Loaded Ramblers take aim at historic third straight 8A state crown

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The Loyola Academy Ramblers will begin their 2024 football season against East St. Louis on Saturday, Aug. 31, in Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University, which is the same site they want to end it on Saturday, Nov. 30, in the IHSA Class 8A state championship game.

Second-year coach Beau Desherow’s Ramblers will take the field flaunting a 24-game winning streak climaxed by a victory over Lincoln-Way East in the 2023 state title game in Hancock Stadium, picking up where they left off in 2022 in Champaign under their former coach, John Holecek.

Now, Holecek, who was the head coach for 17 years, has returned as a volunteer assistant coach to try to help his friend Desherow’s team three-peat.

East St. Louis also is committed to joining the Ramblers in Normal on the last Saturday in November but the Flyers want to redo the script after losing to Cary-Grove in the Class 6A championship contest.

The perennially powerful 2022 6A champions had a dress rehearsal for the Loyola game when they scrimmaged against Sacred Heart Griffin on Friday, Aug. 23.

Loyola traditionally plays a demanding schedule and the first game appears to be a challenging assignment.

Defense reloads

The multi-dimensional offense that averaged 34.6 points-per-game last year again will be formidable with many key players returning, but the defense is being reconstructed after the graduation loss of the top nine tacklers.

Desherow doesn’t sound worried.

“I feel really good about our defensive line,” he said. “Kai Kalcutt, a 250-pound junior, is going to have a big year after rotating some of the time last year. He’s long and athletic and he won the state wrestling championship at 215 pounds.

“Thomas Ghislandi is a 6-4, 234-pound defensive end who will be going to West Point (to play for the U.S. Military Academy) next fall. I’m looking forward to watching (senior middle linebacker) Max Mendoza; he’s 6-3 and 235 and he has all the tools — he runs extremely well and he’s physical.”

Also on the VIP list are 235-pound linebacker Charles Daly, another senior recruited to play for the U.S. Military Academy, and senior defensive end and tackle Connor Sullivan, who was the Ramblers’ 10th best tackler last season.

“Along with our returning starters we have a lot of guys who have stepped up,” Daly said. “I look at (junior) Gavin King and see him starting on the D-line. We’re looking to keep winning; I know our guys will keep working to do it.”

In the secondary, the Ramblers are strong. After missing all of his junior season with an injury Micky Maher will join senior incumbent Donovan Robinson, one of the Desherow’s most dynamic players. Last year Robinson returned 21 punts for 254 yards and 5 kickoffs for 104 yards and intercepted two passes to account for 27 yards. One of his punt returns and one of his interceptions produced touchdowns.

Maher was sidelined with a lisfranc (foot) injury he sustained in the third week of last season’s summer camp.

“We were practicing on a field that was not good and during a kickoff drill I stepped weird on the ground,” he remembered. “I thought it was like a rolled ankle. I went to the doctor and found out it was a lisfranc injury — a fracture in between the big toe and the toe next to it with the ligaments torn. I was on crutches for four months and in a walking boot for two more. I did rehab all during the offseason and in the spring I was cleared to go.

“Every single one of my teammates and coaches helped me so much. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am. Donovan is helping me a lot (in the secondary). I feel like I’m going to be good defending on short (passing) routes and stopping the run game. I played safety frosh and soph years and felt I was a pretty big hitter.”

According to Desherow, the 160-pounder “had a lot to learn this summer but he keeps getting better every day.”

Stars are back to lead offense

Quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald and running back Drew MacPherson return for their senior seasons after starring in the state championship game and spearheading the attack throughout the 2023 season.

Fitzgerald completed 136 of 214 passes for 2,056 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran 107 times for 712 yards and 14 touchdowns. He threw only one interception and lost the ball just once on a fumble.

MacPherson carried the football 155 times for 855 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 515 yards and two touchdowns.

“He might be one of the best pure athletes I’ve ever seen,” Holecek raved.

Desherow sees MacPherson in the same dazzling light: “Anytime Drew steps onto the field there’s nothing he can’t do.”

When Desherow gives MacPherson a rest, he has another stellar senior running back, Luke Foster, to ready to step in. In 2022, Foster was promoted from the sophomore team in the third last game of the regular season after MacPherson broke his ankle. He was instrumental in the Ramblers’ drive to the state championship, but during 2023 summer workouts Foster sustained a knee injury and was sidelined for all of last season.

Foster worked hard to rehabilitate and believes he is going into the season 100% physically.

In addition to MacPherson, Fitzgerald has two other tried and proven receivers to throw to: Will Carlson and 6-7 Brendan Loftus.

After excelling as the Ramblers’ extra point and field goal kicker and punter for three seasons Mike Baker has graduated and junior Zak Zeman will try to fill the void.

Friday night lights

The biggest change Loyola fans will see this season will be the night games at Hoerster Field. The Ramblers will play at home under the lights for the first time in school history on Friday, Sept. 13, when they meet St. Francis.

Other night games at home are scheduled for Sept. 20 against Brother Rice and Oct. 18 against Carmel Catholic. The first two night games will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the third will start at 7:30 p.m.

There is one home game in the traditional Saturday afternoon slot: Oct. 12 versus Providence Catholic with a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.

Full Schedule

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