LNT_OTT_BCR Regional Prep Football Preview_082725

L-P wants ‘steps in right direction’ in JJ Ra elson’s first season

by Kevin Chlum

In his first season as La Salle-Peru’s head coach, JJ Raffelson wants to lead the Cavaliers to a playoff berth, a home playoff game and playoff advancement.

But coming off back-to-back losing seasons, Raffelson is more focused on the process than the end goals.

“We want all those things, but if I can give them anything, it’s we want to go 1-0 every day,” Raffelson said.

“I don’t really care about Aug. 29 (the season opener) right now. That’s on the back end. I want the steps in the right direction. That’s what we need to strive for. We can’t look forward to things when we need to see what’s right in front of us.

“We have an opportunity today to get better, and the next day and the next day. That’s the main thing.”

Raffelson, who was an assistant coach the last two seasons, expects L-P’s offense to be strong this fall.

“I expect us to move the ball,” Raffelson said. “I expect us to be effective both in the run game and the pass game. We have a versatile group. We have some good skill guys to get the ball to and a great quarterback as well.”

The Cavs have a strong centerpiece to build around in sophomore quarterback Marion Persich, who already has a Division I offer from Temple and attended camps at Notre Dame, Ohio State, Illinois, Iowa and others over the summer. As a freshman, the 6-foot-3,

Good Luck

MAYOR: Ken Kolowski

CITY CLERK: Jamey Mertel

215-pound Persich completed 100 of 189 passes for 1,398 yards and nine touchdowns, running for five TDs.

“It’s fast-paced,” Persich said about the offense. “I think we really should be able to move the ball this year. The run game is looking a little better. I think we have stuff to improve on, but I think we’re going to be pretty good this year.”

Persich was the team’s top rusher last season. The Cavs lost top running back Adrian Arzola to graduation, but return Easton Moriarty. Reggie Boatner and Joel Lightle also will be in the the mix.

At receiver, Landon Zellers returns on the outside. Angel Henrandez and Jackson Myers also will see time outside, Rafe Helmig and Grey Ernat will see play in the slot, and Griffin May and Rylynd Rynkewicz will contribute at H-back.

Junior Jaron and Mason Morscheiser will play tight end and can also split out.

Raffelson said players are still battling for time on the offensive line. Gus Konieczki and Ever McCormick are returning starters, and Owen Mrowicki will play offensive line after being a starter on the defensive line last fall. Drew Sell and Brady Twardowski are also in the mix up front.

Defensively, the Cavs have more experience with seven players back with starts under their belts. Caeden Small, Liam Lemrise and Bo Lawrence are

CITY TREASURER: Jackson Powell

returning starters on the line, while Dane Wicinski will be a key rotational player. The Morscheiser twins will play linebacker, with Mason in the middle and Jaron on the outside. Nick Hachenberger and Griffin May are returning starters.

Players are still fighting for time in the secondary. Rynkewicz and Gio Legrenzi started at defensive back last fall. Regan Doerr will play in the secondary, and Evan Downey also will see time.

“I’m super excited,” Raffelson said. “They’ve really embodied our W.A.R. (We Are Relentless) principle. That’s a big thing to me - that leadership, that fire, that tenacity. We want the first guy to make a big hit, and the second guy in to get the ball. We want to be aggressive and create turnovers.

“The defense needs to be the one that changes the game when something is not going right.”

The Cavs open with nonconference games against United Township, Metamora and Ottawa before getting into the Interstate 8 Conference slate. L-P closes with a nonconference game against O’Fallon.

“We have a tough conference. Everyone knows that,” Raffelson said. “You have Sycamore, Morris and Rochelle. Look how far they made it last year. You can never sleep on Kaneland. We’re trying to push forward and be up there competing with them game in and game out the best we can. Those teams have been there for a while at the top.

“We need to work our butts off to get back up there.”

Nick Sterling, Red Devils building their own traditions

by Kevin Hieronymus

Nick Sterling has seen what it takes for Hall football to reach the elite level.

He played on three playoff teams in the mid-1990s, one a state champion and another a state runner-up.

But as the new Hall-Putnam County head coach, he wants his Red Devils to make their own tradition.

“We’re talking how many decades later from when it first got started rolling heavily. Then they had some success in between. It’s time for these guys

to understand what it takes to get there and start their own traditions,” said Sterling, who came back to the Hall program as an assistant last year under former head coach Logan Larson.

“It’s not easy. It’s a big commitment. You want guys to do more, but in the end it just boils down to how bad you want it and effort. I don’t think any coach will deny it. Sometimes it’s a little bit of luck too.”

Senior Braden Curran said having a third head coach in four years is hard for the players, but Sterling has been great.

“It’s awesome to have a coach who’s been through the same program as us and is familiar with the community,” he said. “Coach Sterling has been tough on us and has pushed us all summer. He has high expectations and wants the best from us.”

Hall-PC graduated just five seniors last year. Only three played extensively. That translates to much experience coming back on both sides of the ball.

Key players returning in the back-

field are quarterback Dylan Glynn, running backs Braden Curran, Aiden Redcliff and Johnathon Stunkel of PC, all seniors.

Curran was Hall’s leading rusher (73409, 7 TDs) and receiver (9 catches, 294 yards, 3 TDs) last year, accounting for more than 700 yards and 10 TDs. Glynn completed 23 of 51 pass attempts for 609 yards and 4 TDS.

