Bryce Payne leads All-FRC gridiron quintet

By Will Johnson, Sports Editor
Posted 11/16/22

Ending their season with a 36-7 loss to Sullivan’s Eagles in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3, District 4 semifinals on Friday, Nov. 4, Nathan …

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Bryce Payne leads All-FRC gridiron quintet

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Ending their season with a 36-7 loss to Sullivan’s Eagles in the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Class 3, District 4 semifinals on Friday, Nov. 4, Nathan Cabot’s Owensville Dutchmen football team saw five of its players earn recognition from the coaches inside the Four Rivers Conference (FRC).

Dutchmen senior Bryce Payne led the quintet earning All-FRC Second-Team honors as both a wide receiver and a defensive back.

As a receiver, Payne was second on the team in receiving yards with 296 behind Garrett Crosby’s 330 receiving yards.

Payne’s best game at wide receiver came in the first round of the MSHSAA Class 3, District 4 tournament against the Westminster Christian Academy Wildcats with a season-high 74 yards receiving on five catches.

Recording only one touchdown through the air, Payne scored it as one of two catches for 39 yards in Owensville’s 36-16 homecoming loss to Hermann.

Union’s duo of Ryan Rapert and Colton Morrow were also named All-FRC Second Team wide receivers.

On the defensive side of the ball, Payne finished his senior season with 40 total tackles (28 solo).

This included a season-high 14 total tackles (nine solo) in the regular-season finale on the road at St. Clair in which the Dutchmen fell 21-6.

Payne’s lone interception during his senior season that was also returned for a touchdown came in week one as part of a 50-0 shutout of their Highway 19 rivals to the south in Cuba’s Wildcats.

Also finishing his senior season with 166 yards rushing, Payne racked up a season-high 77 yards on two carries against Eldon during a 27-26 loss to the Mustangs.

All-FRC Second Team defensive backs in addition to Payne included the Sullivan Eagle duo of Johnny Martin and Kayden Bryan along with St. James’ Ryan Spurgeon.

Earning All-State honors as a junior last year, Dutchmen senior lineman Chance Clevenger was named to the All-FRC Second Team among offensive lineman.

Clevenger helped the Owensville offensive line amass over 2,300 yards of total offense broken down by 861 yards passing and 1,504 yards rushing.

Rounding out Owensville’s representation on the All-FRC football team were a trio of honorable mention selections.

Junior Hayden Shoemaker earned an All-FRC Honorable Mention nod on the defensive line along with Sullivan’s Jeremiah Rodriguez and Union’s Alex Mendenhall.

Shoemaker finished his junior season with 79 total tackles (54 solo) good for second place behind Hunter Boyer’s 100 total tackles (52 solo) on the Dutchmen defense.

Nine seemed to be Shoemaker’s favorite number in the total tackle department.

Recording nine tackles in three games, Shoemaker first did it on the road at Warrenton as a key part of Owensville’s 12-6 overtime victory on the road over the Warriors.

He also had nine tackles during OHS’ 22-12 road victory at Pacific in late September and in their 26-0 regular-season loss at Sullivan in mid-October.

In addition to his 79 total tackles, Shoemaker was second on the team in sacks with five behind Trey Johnson’s team-leading seven.

Shoemaker had one sack each in five games against Cuba, Warrenton, St. James, Pacific and Westminster.

Ending his junior season with a team-high 14 tackles-for-loss, Shoemaker posted a season-high five of them in OHS’ season-opening shutout of Cuba.

Sophomore linebacker Jaden Gerlemann was also named an All-FRC Honorable Mention selection for the Dutchmen on defense.

Racking up 46 tackles over the first four games of the season, Gerlemann was on pace to join Boyer in triple digits before an ankle injury against Hermann sidelined him until the first round of districts against Westminster.

For the season, Gerlemann finished with 62 total tackles (45 solo) good for fourth on the team.

Gerlemann’s season high came in week two against Eldon with 16 total tackles (10 solo).

He also recorded double-digit tackles against St. James (14), Warrenton (10) and Westminster (10).

His lone sack of the season came against St. James one week after scoring his first varsity touchdown at Warrenton.

St. James’ Carter Wilfong and Hermann’s Brady Grosse were also All-FRC Honorable Mention linebackers.

Rounding out Owensville’s quintet of All-FRC football selections was Tanner Mayer as an Honorable Mention defensive back.

Finishing his junior season with 55 total tackles (34 solo), Meyer recorded a season high 10 stops against Hermann.

Leading the Dutchmen secondary with four interceptions, Meyer recorded a hat trick with three picks as a part of Owensville’s 42-8 home victory over St. James back in mid-September.