The Montgomery County football team had a pair of reasons to be excited when the Missouri Football Coaches Association all-state team was recently released.
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The Montgomery County football team had a pair of reasons to be excited when the Missouri Football Coaches Association all-state team was recently released.
Senior Colby Ellis and junior Lafe McCurdy were named the Wildcats’ representatives of the Class 2 all-state team. Both earned third-team honors on defense and were voted on the all-state team for the first time. Ellis was a linebacker and McCurdy was a defensive back.
It’s also the fifth time in the last six years the Wildcats had at least one player named on the all-state team. Ellis and McCurdy joined a group that included Mason Leu (2022 and 2023), Thomas Klekamp (2021) and Kyle Yelton (2020).
Ellis and McCurdy were awarded for their efforts in helping the Wildcats enjoy a huge turnaround season from 2024. MCHS finished 9-3 and captured its first district championship since 2005 before being eliminated by eventual state runner-up St. Pius X in the state quarterfinals.
After losing to North Callaway in Week 3, the Wildcats went on a roll, winning eight games in a row. It was their longest winning streak since 2013.
“We knew North Callaway was going to be the top team in the conference besides us, but we started playing a lot together as a team,” Ellis said on Oct. 10.
Ellis and McCurdy helped the Wildcats allow an average of 17 points per game, compared by 36 points per game last year.
MCHS gave up 94 points in its first three games before making a huge improvement on defense. The Wildcats allowed single-digit points five times, including a 38-0 win over Mark Twain in Week 6, their first shutout since 2020.
“We got tired of letting up so many run yards,” McCurdy said on Sept. 26. “We worked more on tackling. They were breaking a lot of tackles in the first couple of games and we got tired of letting that happen. We just started stiffening it up and practicing a little harder.”
McCurdy enjoyed an injury-free season this fall. He missed most of the 2024 season after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in a Week 2 game against Monroe City.
Ellis wrapped up his fourth and final season with the Wildcats. A year ago, he earned all-Eastern Missouri Conference and all-district honors after finishing with 81 tackles.
McCurdy and Ellis also were two of 10 MCHS players named to the all-Class 2, District 2 team, which was also voted by the Missouri Football Coaches Association. The other players were seniors Adrian Combs, Mac Farrar, Rylan Reddit, Chase Queathem, Ashton Johnson and Wyatt March and juniors Owen See and Tyler Rodgers.
McCurdy and Ellis also earned all-EMO honors this fall. McCurdy was named second-team fullback/tight end and second-team defensive back and Ellis was voted second-team defensive linebacker.
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