In the moment, Montini’s Laddie Asay didn’t think anything was wrong.

Catching a pass during the first game of his junior season last fall, a home game against Hyde Park, Asay attempted to make a cut as a safety closed in on him. But the quick move resulted in a knee injury that Asay said didn’t bother him until later in the night, well after the 49-0 victory concluded.

“I didn’t know I tore my ACL,” Asay said. “My adrenaline kicked up and I could still run a little bit. By the end of the night, I knew something was really wrong. I had an MRI and it didn’t come back for multiple days, so we went to a doctor who was recommended to read the MRI. He thought I knew my ACL was torn already, so when he broke the news, I was heartbroken.”

After taking on a special teams role during his sophomore season, his first with the varsity team, Asay had been primed for a breakout junior year at running back. But the ACL injury, which occurred on the first series of the game against Hyde Park, abruptly ended his season. From the sidelines, Asay watched as Montini went 12-2 and won the Class 3A state championship.

“I was heartbroken, especially because we had made it to the semifinals the previous year,” said Asay, whose older brother George was a senior on the Montini team that went 9-4 and lost to Byron in 2023. “I was 100% confident at the beginning of last year that we were going to make a run and possibly win the state title. Going down and knowing I wasn’t going to be a part of that run was something I really had to deal with mentally.”

As Asay rehabbed his knee injury, he remained involved with the team and celebrated when the Broncos dominated Monticello 49-8 to claim the 3A state title, Montini’s first since a perfect 14-0 season in 2015. While Asay cherished the experience of celebrating a state championship with his teammates, it was also a bittersweet moment for him. He received a state championship ring, but he admitted he didn’t even touch the state trophy.

“Watching the team win state without me wasn’t an easy thing to do, but them winning state definitely made it easier,” Asay said. “That was one of the best experiences I’ve had in high school so far... It was a whole big family coming together and everyone was along for the ride. There was something new to do every week and I’d try to come to practice and help out as much as I could, but once I had my surgery, my role definitely dropped.”

Throughout his recovery, Asay trained his body mentally and physically for a return to play this season. Although he was unable to participate in spring football, Asay received clearance to play before the start of his senior year. He credited Dr. Steven Eickenberg for guiding him through the lengthy rehab, which Asay said included some of the hardest workouts he’s ever done.

“I can do things now that I wasn’t able to do before the injury,” Asay said. “I couldn’t rush it because if I came back early, I’d be hurt worse... He always told me that, to play a football game, I needed to make my workouts 150% of what a football game is. I went through stages of recovery like bending my knee, and then I got into strengthening my knee and football-specific stuff. Strengthening my knee was the most physically painful, but after that, it became more about how hard I could push myself.”

Asay’s perseverance through tough circumstances has paid off. Currently starting at outside linebacker, Asay has made a significant impact on the Montini defense. Through four games, the Broncos are 4-0 and ranked No. 1 in Class 4A. Individually, Asay leads the team in tackles for loss (14), pass breakups (3) and forced fumbles (3) while ranking second in tackles (44).

“This year, I’m trying to play two years of football in one,” Asay said. “I try to play as fast as possible and our coaches always say we can’t make a mistake going 100 MPH, so that’s what I try and do every play. I want to be a leader on the team and I’m a captain, but the most important thing for me is to just go out there and play football since this might be my last year.”

Montini has been tested early this season, but Asay and the Broncos have made huge plays in critical moments of games. Montini, which opened the season with a win against Michigan’s Lumen Christi, made a goal-line stand to clinch a 28-21 victory over Marist in Week 3. The Broncos then knocked off Fenwick 31-29 in their CCL/ESCC White opener, forcing an incomplete pass on a potential game-tying 2-point conversion to remain undefeated.

“In situations like that, our defense wants to be on the field,” Asay said. “Whether it’s me, Santino Tenuta or the other seniors who contributed last year... We want to be on the field making plays in the last second. Playing in the CCL, which a lot of people think is the best conference in the state, we want to play in big games and that’s why we come to Montini. We want to play 6A teams like Fenwick or a great team like Marist. Being tested early helps us and builds our confidence. We feed off of each other.”

Motivated by previous state championship winners, Asay and his Bronco teammates have their eyes on a second consecutive state title this year. Although Montini will play in 4A this season rather than 3A, the standard remains the same for the Broncos, who return standout players on both sides of the ball including Tenuta and quarterback Izzy Abrams, a junior and a four-star prospect with multiple Division I offers.

“I’ve been a football player my whole life, so I never had the chance to just watch the team,” Asay said. “I was in tears when they won because that was everything those guys wanted. We’ve had a lot of guys leave, so to finally be back... We see the pictures of old Montini winning four in a row and none of us have been a part of that. A lot of us grew up playing youth ball together and reaching the peak of a state championship was the best feeling.”

Asay has been a football player since he competed with his older brother George’s youth team as a 5-year-old. Asay, whose father Anthony coached football at Montini for a brief period, grew up playing quarterback before eventually developing an interest in defense. While he has played multiple positions as a high-schooler, Asay has found his home at linebacker. His favorite players to watch growing up were Brian Dawkins and Tim Tebow.

“Faith is a big part of my life and when I tore my ACL, I definitely grew in my faith with God,” Asay said. “Before every game, we have a prayer service as a team and I pray and ask God to keep me safe and let His will be done on the field. That takes the thoughts away and I just go out there and play. As long as we keep winning games, I don’t care if I have the most TFLs or not. The end goal is a ring. I got a ring last year, but I didn’t feel like it was my ring.”

Earlier this season, Asay was recognized for his leadership, receiving Montini’s Bumber’s Corner Locker, named after 1989 Montini graduate and football standout Brad Bumber. Only one Bronco has received the locker each year since its inception in 2018. The locker features a quote from legendary football coach Lou Holtz as well as the names of all of the previous winners.

“I was really thankful because I knew there were a lot of guys on the team who could get it,” Asay said. “Montini has had some excellent football players in the past and seeing the names of hard-working guys... It reminds me of what Montini is every time I open that locker. That locker represents Montini football in a great way, so I was shocked and honored at the same time.”