Amboy remembers No. 55, Dennis McCoy

Dennis McCoy meant many things to the town of Amboy.

He was a standout player on the Clippers’ 1979 state runner-up football team.

He was a faithful servant to the town, jumping in to lend a hand for anything that needed to get done.

And he was a loving father, grandfather and brother.

On Saturday, Amboy High School paused to remember McCoy, who died in a Oct. 21 auto accident, during the Clippers’ 8-Man Association playoff opener.

Each member of the Clippers team wore a No. 55 decal, McCoy’s number, on the side of their helmet.

His grandson, Collin O’Malley, an Amboy sophomore, proudly carried the flag out to the field wearing his own No. 55 jersey, busting out the banner just as his grandfather did years before him.

And the Clippers nearly put up No. 55 on the scoreboard, defeating Kirkland Hiawatha, 54-6.

Dennis would have been humbled, but proud, said his son, Mitch, a former Clipper.

“My dad loved his community and will be greatly missed in Amboy,” Mitch said. “Dad wasn’t a guy that liked the spotlight, but he would have been proud in how the Amboy community honored his memory at the football game and how they honored his family by presenting the game ball after the game.

“The No. 55 is a tradition that has been passed down. Dad wore 55, I wore 55 and now his grandson proudly wears the 55 jersey. My family and I gathered together to emotionally cheer for the team our family will always love, the Amboy Clippers.”

Emily (McCoy) O’Malley, Collin’s mom, was touched by the Clippers’ gesture to honor her dad.

“The outpouring of love from the community has been truly heartwarming. My father loved being a Clipper. He loved Amboy. I now know Amboy loved him back,” she said on a Facebook post.

Dennis, who was married at 16 to the former Cindy Schamberger with a son (Tony) in the stands and making a living while attending school, was what Amboy Clippers football was all about.

He was indeed the real McCoy on the football field.

At 5-7, 160 pounds, McCoy played linebacker like a player much bigger than his size, known for his hard-hitting on the field. He was one of only two players unanimously chosen to the Three Rivers All-Conference team.

A newspaper clipping from the state championship game described McCoy as the “Little Clipper is all man.”

In the article, the late Amboy coach Don Wyzgowski said of McCoy, “he’s not only popular with his teammates and the fans, but with the coaches in our conference.”

That Clippers steamrolled their way to the Class 2A state finals, defeating Forreston (20-17), Stockton (38-16) and Princeville (41-14) before falling to Decatur St. Teresa (36-12) in the title game, finishing 12-1.

Mitch carried on the family tradition, playing for the Clippers quarterfinal team in 2003. He wore No. 36 his junior year, trying to make a name for himself, then proudly switched to No. 55 to honor his dad.

His team reached the 3A quarterfinals, falling to Stillman Valley (21-0) to finish 8-4.

“When I played, I used to run into coaches or people from other teams that were in the stands, and saw my name and my number and asked me if I was related to Dennis McCoy. After all the years they still remember how hard he hit and how hard he played,” he said.

Kevin Hieronymus is the BCR Sports Editor. Contact him at khieronymus@bcrnews.com