Amboy-LaMoille rolls past Blue Ridge in 8-man playoff game

AMBOY – The Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio football team didn’t necessarily need a boost in its eight-man playoff opener against Blue Ridge, but it got one anyway.

That boost was the return of senior quarterback Tucker Lindenmeyer, who guided the Clippers to a 48-0 demolition of the Knights on Saturday at the Harbor.

[ Photos from Amboy vs. Blue Ridge eight-man first-round playoff game ]

The lone senior on the Amboy roster, Lindenmeyer suffered a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring early in a Week 4 loss against Milford-Cissna Park. In Amboy’s Week 9 senior night game against West Central, Lindenmeyer handed off on his team’s first offensive play, then left the game.

After receiving medical clearance Oct. 24, however, he was good to go.

“It’s good to be a part of the win,” Lindenmeyer said. “Standing on the sideline and not playing was just different. It’s hard to do to just sit there and watch your team play and not be able to do anything about it.”

Lindenmeyer completed 8 of 12 passes for 148 yards, all in the first half, with two touchdowns and one interception. He also ran twice for 13 yards and converted a pair of 2-point conversion runs as well.

Amboy (8-2) seized control of the game early. Quinn Leffelman scored on a 53-yard TD run barely a minute into the game, then a blocked punt by Brody Christoffersen set up a 2-yard touchdown catch by Brennan Blaine.

The Clippers’ special teams stepped up for the next two scores. Landon Whelchel returned a punt 85 yards for the team’s third score.

Blue Ridge then fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, and Whelchel cashed in with a 10-yard TD run with a minute left in the first quarter to put his team up 28-0.

Whelchel and Blaine also scored in the second quarter to put the Clippers up 42-0 at halftime, setting a running clock in motion for the second half.

The Amboy defense was shredded in a Week 9 loss to West Central but was airtight this time. Blue Ridge (6-4) managed only 130 yards of total offense, and a lot of that came with Clippers reserves on the field.

“We didn’t want to let that happen again,” Blaine said of the defense in a 68-30 loss to West Central in the regular-season finale. “West Central has a great team with three really good players in the backfield. We were really studying film this week. [Jamison Berkler] with that fullback trap, we really wanted to stop that, and I feel like our defensive line did a really good job with that. We made it easy for the defensive backs and linebackers, and when we needed to, they made a play like they usually do.”

Amboy, meanwhile, racked up 405 yards of total offense. Whelchel (15 carries for 97 yards) and Leffelman (4-90) led the way on the ground, while Blaine caught four passes for 115 yards. Head coach Scott Payne noted it all started up front.

“Our offensive and defensive line controlled the line of scrimmage from start to finish,” Payne said. “When you get line play like that, you’re always going to end up with a good result.”

Amboy’s Josh McKendry had the lone score of the second half, a 2-yard plunge midway through the third quarter.

The Clippers’ backup defensive players saw almost all of the action after halftime and were able to preserve the shutout.

Blue Ridge was paced by junior running back Cole Pemble, who had 23 carries for 91 yards. The Knights suffered their first shutout of the season.

Next up for Amboy will be a second-round road contest against Milford-Cissna Park. The Bearcats defeated AFC 70-24 in their playoff opener Saturday.

The Clippers are 0-2 in their short history against Milford, having dropped a 40-30 decision in Week 4 and a 48-46 decision in 2021.

“We know each other very well,” Payne said. “Milford’s beat us the last two times we’ve played. This time, we’ve got a healthy Tucker, so I think that’s going to be the big difference-maker for us offensively.”