Trio of area’s best Illinois football players receive all-state honors from coaches association

QUINCY — Three area football players have been named to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association all-state teams, while seven others picked up honorable mention all-state plaudits.

Central senior running back/linebacker Isaac Genenbacher, Brown County senior fullback/linebacker Colby Wort and Macomb junior wide receiver JT Jeter were first-team all-state selections.

Genenbacher has been a catalyst during the Panthers’ undefeated run to the Class 1A state semifinals, where they will face Colfax Ridgeview on Saturday. He has rushed for 879 yards and 14 touchdowns, while averaging 8.5 yards per carry. He’s also caught 16 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns.

Defensively, Genenbacher has racked up 73 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two interceptions and one fumble recovered.

Wort helped the Hornets reach the Class 1A playoffs as he piled up 111 tackles, including 52 solo. He rushed for 588 yards and averaged 37.2 yards per punt.

Jeter caught 54 passes for 963 yards — 17.8 yards per catch — with 15 touchdowns. He broke the program’s single-season receiving yardage record, which had stood since 1976, and established new career yardage and touchdown records. In the process, the Bombers set a single-season record for victories, finishing 10-1.

A pair of Central stalwarts received honorable mention in Class 1A. Sophomore linebacker Elijah Genenbacher has 130 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Senior lineman Owen Roth has 55 tackles and eight tackles for loss, while anchoring an offensive line that has paved the way for 3,848 yards rushing and 56 rushing touchdowns.

In Class 2A, Unity-Payson senior running back/linebacker Bryan Dieker was an honorable mention selection. He rushed 1,021 yards and 14 touchdowns, while catching 26 passes for 445 yards and six scores. Defensively, Dieker racked up 87 solo tackles, 112 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks, five forced fumbles, two interceptions and one defensive touchdown.

In Class 4A, Quincy Notre Dame senior linebackers Jackson Stratton and Dalton Miller both were honorable mention picks. Stratton made 51 solo stops, piled up 81 total tackles and had seven tackles for loss. Miller finished with 76 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three interceptions — two were returned for touchdowns.

Macomb quarterback Jack Duncan also picked up honorable mention plaudits. He completed 129 of 186 passes for 2,191 yards with 29 touchdowns and five interceptions, while establishing new records for single-season and career yardage and touchdowns.

In Class 6A, Quincy High School sophomore quarterback Bradyn Little’s record-setting season landed him honorable mention. Little completed 174 of 279 passes for 2,773 yards with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He set single-game, single-season and career records for passing yardage and touchdowns.

Four Central players — Isaac Genenbacher, Elijah Genenbacher, Cole Pracht and Reese Wilkey — earned IHSFCA academic all-state honors, as did Macomb center/linebacker Ethan Ladd.