Without naming names, Sterling said he feels confident his receivers will “be a part of that balance with that run game, so we’re not so one dimensional.”

Sterling said all of his linemen are being taught to be flexible so they can fill in at any position. Those returners include four-year senior starter Jacob Mongan (G/DT), senior Eric Vipond (G/DT), one of the Red Devils “most improved players” last year, junior Caden Ellena and senior Chase Burkhart (TE).

Key returners on defense include Redcliff at linebacker and twins Jack and Braden Curran plus Glynn in the backfield.

“We’ve only lost two or three starters, so a lot of people are back again this year,” Sterling said on the eve of the first fall practices. “We’re still telling people, ‘You’re competing for spots.’ If we figure it out by Week 1,

we’ll lock people in.

“You can look what you look like in camp, but in the end the next few weeks is really going to set the tone who’s going to play more if they’re better than the others; or if they’re equals, we’ll rotate them.”

Sterling said the transition from Larson’s philosophies to his coaching style went well over the summer. Larson coached just one year at Hall before taking over the head job in his hometown of Pleasant Plains.

“[The defense is] a different approach,” he said. ”It’s a good approach. They like it. It’s just maybe more than they had to think about in the past. But still feel defense went well too. ...

“I’m a guy that doesn’t want to put

the cart ahead of the horse. We can have the best camps or best practices we want, but in the end you’ve got to go win ballgames Friday night.”

Sterling is hopeful the Red Devils’ focus on the weight room in the offseason leads to bigger being better on the field.

“We’re a lot stronger this year, and it shows. You can see it in the body mass with the physicality part,” he said. “You can coach technique and basics all day long, but in the end if you can’t push the guy in front of you or make something happen in a double team, it’s going to be hard to win any football games for any coach.”

The Red Devils open the season Friday, Aug. 29, at Orion.

Ottawa looking for quick start, turnaround season

The 2025 Ottawa Pirates will look to improve upon last fall’s 1-8 record, with 18 returners leading the way.

by Brian Hoxsey

While Ottawa struggled last season, eighth-year head coach Chad Gross has a dozen and a half players back in key spots and many more with limited or no experience who will be battling for spots left open due to graduation.

“We have a lot of returning kids, 18 I believe, and also a lot of those kids can play a number of different spots for us. We’re going to have a lot of competition within the group,” said Gross. “It’s a little like putting a puzzle together. We feel we have a lot of good pieces to

that puzzle, now it’s just finding where they go to not only make the kids better, but our team better.””

The Pirates finished 1-8 overall — the lone win in Week 2 over longtime rival Streator — and 0-5 in Interstate 8 Conference play.

On offense, senior Mark Munson (77-131, 960 yards, 5 INT, 6 TDs) will be under center – or in the shotgun – for the second straight season. At running back will be seniors Archer Cechowicz and Jack Pongracz, as well as juniors George Shumway and Wes Weatherford, while seniors Logan Mills

and Ethan Poutre will play fullback.

Ottawa will have senior Owen Sanders and juniors Dane Carretto and Bradyn Streicher at tight end. The wide receiving corps will be seniors Andrew Vercolio, Bryson Valdez and Joey Liebhart. The Pirates will return seniors Evan Paris and Cooper Smith, as well as junior Carter Price to the O-line with seniors Jax Carrier, Charlie Woodyer, Jack Johnson, Stephon Patrick and Diego Martinez seeing time in the trenches as well.

Senior Lucas Farabaugh will again handle the kicking and punting duties.

“We want to be more physical. Bringing more toughness up front is a No. 1 focus,” Gross said. “We felt like, after last season, we needed to re-establish our identity in that area. It’s been a big focus, not only with our linemen, but our backs and tight ends.

“I felt like we were a little passive at times last year, and in turn our running game struggled. With the teams on our schedule, you have to be able to run the ball and run it even when they know you’re going to.”

On the defensive side of the ball, senior Cooper Smith, Carrier and Patrick

had starts last season on the line, and will have Johnson, senior Kaden Geiger, junior Landon Mangold, Martinez, Paris and Price rotating in.

The inside linebackers will be Poutre, Woodyer, Weatherford, senior Cameron Hart and junior Jacen Guerrero, while the outside spots will be filled by Liebhart and Mills.

In the secondary, Shumway, Valdez, Vercolio and senior Micheal McGill will be at cornerback, while Cechowicz and junior Dreager Duncan will play safety.

“Defensively we’ve talked a lot about communication on the field,” Gross said. “We need to know what package we are in, what coverage we are in and what our assignments are every single play. We want to play fast, so to do that you have to know things so well that you’re not having to think, but just reacting. We want to get after the ball wherever it is at on the field.

“I feel like we can be a really good defense if we do all of the big things, as

well as little things, well.”

Ottawa opens the season Aug. 29 at Plano before hosting regional rivals Streator and La Salle-Peru (nonconference). It’s then at Kaneland, home against Sycamore, at Howard Fellows Stadium against La Salle-Peru (conference), at King Field against Morris, at Rochelle and the finale at home against Granite City.

“Other than Granite City in Week 9, it’s the same opponents for us as last year,“ Gross said. ”We know what each of them are going to try and do, so it is really going to come down to how we execute and if we can be the more physical team that night.

