2025 Outlook

Head Coach: Alan Rood (3rd season)

Career Record: 22-16, 11-9 at St. Anne

Conference: Illinois 8-Man Football Association

Last Playoff: I8FA Quarterfinals, 2024

Best Playoff: I8FA Quarterfinals, 2024

2023 Record: 8-3

A year after reviving their program from almost a 50-year slumber, the St. Anne football team made its first-ever playoff appearance of any kind when they went 8-3 and reached the Illinois 8-Man Football Association quarterfinals in 2024. As they look to solidify the program in year three of I8FA play, head coach Alan Rood said the Cardinals and their senior-heavy bunch still have to prove that they belong.

“We still have to prove it every day and earn it every day,” Rood said. “We have more experience, we’re older, so it should be going in that direction with this group because we have a lot of seniors and a couple really good juniors. They still have to earn that every day, so we’ll see.”

The state’s leading 8-Man rusher last year, Chris Link, graduated. But with a 10-man senior class that includes a bevy of starters, the Cardinals will look to replace the 2,214 yards and 34 touchdowns of total offense Link produced with a group approach.

Grant Pomaranski is one of those seniors and he’s set for his third year at quarterback. He had 634 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for 117 more yards and two more scores, and Rood likes the experience and athleticism he brings as a dual-threat option.

“He’s better, he’s hitting better throws in practice, but he’s also a better leader,” Rood said. “People believe in him in the huddle because this is his third year.”

Quinton Thompson will lead the backfield after serving in a complimentary role to Link each of the past two seasons, totaling 334 yards and three scores. Elijah Gibbs, Damarius Lucas and Gavin Threm will also work the backfield and get snaps at receiver, where Matthew Langellier returns and sophomore John Fifer will see time. Brandon Schoth returns at tight end, where the Cardinals will look for another replacement for the graduated Ben Harpster after Elijah Van Scyoc moved out of state.

“We can be stacked inside, we can spread it out, we can flex a tight end out,” Rood said. “It all depends on what defense they’re playing, what we’ve been running, what we can adapt to what we’re doing. It’s that process with the offense, so that’s how we continue to develop the offense.”

Jason Bleyle is back at center and will also lead the defensive line alongside Mason Romein, Schoth, Thompson and Trevor Van Pelt. The backside of the defense will be made up of largely the same group of offensive skill players.

As exciting as last year’s journey was, it’s now history. All the Cardinals can do is keep looking forward as they look to legitimize themselves as an I8FA power.

“The time is now to continue this process and be better than we were last year,” Rood said. “That was last year, we can only handle everything this year. That’s why I say you’ve got to earn it every day and why I say the time is now, because they have the opportunity to continue on this tradition at an early age of this program.”