Locals earn all-NUIC, I8FA all-state honors

The successful seasons of the area’s Illinois 8-Man Football Association teams led to 22 players earning recognition on the North Division All-State team.

First-team picks included Amboy-LaMoille defensive end Brennan Blaine; Milledgeville’s Connor Nye (quarterback), Ashton Nobis (running back & outside linebacker), Bryce Aude (wide receiver & defensive back), Colton Stahl (offensive guard), Tyson Helfrich (offensive guard) and Dimetri Garza (defensive end); and Polo’s Avery Grenoble (running back & inside linebacker), Cooper Blake (center), Blake Diehl (offensive guard), Wyatt Queckboerner (defensive tackle), Cayden Webster (defensive end) and Tyler Merdian (outside linebacker).

Second-teamers were Amboy-LaMoille’s Tucker Lindenmeyer (quarterback & defensive back), Blaine (tight end) and Joe Quest (defensive tackle); Milledgeville’s Kieren Harris (wide receiver), Eric Ebersole (defensive end), Andrew Lapp (outside linebacker) and Peyton Sarber (inside linebacker); and Polo’s Merdian (quarterback), Brock Soltow (running back & defensive back) and Kahlil Sankey (tight end).

Amboy-LaMoille’s Jairon Hochstatter (defensive end) and Quest (running back) were honorable mention selections.

NUIC names all-conference team: A total of 22 local players earned all-NUIC honors, the league announced earlier this week.

Forreston’s Matthew Beltran was a unanimous selection at running back, and also earned a first-team spot at linebacker. Fulton’s Keegan VanKampen was also a first-teamer at running back and linebacker. Other first-team picks were Eastland-Pearl City punter Kellen Henze; Fulton’s Joey Huizenga (offensive line), Brock Mason (defensive back), Jacob Jones (edge rusher) and Endi Qunaj (kicker); and Forreston defensive lineman Mason Fox.

Fulton’s Mason (offensive end) and Ryan Eads (utility) were second-team picks, as were Forreston’s Joe Snyder (offensive line), Cole Becker (tight end) and Noah Johnson (linebacker).

Honorable mention selections were EPC’s Henze (quarterback), Riley Schauer (defensive line) and Carson Heeren (utility); Fulton’s Patrick Lower (quarterback), Jones (running back), Braiden Damhoff (offensive line), Zach Dykstra (center), Baylen Damhoff (offensive end), Kole Schipper (defensive line) and Huizenga (defensive line); and Forreston’s Devonte King-Black (running back & edge rusher), Jacob Fiorello (running back & defensive back) and Johnny Kobler (offensive line).