“Even though it’s the start, our first two weeks are very big for us. We know the conference teams we’re going to face after that, it’s one of the toughest leagues in the state, so we’re working towards winning those first two games.

“If we can do that, it will be a huge momentum push for the rest of the season.

Streator bringing back ‘old-school football’ under new coach Jay Slone

FRIDAY NIGHT DRIVE/MAKADE RIOS

New head coach Jay Slone (with stopwatch) runs his Bulldogs through drills during their rst o cial football practice of the season Monday, August 11, 2025, at Doug Dieken Stadium in Streator.

by J.T. Pedelty

When the Streator Bulldogs take the field at Doug Dieken Stadium on Friday, Aug. 29, to open the season against Decatur Eisenhower, fans will

see a new Streator football team in just about every sense of the word.

New head coach Jay Slone brings a

new philosophy and a new enthusiasm to a largely new pack of varsity Bulldogs coming off a 3-6 season under

head coach Matt Cloe, who resigned in November after one season.

“They can expect to see some oldschool football – hard, grit, lot of blue-collar kids that are not afraid to get their nose dirty,” Slone said of what Bulldogs fans can expect to see this fall. “It’s going to be back to old-school football, not flashy.

“Just a team coming together looking to compete every single Friday.”

Numbers in the program are slightly down from the year before, with 47 program-wide and just under 30 of those expected to dress varsity. Half of the eight Streator standouts who earned Times All-Area Football Team honors – including three of the four first-team honorees – are gone to graduation.

Slone, though, seems excited about the players he will lead as he attempts to set a cornerstone from which to build a winner out of a program that has had seven consecutive sub-.500 seasons and won just one playoff game

in school history.

“I don’t want to look at the wins and losses,” the Bishop Mac and Valparaiso graduate said. “I want to look at competing. Nobody takes a play off. Do your assignment and compete every single down, every single drive, every single quarter, every single half. That’s really what I’ve been harping on.

“I think if we do that, everything will take care of itself with the wins. ... I think once this town starts to see some success, kids will get more excited about playing football and more will follow.”

Among those back from 2024’s varsity roster are the four Times All-Area returnees, all seniors – first-team OL/ LB Cole Winterrowd and honorable mentionees RB/LB Kam Magana, WR/DL Riley Stevens and OL/DL Luke Gebhardt. Other seniors poised to make large impacts this fall include OL/DLs Jacob Isermann, Aiden Ferris, Cristian Paramo, Jorrick Black, Jesus Martinez and Cooper Sharisky; RB/

LBs Leodies Jordan and Jon Davis; and WR/DBs LA Moton, Aiiden Wilkinson and Quintin Stevens.

Slone has been impressed with the leadership the senior class has shown, and also with the all-around athleticism of a 10-man junior class that includes three players who as of this writing were still competing to replace graduated leader Isaiah Weibel at the starting quarterback position. They are Sharron Morton, Sam LeRette and Jerrad Clark, all explosive athletes who seem likely to get plenty of touches no matter where they’re lined up.

“All three of them are doing so well, [our quarterback rotation] might be per drive – this kid play a drive, this kid play a drive, because this guy can play wing, this guy can play wide receiver,” Slone said. “Depending on the game plan per week, you could definitely wind up seeing two quarterbacks per game.”

Also from that junior class, Slone mentioned potential breakout candi-

dates including RB/LB T.J. Horton and WR/DB Will Heider. Sophomore linemen Mason Clubb and Connor Magana also have been playing their way into varsity reps.

Positional versatility already being a strength, Slone hopes to make positional depth one as well despite the smaller-than-ideal roster.

“I want to make sure that, whoever our 1s are, our 2s are right there and we don’t skip a beat,” he said.

After the opener against Eisenhower, Streator will visit Ottawa in Week 2 and Reed-Custer in Week 3. All three went 1-8 last season.

From there it’s home versus Coal City (9/19), at Peotone (9/26), versus Herscher (10/3), at defending ICE Conference champ Wilmington (10/10), home against old NCIC rival/recent years powerhouse Dixon (10/17) and at Manteno (10/24) to close the regular season.

FCW eyeing third straight trip to I8FA postseason

by J.T. Pedelty

Since back-to-back Illinois 8-Man Football Association playoff appearances in 2019 and 2020, its first two seasons playing the eight-man game, the Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland foot-

ball co-op has alternated seasons making it to Week 10 – one year out, one year in; one year out, one year in.

The Falcons bucked that every-other-year trend in 2024, however, making a second consecutive trip to the postseason thanks to a 6-3 regular season

before falling in a 20-17 heartbreaker at West Carroll in the I8FA’s opening round.

The goal for the 2025 Falcons? Earn a third consecutive playoff berth for the first time since FCW made the IHSA’s 11-man playoffs nine consecutive

falls the first nine years of the co-op between the old and often fierce rivals.

“Losing another great senior class from last year will create some big shoes to [fill], but we do have some solid experience coming back,” eighthyear FCW coach Todd Reed said.

At the top of that list is another somewhat small but mighty senior class. Leading those 12th-graders are a pair of Times-All-Area Football Team honorees from last season – firstteamer abd 1,000-yard rusher RB/LB/ KR Leelynd Durbin and honorable mentionee RB/QB/DB Logan Ruddy.

