There might not be a position in Illinois prep football with a brighter spotlight or more scrutiny than Mount Carmel quarterback.
Since Jordan Lynch — himself a former star quarterback for the Caravan and Heisman Trophy finalist at Northern Illinois — took over at his alma mater in 2018, the Caravan have won five state titles.
Four different quarterbacks have led Mount Carmel to those championships: Justin Lynch (Jordans brother) in 2019, Blainey Dowling in 2022, Jack Elliott in 2023 and ’24 and Emmett Dowling (Blainey’s brother) last season.
Next up is senior Ryder Startz, who backed up Emmett Dowling last season. The 6-0,190-pounder is ready to embrace the challenge as the Caravan chases an unprecedented fifth consecutive state title.
Is he feeling any pressure?
“Honestly, the pressure thing — it hasn’t really been hitting me a lot,” Startz said. “I’m just going out there, playing ball.
“I haven’t played ball in two years, so I’m just excited to get out there and play.”
He knows there’s more to it than X’s and O’s.
“It means to be a leader, living by the standards, holding your teammates accountable and doing the right things,” Startz said.
He saw some of that up close with his brother Parker, a 2024 grad who was a three-year starting linebacker and two-time state champ.
“He was a big-time role model in my life,” Ryder said. “Honestly, he’s always pushing me — even out of school and at home — to be my best, pushing me to do the right things.
“And when he left, it was like, all right, I really gotta take this serious now.”
Though being a varsity starter is new for Startz, being a quarterback isn’t. After playing running back his first season of youth football in grade school, he’s been a QB ever since. He brings dual-threat capability to the role, much as Elliott did.
Now, Startz is surrounded by some of the best talent in the state. The top two wide receivers are senior Quentin Burrell, who already owns the program record with 34 career touchdown catches, and junior Marshaun Thornton. Burrell is a consensus top-100 senior and is committed to Michigan, while Thornton has more than 25 major-college offers.
Senior Nathan Samuels, a Lindenwood commit, returns as the Caravan’s top running back.
“They’re dogs,” Startz said. “They’re playmakers.”
Up front, senior tackle Chase Clark, a Purdue commit, is back to anchor the offensive line.
Over the summer, Startz won a quarterback competition that included senior Brady Cloherty, a Plainfield East transfer who started his prep career at Maine South.
“He’s done a real good job last year as our scout team player of the year,” Lynch said of Startz. “So he definitely deserves and has earned this right to (be the starter). He’s worked his tail off right now to be the starter going into week one.”