Illinois’ top running back Ivory Kelly-Martin comes home to Oswego East

Ivory Kelly-Martin built an impressive football resume in three seasons with Nazareth.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound star running back helped the Roadrunners to a pair of state championships as their leading rusher. But weeks after winning his second state title with the Roadrunners, the former School District 308 student made the decision to come home.

The Plainfield resident transferred in December to start the second semester at Oswego East. Now, Kelly-Martin has spent the summer showing his new teammates just what it takes to play in Champaign in November. Oswego East has just two playoff appearances in its 12-year history and has advanced no further than the second round.

"It's all about getting that winning mentality," Kelly-Martin said. "Coming from Naz, it's a little different here. It's all about having fun out there with these guys and making the most of my senior year. We want to make it as far as we can."

Kelly-Martin went to Bednarcik and then transferred to Murphy Junior High when the building opened in 2012. When he graduated eighth grade, he enrolled at Nazareth in LaGrange.

"There's some new faces, but mostly I know all of them," Kelly-Martin said. "I was really lucky to have gone to school with these guys. The biggest thing is just the change of atmosphere. I'm just here to enjoy my senior year and make the best of it, and help these guys out to maybe get something they've never gotten before."

Kelly-Martin, who had 190 carries for 1,972 yards and 33 touchdowns for Nazareth last season, will work out of the backfield with Tyran Bailey, who led the Wolves with 671 yards rushing. He got his first taste at Oswego East football this summer, participating in five different events in June and July.

"He's a good kid and he's been a great addition. He fits right in," Oswego East coach Tyson LeBlanc said. "He's not naturally really vocal, but he's taken on that role a little more. I think it'll help him now and in the future."

Kelly-Martin verbally committed to the University of Iowa in April, making him the highest-rated recruit in Oswego East's 12-year history.

"All this work is finally paying off for me. ... I really felt comfortable with all the players and coaches. Their coaching staff is amazing," Kelly-Martin said of the Hawkeyes. "It was a no-brainer. The facilities are also ridiculous."

Oswego East spent its summer competing at Aurora University, the Wheaton Warrenville South Red Grange Lineman Challenge and Joliet Central among others. Oswego East also took second at the Bolingbrook Lineman Challenge on July 20.

Last Thursday, Oswego East closed out its summer schedule by hosting an eight-team 7 on 7 event and faced Metamora, Sterling, Neuqua Valley and Glenbard East. No scores were kept, and each team played five games under excessive heat conditions.

"I thought we did well. I wouldn't say any of those teams got the better of us," LeBlanc said. "The summer is about finding out who can play and who knows what they're supposed to do, and a lot of time that decides who is going to play when they know what they're supposed to do. This is probably the fifth 7-on-7 that we've done, so we've got a lot of reps and had opportunities to see a lot of guys in different positions."

Now, the focus shifts to the official first day of practice on Aug. 8 – and work begins for the season opener and Southwest Prairie Conference opener on Aug. 26 at Joliet West. With the addition of Joliet West and Joliet Central to the league for the 2016-17 school year, all nine regular season games will be against SPC teams.