They’re joined by fellow senior returnees WR/DB Jaxon Torrez, OL/DL Oliver Weber, RB/LB Darren Howell and WR/DB Riley Wallace. A handful of returning juniors will bolster the Falcons’ experienced ranks, including RB/LBs Jaxon Flahaut and Emmett Horaney, TE/QB/DL Brezdyn Simons and OL/DLs Liam Kapraun and Jose Torrez.

“All return with varsity experience, which we are excited about,” Reed said.

Prospective impact players, per Reed, joining the varsity Falcons include senior WR/DB Ethan Pennell and sophomores such as OL/DLs Cris Manriquez, Jayden Ryerson and Garet Cain, RB/LB Chris Held and WR/DB Grant Wissen.

While Durbin and Ruddy both return for offenses and defenses that bring back half of their eight starters each – a promising place to build from, especially with how much FCW traditionally has liked to run the ball and Durbin and Ruddy’s history moving the chains with the ground game – the big-

play passing attack will need retooling with the graduation of QB Seth Jones and his favorite target, WR Connor Reed. Ruddy and Simons are expected to split time under center this fall.

Reed is hopeful the program he has rebuilt alongside his assistant coaches can return to the consistent heights it enjoyed in the early days of the co-op.

“Every year we lose a great group of seniors that gets replaced with a new group,” he said. “Having consistency in our program and dedication from outstanding assistant coaches has given us the reward of playing in the postseason. I’ve been blessed.”

The Falcons open the season on a Saturday, visiting Harvest-Westminster on Aug. 30. Then comes a Week 2 home game (at Woodland) against Polo, a Sept. 12 visit to Galva and Sept. 19 trip to I8FA powerhouse Amboy/ LaMoille/Ohio, a Sept. 26 home game (again at Woodland) versus Cambridge and a Week 6 road game at West Prairie.

The final third of the season includes an Oct. 10 visit from West Central (at Flanagan), the penultimate game of the regular season Oct. 17 at Peoria Heights and Week 9’s contest against visiting Bushnell-Prairie City (at Flanagan).

Princeton going big, aiming for state championship

by Kevin Hieronymus

The way Casey Etheridge looks at it, if you’re going to make team goals, you might as well go big.

“We have our eyes on a state championship,” the Princeton senior captain said. “(But) you can’t look that forward. You’ve got to take it day by day. If we focus on getting better each day, then the wins will come, the conference championship will come, and hopefully the state championship will come.”

Those are the kind of goals Tigers coach Ryan Pearson likes to hear.

“That’s the goal of our program coming in. If you don’t have high expectations, I don’t think you’re doing your program any favors by lowering expectations,” he said.

“Each and every year, they truly have aspirations of playing on Thanksgiving [weekend], but at the same time they’ve got to focus on the little things and take it one day at a time.”

The Tigers come off four straight quarterfinal appearances looking to take the next step. Etheridge and fellow captain Rhett Pearson believe the Tigers have the talent to do just that.

“I’m really excited. I think this team’s heading in the right direction,” Etheridge said. “Our coaches are focused on getting us better and making sure the small things are correct. We still have a lot of stuff we need to work on, but I think we’re going to be ready come Week 1.”

“We’ve got some dogs, for sure,”

Rhett Pearson said. “We think we’re going to be really good. Definitely very locked in and just excited to be out there.”

Etheridge heads up the Tigers’ backfield with 3,807 career yards rushing to looking to become the No. 1 rusher in Bureau County history, needing 581 yards to break former Tigers star Ronde Worrels’ record of 4,387.

“He’s a great leader. We’re expecting big things from him,” Coach Pearson said of Etheridge.

Senior Gavin Lanham returns at quarterback on the strength of his play taking over for injured teammate Will Lott in last year’s quarterfinal game.

“I was really impressed how he performed basically on a week’s notice going into the biggest game of the year against a premier program in Montini Catholic,” Coach Pearson said. “For him to make the strides that we saw in that short amount of time and the strides we’ve seen this summer has been really, really refreshing.”

Junior Ayden Agushi and sophomores Caleb Caldwell and Braden Shaw will see time at wingback, with sophomore Brennen Emmett and senior Common Green at fullback, while sophomores Lane Goskusky (HB) and Jack Oester (QB) will serve as backups.

Seniors Owen Hartman and Rhett Pearson will anchor both the offensive and defensive lines. Pearson returns for his third year as a starter, shifting from center to guard. Hartman returns at tackle.

Senior Eli Berlin moves from full-

back to tackle, while Eli Burden takes over at center and junior Landyn Kendall at guard.

Four players – senior Ryan Jagers, juniors Luke LaPorte and Abe Longville and sophomore Deacon Gutshall – will see time at tight end.

There are six returning starters on defense with Lanham back at cornerback, Etheridge and Common Green at linebacker, and Grady Cox joining Rhett Pearson and Hartman at nose guard.

Team depth will be a strength.

“That’s the nice thing. We’re getting up to 65 kids, which is the most we’ve ever had here. You’ve got kids to come in and give you a break and very capable coming in and get the job done,”

Coach Pearson said.

“We’ve got some new kids coming in and contributing, but at same time we’ve got returning kids who are providing that leadership that’s necessary. All of our captains provided fantastic leadership this summer. They’re going to hold them accountable, but at the same time high-five them to pick them up when they need to.”

