05-25-2021
BY JACK BULLOCK
Even though there was a limited schedule played and the entire season was pushed back to the spring, the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association put together all-state teams for each of the eight-classes in football for the 2020-21 school year.

Forty players from the A Sideline View area made the grade either on the first team or the honorable mention lists in 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A.

Here's a quick look at the players and the stats that were available.

In Class 1A you have to go a bit north to find first team member Jarrett Robertson of Moweaqua Central A&M.

The 6-foot junior was an offensive lineman and kicker for the unbeaten (6-0) Raiders in the spring for head coach Brent Weakly and will be a big part of the program's success this coming fall.

Robertson made 29-of-32 extra points and hit 1-of-2 field goal attempts for a team that outscored its opponents 267-88.

Defensively he had 17 solo tackles and 17 assists and he recovered two fumbles, one for a 39 yard touchdown.

“Jarrett is a two-year starter for us, started for our state runner-up team and is our best football player,” said Coach Weakly. “He has a competitiveness that tries to make himself and his teammates better. I'm lucky that I get to coach him for one more season.”

The 1A list of honorable mention has some additional kids from this area.

Camden Biggs of Dupo is a 5-foot-9 170 pound senior running back led the Tigers to a 3-3 mark with an outstanding final prep season running the ball.

Biggs carried the pigskin 152 times for 1,009 yards in six games, including a 307 yard effort on 36 carries in a 59-38 season finale win over Carlyle.

The senior ended up with 12 touchdowns.

Casey-Westfield is represented by Thor Stepina, a 5-foot-10 170 pound running back.

Stepina had a hand in most of what the Warriors did in the spring.

Carrying the rock Stepina rushed 112 times for 984 yards for 10 rushing touchdowns.

He caught nine passes for 226 yards and seven touchdowns.

Stepina had a kickoff return for a touchdown, a punt return for a touchdown, an interception return for a touchdown and also threw a touchdown pass for 21 touchdowns total that he had a hand in.

The Warriors ended up 4-2 in the LIC for head coach Jay Bohner.

Toledo Cumberland is part of the Lincoln Prairie Conference and the Pirates went 6-0 this season, thanks in part to the play of 5-foot-11 junior linebacker Iysten Syfert.

Syfert played middle linebacker for a team that allowed only 22 total points in six games, all victories as he made 57 tackles, with a pair of sacks, two interceptions and he scored a pair of defensive touchdowns and a safety.

Looking at the 2A first-team list four players from three teams in the ASV area made the first team.

Unbeaten (6-0) Johnston City was led by “do-everything” quarterback Austin Brown.

The 6-foot-1 junior is a Division I football prospect for head coach Todd Thomas and he will key a potential playoff run in 2021.

Brown ran for 506 yard on 54 carries for seven touchdowns during the undefeated spring.

He completed 39-of-75 passes for an additional 619 yards.

Brown was also an honorable mention all-state selection in basketball.

Nokomis/Ramsey also finished unbeaten in the spring due in part to the play of 5-foot-9 junior running back Landon Engleman.

Engleman ran for 118.7 yards a game for the Redskins and ended up with 711 yards on 82 carries for an 8.7 yards per carry average.

Engleman helped led Coach Paul Watson's club to a 6-0 spring.

Nashville ended up 5-1 on the season with outstanding play from two first-team all-state picks; 5-foot-9 senior quarterback Cole Malawy and 6-foot-3 junior wide receiver Isaac Turner for head coach Stephen Kozuszek.

In fact the two offensive players fed off of each other and the numbers attest to their successful spring.

Malawy completed 110 of 156 attempts for 1,846 yards and 23 touchdowns, a completion percentage of 71.0.

The senior signal caller led the Hornets to a powerhouse total of 440 yards of offense per game and 45 points per contest.

Turner was a recipient 32 of those passes, totaling 657 yards and nine touchdowns.

The honorable mention list in 2A featured four additional players from down south.

