BCR Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio vs. Ridgewood 8-Man State Championship Preview

8-Man Football Association Playoffs Championship

No. 2 Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio (12-0) vs. No. 9 Ridgewood (10-2)

When: 7 p.m., Friday, Monmouth College

Last matchup: A-L-O 48, Ridgewood 42 (Week 5 2023)

About the Clippers: The Clippers have made it back to the 8-Man Association State championship game and this time they’d like to take care of unfinished business. They fell in last year’s title game to Biggsville West Central, 68-30. .. The Clippers have outscored their first three playoff foes 156-19 (52-6.3), including a 40-6 rout over Polo in last week’s semifinals. ... A-L-O placed Brennan Blaine (TE/DL), Quinn Leffelman (RB/DL) and Landon Montavon (OL/DL) on the 8-Man Football Association All-State first team, while teammate Landon Whelchel (RB/LB) received honorable mention. Last week, Whelchel went over 3,000 career rushing yards (3,024) and 40 career TDs. ... Amboy won its only state title in 1984, defeating Paxton, 16-7, for the IHSA Class 2A title.

About the Spartans: The Spartans punched their ticket to the 8-Man finals by edging No. 5 Martinsville, 28-26, in Saturday’s semifinals. A-L-O beat Martinsville, 60-8, in Week 3. The week before, Ridgewood upset No. 1 Champaign St. Thomas More, 36-14, in the quarterfinals. ... The Spartans’ two losses came in back-to-back weeks with a 48-44 loss to Polo in Week 4 and a 48-42 loss to A-L-O in Week 5. ... Ridgewood is the co-op of Cambridge-Woodhull AlWood. Cambridge reached the IHSA Class 1A finals in 2005, falling to Freeport Aquin, 30-28.

How they got here: A-L-O beat No. 15 Hiawatha 54-0, No. 7 FCW 62-7; No. 6 Polo 40-6; Ridgewood beat No. 8 South Fork 42-30, No. 1 St. Thomas More 36-14, No. 5 Martinsville 28-26.

How you can watch/listen: Game will be streamed on the 8-Man Association YouTube channel. There will also be radio broadcasts at 101.7 WRCV and 102.3 WRMJ.

FND Pick: Amboy