No doubt, the Tigers will have their date with Monmouth-Roseville circled on their calendar looking to avenge last year’s stunning 31-3 loss that snapped their four-year run as conference champs.

“It’s not a taste in your mouth we want again ... [but] right now all of our attention’s going to be on Newman” Pearson said of the Aug. 29 season opener.”

Marquette looks primed to keep winning under new head coach Ken Carlson

will be aiming for their 13th straight playo appearance.

by Brian Hoxsey

Marquette‘s Ken Carlson said over

the summer that some of what the Crusaders did under former coach Tom Jobst in his tenure won’t change because ‘it works,’ but the first-year head

coach also said this year’s roster has the talent to do some things differently. Carlson, an assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Crusaders

the past 10 years, was hired for the top spot in December after Jobst retired after 15 years, 12 consecutive playoff appearances and a 6-5 (3-2 Chicago-

land Prairie Conference) record in 2024.

“I think we have a chance to be pretty good on both sides of the ball this year with a number of returners back with a ton of experience,” Carlson said. “We have pretty good team speed, and we will try to use that speed in a number of ways on offense and defense. Another strength will be our senior leadership. They have done a great job, starting all the way back in January.”

Marquette will feature three-year starter and senior Anthony Couch at quarterback, with sophomore Luke McCullough his understudy. In the backfield will be seniors Grant Dose and Jaxsen Higgins; junior Jacoby Gooden; as well as sophomores Blayden Cassel, Connor Baker and Landyn McEmery.

Senior Marcus Baker will be at the tight end spot, with juniors Easton Debernardi, Lucas Craig and Ben Walker lined up out wide. The starting offensive line will be held down by tackles including junior Caden Shreve and sophomore Kyle Cottingim, guards senior Austin Ferracuti and junior Alex Schaefer and senior Matt Graham at center, with additional help from sophomore Santiago Duque.

McCullough will do the punting, and Higgins looks to be in line to handle the placekicking.

“I feel like the biggest key to our offense being successful week in and week out is no different than it has been the last 10 or more years, and that is being physical and solid up front,” Carlson said. “It starts with the offensive line.

“I feel like through the summer we really improved in that area. We want them to understand what we are doing so well that they play fast and not have to think about too much. If we can re-

ally get after it off the ball, I feel we’ll be in great shape.”

On the defensive front the Crusaders will have Cassel and senior Marcus Baker at the ends, with Shreve, Ferracuti, Cottingim, Duque and junior Jerrick Meagher in the interior. At linebacker, McCullough, Couch, Higgins will share time on the outside, with Dose and Schaefer manning the inside. Connor Baker, Gooden, Craig and Walker will play cornerback, while Debernardi and sophomore Nehemiyah Thomas will be at safety.

“I think we will be solid up front on the defensive side with Blayden and Marcus out on the ends, and we have an experienced linebacker corps,” Carlson said. “As the defensive coordinator last year, I felt like we gave up way too many explosive plays, and that is something we are going to have to limit this year. I felt like we did a better job of limiting those types of plays as the season went on last year, so we’re going to try and carry that over.”

Marquette opens the season Aug. 29 at Aurora Christian, then hosts Madison before a trip to take on Edgar, Wisc., - a program which won its second straight and ninth overall WIAA small school state title last year. The next three weeks are conference games at Dwight and with St. Bede and Seneca at Gould Stadium before ending the regular season at Elmwood/Brimfield, hosting Knoxville and at Morrison.

“I think beyond worrying about what our opponents are going to do week to week, I feel like it’s more important to make sure we are doing the things we want to do very well and at a high level. ...” Carlson said. “Every week is going to be a battle, and I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Bureau Valley aims to get back to playo s with new coach

summer camp in Manilus.

by Kevin Hieronymus

There’s going to be a lot of new looks in the Bureau Valley Storm huddle this season.

And on the sideline.

Pat Elder, 52, who has had 18 playoff teams in 23 seasons as a head coach with stops at Sherrard, Richmond-Burton and Ridgewood, has taken over the

reigns of the Storm program.

He has spent the summer implementing his playbook.

“The kids have really been receptive, and so have the coaches. They’re pretty

eager,” Elder said. “I feel like we have pieces. We say to the kids, ‘Right now, you’re where you’re at.’ We won’t ever move a guy unless we think it’s better for them or better for the team.

“I told them the team that gets on the bus and goes to St. Bede (for Week 1) will not look near the same as the team that gets on the bus seven or eight weeks later. I think it will change and evolve as the season goes on.”

Seniors Brandon Carrington and Jacob Bolin said the transition is going well.

“We’re learning pretty fast. We’re picking it up,” Carrington said. “It’s a lot different than last year, but we’re picking up pretty quick. There’s some things we’ve got to smooth out, but we’ll get there.”

Elder said the Storm’s biggest strength lies up front on the line.

“I really like our depth up front. We’ve got the most returning there,” he said. ”I think that’s going to be good for us on offense and defense both, and allow us to adjust as needed and do the things we want to do.”

Anchoring the Storm front line will be Bolin and juniors Brad Schoff, Dakarai Martin and Blake Foster. Elder said Martin and Foster will “get good opportunities at tight end and do some things there.”

Carrington and junior Aidan Litherland are working at stepping in for three-year starter Bryce Helms at quar-

terback.