Senior Garrett Gunter of Sesser-Valier/Waltonville made the list as the 6-foot senior linebacker helped lead the Red Devils in football and basketball, being named honorable mention all-state in both sports along with being first-team 1A ABV.

He led the team with 71 tackles in six games and was named Defensive Captain for the Black Diamond Conference.

Six-foot-one senior tight end Jake Carter of Gillespie led the Miners this season for head coach Jake Bilbruck.

Carter caught 14 passes for 367 yards and eight touchdowns for the 3-3 club. He also caught a two-point conversion for 50 total points scored.

Red Bud 6-foot-5 senior offensive and defensive lineman Bryce Amann helped lead the Musketeers to a 4-2 mark this season for mentor David Lucht.

He was credited with 27 solo tackles and five quarterback sacks in six games for the Musketeers.

Trenton-Wesclin was represented on the honorable mention list by 6-foot-4 senior tight end and defensive lineman Josh Serrano for head coach Ray Kauling.

The senior caught 10 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown in six games for the 2-4 Warriors.

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In 3A five players from the area made the first-team list.

Six-foot-four senior quarterback Landon Zurliene led the undefeated Fairfield Mules to a 7-0 mark (one forfeit) in the spring for head coach Justin Townsend.

The senior completed 59 percent of his passes (61-of-103) for 581 yards and nine touchdowns.

Zurliene also made the AP 2A all-state second team list in basketball along with being first-team 2A ABV this past hoops season.

Breese Mater Dei finished their spring season at 4-1 thanks to the play of first-team selection
senior Nolan Foppe.

The 6-foot senior played linebacker and running back for the Knights and head coach Jim Stiebel.

Foppe led the Knights with 37 tackles to go with five quarterback sacks.

Beau Stipp, a 6-foot senior wide receiver and defensive back, let the Mount Carmel Golden Aces to a 6-0 mark in their first season of playing in the Little Illini Conference.

Stipp caught just 10 passes but they went for 462 yards and six touchdowns for the unbeaten Aces.

Head coach Michael Brewer saw his do-it-all player excel in two sports as well, as Stipp was on a 15-2 hoop squad before the football campaign began and was first-team ABV 2A in basketball.

Speaking of the Little Illini Conference, two other players from this league made first-team 3A.

Newton head football coach Jason Fulton will be sad to see first-team defensive lineman 6-foot-3 senior RJ Lindemann depart.

Lindemann was credited with 40 total tackles, 10 for loss, along with eight quarterback sacks.

He blocked a punt and forced a pair of fumbles for the 5-1 Eagles' team this past spring.

Robinson 6-foot-4 senior linebacker and running back Garrett Florkowski led the Maroons to a 5-1 mark as well for head coach Casey Pinnell.

Florkowski made 27 solo tackles, 38 assists, 10 tackles for a loss, five quarterback sacks, seven pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery on defense.

On offense, Florkowski had 44 carries for 254 yards and five touchdowns.

He also had 12 receptions for 193 yards and two touchdowns.

“We finished the year 5-1 and a large part of our success was due to his efforts on the defensive side of the ball. Garrett is deserving of this honor. No doubt he is one of the best players in the state,” said Coach Pinnell.

Six other ASV area kids were alright in the eyes of the voting coaches.

The 3A honorable mention list featured two more players from Breese Mater Dei and Coach Stiebel and another player from unbeaten Mount Carmel.

Mitchell Haake, a 6-foot-5 senior wide receiver and defensive back was part of that successful Knights gridiron club.

The senior caught 11 passes for 272 yards and six touchdowns.

Haake was also first-team ABV 2A boy's basketball and AP honorable mention all-state.

Five-foot-eleven junior running back Jayce Napovanice was a key element to the BMD success while Zeke Hadra, a 5-foot-11 junior running back, was a catalyst of that Mount Carmel undefeated squad.

Hadra rushed 80 times for 787 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging nearly 10 yards per carry while catching six passes during the season for another 85 yards of offense for Mount Carmel.

