2023 Sauk Valley Media eight-man football preview capsules

Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio

Coach: Scott Payne

Last year’s record: 10-3, 6-1 North 2 Division (first)

Worth noting: The Clippers reached the Illinois 8-Man Football Association state semifinals in 2021 and were the state runner-up in 2022. ... They return every starter from last season except I8FA All-State QB Tucker Lindenmeyer. ... All-State senior TE/DE Brennan Blaine, junior FB/DE Quinn Leffelman and senior RB/LB Landon Whelchel return to lead the team. Whelchel and Leffelman were last year’s leading rushers, and both were All-North 2 Division picks on both sides of the ball. They’ll have an experienced and talented offensive to pave the way again this season. ... Junior QB Eddie Jones takes over for Lindenmeyer after starting six games in his absence last season.

Polo

Coach: Ted Alston

Last year’s record: 9-3, 5-2 (second in North 2 Division)

Worth noting: The Marcos won back-to-back I8FA state championships in 2019 and 2021 (no 2020 season), and reached the state semifinals in 2022. They nearly went to state for the third time in three seasons but lost to eventual champion West Central on the last play of the game. ... They return back-to-back I8FA All-State RB/LB and Sauk Valley Media Football Player of the Year Brock Soltow, and lose an All-State RB/LB in Avery Grenoble. ... All but one of last year’s starting offensive linemen are back, and senior Delo Fernandez returns to maintain a talented backfield.

Milledgeville

Coach: Jason Wroble

Last year’s record: 7-4, 4-3 (third in North 2 Division)

Worth noting: The Missiles return a number of key players this season. They bring back senior QB/LB Conner Nye, a two-time I8FA All-State selection at QB and first-team All-North 2 defensive utility player, as well as Konner Johnson, Bruce Raymond, Micah Toms-Smith and Bryce McKenna. Johnson, Raymond and Toms-Smith were second-team All-North 2 picks at offensive utility player, DL and OLB, respectively. McKenna was a first-team All-North 2 selection at MLB. ... Coach Wroble expects “big things” from sophomore OL/TE/DL Karter Livengood, who started in the playoffs last season against West Central as a freshman. He also anticipates impactful seasons from sophomore LB/RB Spencer Nye, senior LB Wyatt Meiners and junior OL/DL Dalton Adamec, who started a few games on the defensive line last season. ... The Missiles must replace two all-state receivers in Kacen Johnson and Bryce Aude. ... “We expect to be a contender for the I8FA state championship. We believe we have the pieces we need to accomplish that,” Wroble said. “I am excited about our team’s work ethic. They are very motivated by what they feel was a disappointing regular season (6-3) last year, and a too-early exit from the playoffs. I am also excited about how much knowledge our core group of players retained from last season to this, which has allowed us to add new things and be much farther along this preseason.”

Ashton-Franklin Center

Coach: Ben Mershon

Last year’s record: 5-4, 3-3 North Division 1 (second)

Worth noting: The Raiders return five players with significant playing experience at the varsity level: senior RB/MLB Danny Bevan, sophomore OL/DL Lane Messer, sophomore RB-to-QB convert Logan Mershon, junior RB/MLB Nolan Rueff and junior OL/DL Ben Rockwood. Mershon was an honorable mention All-North 1 pick at RB last year. ... Coach Mershon anticipates significant playing time for sophomore WR/CB Chase Near, junior TE/DE Brock Lehman, and senior RB/WR/LB Noah Danielson, among others, and thinks some talented freshmen could factor in this year. ... “My expectations for every season are high, and it’s no different this year. Although this is a very young team this year, they are very eager to compete,” coach Mershon said. “They are tough and very smart on and off the field. With some of the new players and the ones returning this year, I think they can be very successful this year and in the years to come.”