“We’re going to figure out how we’re going to use what we’ve got that makes us the best. They both [have] things they do well,” Elder said. “Brandon has worked hard and put himself physically in position to play and is very coachable, just works to improve.”

Senior Tyce Barkman and breakout candidate Dane Stewart along with junior classmates Tyler Donnelly and Tucker Shane assume rushing duties from the graduated all-conference Elijah Endress.

“We’ve got some young kids who may help us as the season goes on,” Elder said.

With just 34 in the program, the Storm will utilize many two-way players.

“It’s not about playing your best 11. It’s about playing your best 16 or 17,” Elder said, “Over nine games, it pans out for you in attrition and in reps both for the guys. We’ll do what we can to get as many guys on the field and still be as good a football team that we think we can.”

Elder’s task will be to guide the Storm back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and first postseason win since 2008.

“Everything we do is based on efficiency. That’s going to be key for us,” he said. “We’ve got to eliminate turnovers and eliminate penalties. If we’re able to do that, that ought to leave us in position to compete and have opportunities in games.

“I’d say a big thing is finishing things off, whether it’d be finishing drives, finishing halves, finishing games. We’ve got to fall forward in everything we do.”

Bolin and Carrington are aiming high.

“I really think we can make the playoffs,” Bolin said. “It’s going to take more than two guys on the field. It’s going to take everybody. Whether

you’re on JV, the scout defense or offense, they need to really step it up and work the starters.”

“I believe we will better than we’ve been the past few years and will make the playoffs. Just got to keep working at it every day,” Carrington said.

Elder is well-versed in the old Lincoln Trail Conference, playing for his dad’s (hall of fame coach John) Alexis Cardinals, but will face some new teams in the Lincoln Trail-Prairieland merger’s Large School Division. He graduated in 1991 from Alexis, playing on his dad’s last playoff team.

The Storm will kick off the season Friday, Aug. 29, at former Three Rivers rival St. Bede.

TRAIN HARD, PLAY HARDER!

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Amboy/ LaMoille/ Ohio ready to defend backto-back I8FA state titles

by J.T. Pedelty

On the opening Friday night of the 2025 Illinois 8-Man Football Association, head coach Scott Payne’s I8FA champion Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio Clippers will play host to the Milledgeville Missiles at the Harbor.

Talk about picking up right where you left off.

The Amboy co-op overwhelmed Milledgeville 42-14 in late November to win its second consecutive I8FA state championship and will look to be the first Illinois eight-man team to three-peat, a quest that begins with a rematch against the Missiles.

Back from last season’s 12-1 Clippers are standouts such as RB/LB Jose Lopez, TE/DL Evan Flanagan, OL/DL Trevor Stenzal, WR/DB Cody Winn, TE/DL Ryan McNinch and RB/DB Colt McCoy.

There will be more new starters than returning ones from the team that hoisted the big trophy last November, with three offensive and four defensive starters back penciled into the expected starting lineup for 2025.

The good news? Amboy’s JV team

is coming off an undefeated 2024, so reinforcements look ready to step in and keep the varsity Clippers’ winning tradition going.

After the title-game rematch, A/L/O visits Rockford Christian Life (9/5), hosts Bushnell-Prairie City (9/12), hosts Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland (9/19), has back-to-back road games at Galva (9/26) and Peoria Heights (10/3) before consecutive home games versus Ridgewood (10/10) and West Prairie (10/17) and closes out the regular season at West Central (10/24).

Mendota’s goal to be more competitive under Jim Eustice

by Kevin Chlum

The Mendota football team has lost its last dozen games. The Trojans’ last win was a 35-14 victory over Riverdale on Sept. 30, 2023.

Despite that, Mendota senior Aden Tillman has high hopes as former St. Bede coach Jim Eustice takes over the

Trojans program.

“We are really striving for a playoff spot,” Tillman said. “I know people would say you should start focusing on a few wins first, but I know we have a good enough team to get far.”

Eustice is looking to turn around a program that’s gone 25-88 under two head coaches over the last 13 seasons.

The Trojans have won one game or gone winless in seven of the last 12 seasons not counting the spring COVID season in 2021.

“The first goal is to end the losing streak,” Eustice said. “That’s on the kids’ minds. These kids believe they can win some games. They think the goal should not be just to try to win

one or two games to end the streak. The reason we’re out here is to win every game.

“Last year, I think six of the nine losses were a continuous clock, so the goal is to be competitive in every game. We’re not going to go into any game thinking it’s over before we get started.

“This group expects to be a compet-

itive football team that is going to win some games.”

Eustice has already seen improvement in the team’s mentality over the summer and in preseason practices.

“The kids seem to be really more united as a group and playing better as a team and understanding of the team concept and what it takes to be competitive on a football field,” Eustice said. “They’re telling me things are different.

“That’s changing a lot of things for them as far as how they practice and how they pay a little bit more attention to detail than maybe they have in the past. Then the consistency in what we’re teaching and repping every day. There’s a ton of improvement from when we got out there in June until today.

“I think the kids are seeing it, and they’re building more confidence as each day goes by.”

Tillman returns at quarterback and will lead an offense Eustice said will “spread the ball out.” Tillman completed 81 of 149 passes for 856 yards and nine touchdowns with seven interceptions, also running for 258 yards last season.

