are working hard. Great team leaders. We’ve only got one senior, and he’s done a tremendous job of just being that lone senior and leading the team,” he said. “But all these juniors have really stepped up and done great jobs being team leaders and helping the younger kids along. And they all get along with each other. I’ve never seen a team with so much camaraderie as I do with these guys. Before practice, they’re over there joking around. They’re joking around after. It’s great to see that, those guys getting along as well as they do.”
Junior Trey Payne believes last year’s semifinal loss to Orangeville brought the team closer together.
“The chemistry of our team is built better after that loss to Orangeville,” he said. “So we’re able to be stronger and have better chemistry than we did last year.”
Lindenmeyer sees some of the younger players stepping up to help the Clippers’ cause this year.
“A few of the younger kids that are taking over the varsity senior spots from last year I think are really improving, and they’re gonna fill in really good this year,” he said.
In a survey of Clippers’ players and coach Payne, the consensus was that sophomore fullback Quinton Leffelman is poised to be this year’s breakout player.
“We’ve got a sophomore, Quinton Leffelman. He’s going to be playing defensive end and fullback for us. He’s a really good kid,” coach Payne said. “He worked his butt off all summer, and we’re expecting big things out of him running the football and on defense. He started last year as a freshman for us at nose guard, so he’s even better this year than he was last year.”
SVM file photo by Alex T. Paschal – apaschal@shawmedia.com Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio players run through drills July 28 at the high school. The Clippers open the season Aug. 26 against Polo.
See AMBOY, page 20
1 Kye Koch 5-9 155 Jr. RB/LB 2 Eddie Jones 6-0 165 So. QB/DB 3 Tucker Lindenmeyer 5-10 145 Sr. QB/DB 4 Josh McKendry 5-7 135 So. RB/DB 5 Landon Whelchel 5-9 155 Jr. RB/LB 7 Troy Anderson 6-0 175 Jr. TE/DB 9 Brody Christoffersen 5-10 155 So. QB/LB 10 Kabe Daniels 5-9 125 So. WR/DB 21 Quinn Leffelman 5-10 210 So. FB/DE 26 Caleb Yanos 5-11 135 So. WR/DE 52 Levi McKinley 5-10 160 Jr. FB/LB 53 Austin Heath 5-10 170 Jr. OL/DL 54 Ian Sundberg 5-11 215 Jr. OL/DL 55 Landon Montavon 5-9 215 Jr. OL/DL 57 Trey Payne 6-2 235 Jr. OL/DL 58 Vincent Zembrzuski 6-0 180 Jr. TE/DE 60 Isaiah Drew 5-10 180 Jr. OL/DL 63 Lucas Blanton 5-11 175 Jr. OL/DL 66 Geo Gatza 5-7 145 Jr. OL/DL 68 Caleb Shugars 5-8 190 So. OL/DL 72 Dillon Merriman 5-7 175 So. OL/DL 75 Zach Dunne 5-8 205 Jr. OL/DL 85 Brennan Blaine 6-2 205 Jr. TE/DE
Schedule
Game time Opponent
Fri., Aug. 26, 7 at Polo Fri., Sept. 2, 7 River Ridge Fri., Sept. 9, 7 Milledgeville Fri., Sept. 16, 7 Milford-Cissna Park Sat., Sept. 24, 1 at Orangeville Fri., Sept. 30, 7 Hiawatha Sat., Oct. 8, 2 at Bushnell-Prairie City Fri., Oct. 14, 7 at Aquin Fri., Oct., 21, 7 West Central
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