Napovanice carried the ball 94 times for 590 yards and two TD's, and caught 11 passes for 161 and one touchdown.

Also on the HM list in 3A are a pair of standout linemen.

Piasa Southwestern head coach Pat Keith had a good one leave the program after graduation.

Six-foot-three senior offensive and defensive lineman Ashtin Sorgea was part of the Birds' 4-2 squad that was also part of a very good South Central Conference.

In six games the senior made 25 solo tackles with 17 assists for 42 total defensive stops.

Robinson also had an honorable mention player in 6-foot-4 senior offensive lineman Cory Woods for Coach Pinnell.

Robinson also had an honorable mention player in 6-foot-4 senior offensive lineman Cory Woods for Coach Pinnell.

Woods anchored the offensive line for the Maroons at right guard as Robinson rushed 360 yards per game as a team in six games.

Also on the HM list in 3A is Fairfield 5-foot-10 200 pound senior linebacker and tight end Cameron Gardner, who caught some of the Zurliene passes this spring.

Gardner ended up with a 5.8 average yards per catch but it was at linebacker where he stood out as he led the Mules with 30 solo tackles and 41 overall, nearly seven per game.

Five players from the area were name first-team 4A.

Benton 6-foot junior quarterback Keegan Glover led the Rangers to a 5-1 mark in the spring for head coach Justin Groves.

The entire stat line for Glover was impressive.

The quarterback connected on 84 of 124 passes for 1,623 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Glover averaged a robust 19.3 yards per completion and 270.5 yards per game.

Trevor Stewart, a 6-foot senior offensive and defensive lineman, helped lead the Carterville Lions to a 5-1 overall mark in the spring for Coach Brett Diel.

On the defensive side of the ball Stewart had 32 tackles with four for losses and was a first-team all-conference as a junior and senior.

The Cahokia Conference produced a pair of first-team 4A players.

Breese Central 5-foot-9 senior wide receiver Shane Becker and Columbia 5-foot-9 senior wide receiver and defensive back Londyn Little helped led those respective clubs for coaches Brian Short and Scott Horner.

Becker caught 43 passes for 630 yards and 10 touchdowns for the 5-1 Cougars.

Little came up “big” for the Eagles as he snagged 29 receptions for 485 yard (16.7 yards per catch) and five touchdowns for the 5-1 club.

The fifth player on the first team from the south is Murphysboro senior running back and defensive back Gavin Kuba as the Red Devils ended up 3-3 for head coach Gary Carter.

Rounding out the ASV players for 4A are six honorable mention players.

Benton 5-foot-11 senior wide receiver and defensive back Ayden Newcomb, Carterville 6-foot-5 senior quarterback Eli Downen, Freeburg junior defensive lineman and tight end Jacob Carmack, Paris 6-foot-4 junior offensive lineman Logan Bartley, Roxana 6-foot-1 senior wide receiver and punter Parris White and Salem senior running back and linebacker Keyton Mitchell.

Newcomb caught 25 passes for 643 yards and six touchdowns for the Rangers while also grabbing three interceptions in on the defensive side of the ball.

Carmack did his damage defensively for the Midgets with 31 total tackles, 20 solo.

Mitchell led Salem as a workhorse running back, carrying the ball an even 100 times for 546 yards and six touchdowns.

Downen led the Lions with 28-of-60 passing for 50 yards and eight touchdowns while also being productive running the ball as the senior quarterback ran the ball 90 times for 618 yards and eight more touchdowns for Carterville.

White was a standout receiver for the Shells, catching 22 passes for 531 yards and three touchdowns.

Freeburg ended up 4-2 for coach Ronnie Stuart while Paris and head coach Jeremy Clodfelder finished the spring at 5-1.

Roxana finished up 2-4 with a tough SCC schedule for head coach Wade DeVries while Salem and head coach Kevin Greene finished 2-3 in the Cahokia.