“We’re able to do the things that I’ve always liked to do,” Eustice said. “We’re going to get the ball to our athletes everywhere on the field, just like I’ve done for my whole career. It’s been a matter of getting the guys to do

things, to get to the right spots with the right steps, have the confidence to catch the football, have the confidence to block out there on the perimeter.

“Just all the things that go into being a good offense is what we’ve been working on.”

Joe Stewart (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), Keegan Beetz – who missed most of last season with injury – Gavin Evans and William Musanovic will be among Tillman’s top targets, while Corbin Furar returns at running back after rushing for 221 yards and two TDs on 53 attempts.

Austin Welch returns for his third year as a starter and will anchor the offensive line. Reese Lane, Payton Gagliardi and Josh Shakespeare also will play up front.

The Trojans are looking to improve on defense after allowing 44.8 points per game last fall. Mendota has allowed more than 400 points in each of the last two seasons.

Stewart and Furar will play defensive end, with Lane, Gagliardi, Shakespeare and Welch also contributing on the line. Wyatt Ossman returns at middle linebacker. Tillman, Beetz and Brennan Northcutt will be key in the secondary.

“The defense has a chip on their shoulders,” Eustice said. “The kids know how many points they’ve given up in the last couple years, and there are some seniors who have been part of it, and they want to put an end to it.”

Fighting Irish ready to hit the ground running again

by Brian Hoxsey

The Seneca football program has compiled a 30-4 record over the last three seasons and has its sights set on a fourth straight winning season.

The Fighting Irish finished last season 9-2 overall and 4-0 in Chicagoland Prairie Conference play before falling 21-14 in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs to Bismark-Henning/Rossville-Avon. As a team, the Irish ran for over 3,200 yards and 40 touchdowns out of their power-T offense.

“We have a lot of players with varsity experience and senior leadership,” said Maxwell, who begins his fifth season as head coach. “This should be a physical group with good speed. As with most small schools, we are looking for younger players to fill roles and step up.”

Seneca will have senior Gunner Varland at starting quarterback with senior Devon Daemicke and junior Brant Roe ready to step in if needed.

Seniors Cam Shriey, Ethan Othan and Liam Knoebel will start at the running back spots, with seniors Brayden Simek and Avery Phillips along with junior Joey Arnold rotating in.

“Even more than the last couple seasons, we want to find guys who can give our three starting backs a break and us not miss a beat,” Maxwell said. “I think we’ll have a pretty good rotation in the backfield.”

At tight end will be seniors Zebadiah Maxwell, Brady Sheedy and Matt Stach. The offensive line will be anchored by senior starters Jace Mitchell (C), Landen Venecia (G), Landyn Ramsey (T), Colton Angeloff (T) and junior Rayce Aukland (G), with seniors Derick Griffin and Kyler Krull and sophomores Breckin Anderson and Wyatt Holman seeing time when needed.

“I think us staying as healthy as we can is the biggest key, and we’ve been mostly fortunate in that aspect the past few years,” Coach Maxwell said. “Then I think the next key is our offensive line jelling together. We have a couple of new pieces there, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen from that group throughout the summer and here in the first week of practice.

“Then it’s the development of Gunner at QB, and I really think he’s im-

FRIDAY NIGHT DRIVE/NICHOLAS HOLSTEIN

Seneca head coach Terry Maxwell talks with players during a 7-on-7 football at Clifton Central High School earlier this summer.

proved so much.”

The Irish defense will be led up front by Maxwell, Angeloff, Venecia, Ramsey and Anderson on the line. From there, Knoebel, Shriey, Aukland and sophomore Chase Rod will all see time at inside linebacker, while Phillips, Sheedy and senior Wyatt Biffany will be in the outside linebacker spots.

The secondary will have Stach, Othon and Roe on the corners, and Varland, Simek, Arnold and senior Griffin Hougas at safeties.

“Our defensive coordinator, Levi Derber, does just a fantastic job with our kids, which allows me to really

focus on the offense,” Coach Maxwell said. “I love what we have and where we’re at up front. Our interior five are really good and really good at what they do. Just like it starts for us on offense, our defensive front guys make things go.

“I feel like we are going to have a solid defense.”

Seneca opens the season Aug. 29 hosting defending Class 2A champion Chicago Christian, then is on the road against the Sangamon Valley co-op, Clinton and Genoa-Kingston. It’s then Dwight at home, at Marquette, and back home against St. Bede in Chi-

cagoland Prairie Conference contests.

The final two weeks of the regular season the Irish host St. Joseph-Ogden and play Carlyle in a game that will be played at Maroa-Forsyth.

“I feel like we have a really tough test right off the bat, and it really doesn’t get an easier the next eight weeks,“ Coach Maxwell said. ”The key will be focusing on the team in front of us each week and then getting better each week.

“It’s a tough schedule for sure, so we are going to have to be ready to go starting August 29 and then every Friday after that.”

St. Bede ‘all bought in’ as Jack Brady takes over as head coach

by Kevin Chlum

A new era is beginning this fall at St. Bede as alumnus Jack Brady takes over as head coach after nine years as an assistant coach.

So far, the players are believing in what the former Bruins quarterback has brought to the program.

“We’re all bought in,” senior quarterback Gino Ferrari said.

Brady has seen the buy-in over the summer and in preseason practices.

