Like icing on the cake, three of the top prep stars in the last five years to come out of the Decatur Area are committed to play for the Prairie State Rebels when they open their season on August 24 against the Capitol City Outlaws in Springfield.

Dante Ridgeway, Quartus Stitt and Sean Dunning, one which played in the NFL and the other two which played against Shelbyville during their prep careers, will now be suiting up and playing their home games in Shelbyville for the two year-old Prairie State Rebels, semi-pro, 8-Man Football League franchise. If all goes well they will also suit up for the 8-man spring season of ‘09 and then contend for the 11-man summer league title.

Dante Ridgeway (5-11, 215), a Decatur MacArthur standout at receiver (1300 yards, 23 TD’s) and defensive back (24 career INT’s) has committed to the Rebels. Ridgeway caught 32 passes for 570 yards (17.81 yd/catch) his senior year, with eight interceptions and three punt returns for touchdowns. Ridgeway was All-State Honorable Mention, All-Big 12 and All-County.

He was a record-breaking receiver for Ball State before being drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 6th round in 2005, the 25th wide-out taken. While at Ball State Ridgeway was 1-of-3 Biletnikoff Award finalists in 2004-2005, catching 105 passes for 1399 yards. He broke the freshman record at Ball State with 89 catches and 1,075 yards.

He had the school career record of 238 catches and 3,030 yards.

Ridgeway was the first player ever to leave Ball State early for the NFL. Ridgeway spent time in the NFL with the Rams, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets. Ridgeway was on the same receiving corps as Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce while at the Rams. Ridgeway had two catches for 40 yards total in a drive against the Bears, taking the ball to the five-yard line to set up a score. The Rams won the game 17-13.

Quartus Stitt, an Argenta-Oreana running back, set the single-season record in the area for rushing.

Stitt ran for 2,304 yards as a junior then a record 2,849 yards as a senior, including three 300+ games. That would be sixth all-time in the IHSA. He ran for 356 yards against Central A & M and 345 yards against Clinton. He led the Bombers to the state playoffs and had 534 yards in two state playoff games. He was also qualified for state as a wrestler.

Sean Dunning, a Decatur St. Teresa phenom and All-Stater, broke Stitt’s rushing record and went on to set state records in rushing and TD’s. Dunning finished his prep career with 5,997 yards and 89 TD’s. He had 2870 yards his senior year with a state record 49 TD’s. His junior year he had 3,127 yards with 40 TD’s. He had twenty 200-yard games, averaging 260 yards per game in high school. His career high game was against Monticello when he ran for 416 yards. He also had a 362-yard game in the state playoffs.

Dunning has the 11th highest rushing game in IHSA history (418) and is also first in the IHSA for single season yardage (3,127) and first in season (11) and career 200-yard games (20). He is also first all-time in rushing average per game for a season (260.5). He is 4th all-time in career TD’s (89) and 3rd (49) and 16th (40) all-time in TD’s a for a season. He is 11th all-time in career total offense (6,097 yards). He is 12th all-time for average rushes per game for a season (27.25).

The foundation for the Rebels was laid last year, when local players pulled together a team and played without a home field. Some of those same players remain as the foundation, not only of the team, but as owners and organizers of a growing program that has added a second layer to the foundation and now the icing on the cake.

The Rebels, organized as a non-profit organization, is owned by players Jamison Jones, Josh Jones and Josh Matheny, all of Shelbyville. The executive board consists of Sean Hendrickson, Zach Brown, Ed Mudgett, and Rob Shuff, all of Shelbyville, plus Nick Kime, who played for Central A & M. The player/owners, player/coaches, players/recruiters and the board added a coach this year, Stan Mars. Mars has also been busy as the front man, publicizing the team, reaching out for sponsors, getting them fully accepted as a part of the Shelbyville sports community establishment.

This year the Rebels were given permission by the Shelbyville School Board to play their home games on the Shelbyville High School field and practice on the high school practice field. Coach Mars is also reaching out to colleges, the Arena Football League and even NFL franchises to look for avenues of advancement for some of the semi-pro players that have success.

Coach Mars was excited earlier this spring when recruitment started to get some huge linemen to join the club. They have four 300 pounders. Zach Brown (5-10, 300) played for Shelbyville High School. They also have Pana Panthers Brannon Smith (5-10, 300), Matt Adams (6-3, 316) and Eric McGlauchlen (6-5, 380). They also have R.J. Johnson (Mattoon) 6-0, 290 and William Ryherd (Sullivan) 6-1, 260 as Coach Mars’ trench warriors. As practices and recruitment continued, more local and area players came out, taking the roster to over 40 players, with an age range from one recent high school graduate to one 40-something player.

The Rebels will practice on Sunday, August 17 at 1 p.m. at Shelbyville High School, then have their first game, Sunday, August 24 in Springfield.

Roster as of August 15

Andrew Cable (Shelbyville) QB, 5-10, 185

Andrew Force (Monticello) QB, 5-10, 185

Jordan Jones (Shelbyville) WR, 5-10, 160

Clint McLeod (Moweaqua) RB, 5-10, 210

Travis Rhodes (Pana) RB, 5-8, 253

Jarrod Sampson (Effingham) RB, 6-0, 195

David Sarver (Pana) RB/LB, 5-9, 190

Joe Wilder (Decatur) RB/LB, 5-8, 210

Mike Dilley (Shelbyville) TE 6-2, 260

John Albright (Litchfield) TE, 5-11, 205

Ed Mudgett (Shelbyville) QB/WR, 5-11, 196

Chris Woods (Shelbyville) TE 6-02, 00

Josh Goodrich (Decatur) TE, 6-0, 200

Shawntez Wilder (Decatur) WR/CB, 5-9, 170

Travis Beard (Pana) WR, 6-2, 190

Ahmad Jackson (Shelbyville) WR, 6-2, 220

Kinney Jackson (Decatur) WR/CB, 6-1, 190

Josh Jones (Springfield) WR, 6-0, 192

Kyle Gibson (Shelbyville) WR/CB, 5-8, 170

Matt Pittman (Shelbyville) WR/CB, 5-9, 180

Anthony Pope (Macon) WR/CB, 6-0, 190

Corey Pope (Tower Hill) WR/CB, 5-10, 220

Rob Shuff (Shelbyville) WR, 6-5, 165

James “J.D.” Cloe (Shelbyville) WR/CB, 5-11, 172

Steve Puckett (Tower Hill) CB/S, 5-8,196

Jamison Jones (Shelbyville) S, 5-7, 179

Josh Miller (Taylorville) LB, 5-11, 250

Sean Hendrickson (Shelbyville) LB, 6-2, 215

Chad Kirksey (Sullivan) LB, 5-8, 187

Landon Rauch (Cowden) LB/S, 5-8, 180

Tyler Agney (Shelbyville) LB, 5-10, 209

Zach Brown (Shelbyville) DL/OL, 5-10, 300

Josh Golden (Windsor) DL/OL, 6-0, 205

Josh Matheny (Shelbyville) DL/OL, 6-1, 231

Ertic McGlauchlen (Pana) DL/OL, 6-5, 380

Chris Robinson (Shelbyville) DL/OL, 5-5, 173

William Ryherd (Sullivan) DL/OL, 6-1, 260

Robert Johnson (Mattoon) DL/OL, 6-0, 288

Brannon Smith (Pana) DL/OL 6-3, 290

Matt Adams (Pana) DL/OL, 6-3, 316

Nick Harlow (Pana) DL, 6-2, 249