“They have been laser focused on what we are doing,” Brady said. “They are eager to learn, and any time we have been making mistakes in practice, their attitudes toward corrections are more than I could ask of them.”

Brady was the offensive coordinator for five seasons under former coach Jim Eustice, but he has made changes to the scheme as he takes over the program. The Bruins will rely on a strong running game led by junior Landon Marquez, who already has two years of varsity experience under his belt.

Last fall, the 6-foot-1, 215-pounder ran for 742 yards and six touchdowns on 164 carries.

Along with Marquez, AJ Hermes, Carson Riva, Brennen Hirst, Stuart McGunnical and Jose De La Torre also will get carries.

“We’re going to be giving a lot of guys touches,” Brady said. “It’s going to be kind of success by committee.

“Landon Marquez, our returning running back, is going to be a staple in the offense. We’re going to try to get him the ball as often as possible and get him moving downhill with his frame. We have a nice mixture of brute force from Marquez and a little bit of speed and elusiveness out of the rest of the guys.”

Ferrari returns at quarterback to

lead the passing attack after throwing for 731 yards and five touchdowns with six interceptions as a junior on 63-of-117 passing. He’ll throw to Niko Pappas and Trajan Raffety at split end. The slot receiver positions will be by committee.

Returning starters Weston Heersink

and Demian Baker will lead the offensive line. Luke Fess, Landon Boggio and Willie Sramek also will play up front.

“Assignment football is what we’re going for,” Brady said. “The first step is for them to know their assignment and where they’re going each play. Regard-

less of the outcome of a play, we need to be going 100%.”

Defensively, the Bruins will look to improve after allowing 29.2 points per game last season, giving up 28 points or more in seven of nine.

“Defense, we’re going to show a lot of movement pre-snap and try to give

offenses something to think about,” Brady said. “We’re trying to get the kids playing fast and going 100%. We need to stop the big plays, and also our third-and-long coverage needs improvement. A lot of situational football, understanding the sticks, understanding the part of the game we’re in and communication are the biggest things.”

in and day out and hopefully go out there Aug. 29 and win that first one,” Brady said.

The Bruins will face a schedule Brady described as “challenging,” including their only three games in the Chicagoland Prairie Conference, which is down to four teams. St. Bede’s schedule includes six playoff teams from 2024.

The defensive line will be a rotation of players from the offensive line. Marquez, Boggio, Raffety and Carson Riva will play linebacker, while McGunnigal, De La Torre, Hermes, Ferrari and Chase Riva will play in the secondary.

“We’re going to have to utilize everybody everywhere at any time with our numbers,” Brady said.

Coming off a 2-7 season, Brady said the Bruins are not looking into the future or “counting games on what we think an outcome would be.”

“We want to do the right things day

“Three of them are conference games with Dwight, Seneca and Marquette that we know are going to be physical,” Brady said, “and it’s going to take a lot of endurance and discipline to be successful. We have Peoria Notre Dame coming to our place Week 8. They’ll be a tough opponent. It’ll probably be a little bit faster paced football and a little more physical than we’re used to, but it’s going to be a good matchup.

“Every game is going to be a battle. There’s no gimme, which is going to help us overall as a team.”

Ken Kolowski

Jamey Mertel

Fieldcrest returning 6 starters on both sides of the ball

by Kevin Chlum & J.T. Pedelty

Fieldcrest returns six starters on both sides of the ball from last fall’s Knights who finished the 2024 season 1-8 overall and a winless 0-8 in the Heart of Central Illinois Conference’s Small Division

“Our strengths will be our front and varsity experienced players,” fourthyear Fieldcrest head coach Nick Meyer said. “I’m excited for this season.

“They have been working hard all offseason and continue to grow as a team.”

Fieldcrest did, however, lose a key piece of its offense with the graduation of first-team all-conference running back Eddie Lorton (909 offensive yards, five touchdowns), but Meyer expects to have “a solid run game that opens up the passing game led by second-year starting quarterback Kash Klendworth.”

Perhaps more importantly, the Knights need to improve defensively after allowing 32.7 points per game last fall.

“A better understanding of our defensive scheme will allow us to make plays

at the point of attack,” Meyer said. Last season’s 1-8 record was a step back for Fieldcrest, which posted a 4-5 record in 2-23 after managing just one victory in 2021 and 2022 combined.

The Knights’ last winning season came in the pandemic-caused delayed and shortened 2020 campaign, when Fieldcrest went 4-0. The Knights last made the playoffs in 2019 under head coach Derek Schneeman, now head coach at DeKalb.

Meyer is hopeful this fall’s team –led by the likes of Klendworth; OL/ DLs Chance Hedrick, Tyler Petri -

moulz and Tony Stalter; and RB/DBs Drew Overocker and Lucas Anson can punch a return ticket to Week 10.

Fieldcrest opens the 2025 season at Veterans Park in Minonk against Tri-Valley on Aug. 29. From there, the Knights are at rival El Paso-Gridley (Sept. 5), at Tremont (Sept. 12), home against LeRoy (Sept. 19) and Dee-Mack (Sept. 26), at Walther Christian (Oct. 4), home versus Ridgeview-Lexington (Oct. 10), at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (Oct. 17) and on the road against Warrensburg-Latham (Oct. 24) to finish the regular season.