Sterling High School
Head Coach: Jonathan Schlemmer
Assistant Coaches
Shad Bailey
Dave Campbell
Isaac Kinnicutt
Adam Gee
Donnie Dittmar
Tyler Gaumer
AJ Funk
Joe Ryan
Chris Lacy
Matt Payton
Geoff Devine
Jeff Neubauer
John Ybarra
Benito Rodriguez
School Nickname/Mascot: Golden Warriors
Conference: Western Big 6
Team Twitter Handle:
@_shsfootball
2024 Regular Season schedule (if known)
Week 1 - Metamora
Week 2 - Niles Notre Dame
Week 3 - East Moline (UT)
Week 4 - @ Galesburg
Week 5 - @ Turner HS (Beloit, WI)
Week 6 - Geneseo
Week 7 - @ Quincy
Week 8 - Rock Island
Week 9 - @ Moline
Returning Offensive Starters for 2024
Drew Nettleton/QB/5'11"/190/2025
Kelen Mikrut/C/6'/240/2025
Lincoln Davis/OG/5'10"/230/2025
AJ Coleman/OT/6'6"/275/2027
Kaedon Phillips/SL/5'10"/165/2025
Gage Tate/H/5'11"/170/2025
Returning Defensive Starters for 2024:
Gage Tate/NG/5'11"/170/2025
Kaedon Phillips/CB/5'10"/165/2025
Jimmy Wadsworth/SS/6'2"/170/2025
Braden Birdsley/LB/5'9"/210/2025
Will Ports/LB/6'2"/195/2025
Wyatt Cassens/LB/5'9"/155/2026
Newcomers to Watch
Marice De La Cruz/RB/5'8"/150/2026
Jeremiah Muhammad/DL/5'10'/170/2027
James Miller/DL/5'11"/195/2027
Kylan Reyes/WR/6'1"/170/2025
2024 Team 7on7 or Team Summer Camp?
Joint Practices w/ Rochelle,Oswego East,Dunlap
7 on 7 @ Sterling High School w/ numerous teams
Impact Player for Sterling
Sterling and head coach Jonathan Schlemmer always seems to have talent in house year in and year out, no real surprise from a town loaded with history and tradition. Sterling senior WR/DB Kaedon Phillips is a speedy, twitchy athlete who will draw increased recruiting looks and attention this summer and fall.
Looking or a sleeper name to watch this fall for Sterling? Sterling senior RB/NG Gage Tate is a hard nosed two way starter for the Golden Warriors who will be a key leader again on both sides of the football in 2024.
EDGY's Preseason Thoughts on the 2024 Sterling Golden Warriors
Sterling and head coach Jonathan Schlemmer posted a 5-6 record in 2023 and made the Class 5A state playoff field, beat Payton Prep then lost to St Francis in second round action. The Golden Warriors are one of the top overall programs state wide in Class 5A and Jonathan Schlemmer has posted an impressive 96-33 overall record in 12 seasons at Sterling. The Golden Warriors have also missed the IHSA state playoff field just once (2013) since the 2001 season.
The biggest question for Sterling heading into 2024?
Can the Golden Warriors reload at a few key positions (DL/DB) and make a deeper run in the post-season? The Warriors have been a top team in the Western Big 6 since joining the conference, but the conference race is never a cake walk. Quincy will again be the team to watch along with Moline but the Golden Warriors will also be in the hunt all season long and once they get into the post-season they more often than not will matchiup pretty well in 5A at least early on.
Preseason Ranking? Class 5A Top 10 serious consideration.
Head Coach: Jonathan Schlemmer
Assistant Coaches
Shad Bailey
Dave Campbell
Isaac Kinnicutt
Adam Gee
Donnie Dittmar
Tyler Gaumer
AJ Funk
Joe Ryan
Chris Lacy
Matt Payton
Geoff Devine
Jeff Neubauer
John Ybarra
Benito Rodriguez
School Nickname/Mascot: Golden Warriors
Conference: Western Big 6
Team Twitter Handle:
@_shsfootball
2024 Regular Season schedule (if known)
Week 1 - Metamora
Week 2 - Niles Notre Dame
Week 3 - East Moline (UT)
Week 4 - @ Galesburg
Week 5 - @ Turner HS (Beloit, WI)
Week 6 - Geneseo
Week 7 - @ Quincy
Week 8 - Rock Island
Week 9 - @ Moline
Returning Offensive Starters for 2024
Drew Nettleton/QB/5'11"/190/2025
Kelen Mikrut/C/6'/240/2025
Lincoln Davis/OG/5'10"/230/2025
AJ Coleman/OT/6'6"/275/2027
Kaedon Phillips/SL/5'10"/165/2025
Gage Tate/H/5'11"/170/2025
Returning Defensive Starters for 2024:
Gage Tate/NG/5'11"/170/2025
Kaedon Phillips/CB/5'10"/165/2025
Jimmy Wadsworth/SS/6'2"/170/2025
Braden Birdsley/LB/5'9"/210/2025
Will Ports/LB/6'2"/195/2025
Wyatt Cassens/LB/5'9"/155/2026
Newcomers to Watch
Marice De La Cruz/RB/5'8"/150/2026
Jeremiah Muhammad/DL/5'10'/170/2027
James Miller/DL/5'11"/195/2027
Kylan Reyes/WR/6'1"/170/2025
2024 Team 7on7 or Team Summer Camp?
Joint Practices w/ Rochelle,Oswego East,Dunlap
7 on 7 @ Sterling High School w/ numerous teams
Impact Player for Sterling
Sterling and head coach Jonathan Schlemmer always seems to have talent in house year in and year out, no real surprise from a town loaded with history and tradition. Sterling senior WR/DB Kaedon Phillips is a speedy, twitchy athlete who will draw increased recruiting looks and attention this summer and fall.
Looking or a sleeper name to watch this fall for Sterling? Sterling senior RB/NG Gage Tate is a hard nosed two way starter for the Golden Warriors who will be a key leader again on both sides of the football in 2024.
EDGY's Preseason Thoughts on the 2024 Sterling Golden Warriors
Sterling and head coach Jonathan Schlemmer posted a 5-6 record in 2023 and made the Class 5A state playoff field, beat Payton Prep then lost to St Francis in second round action. The Golden Warriors are one of the top overall programs state wide in Class 5A and Jonathan Schlemmer has posted an impressive 96-33 overall record in 12 seasons at Sterling. The Golden Warriors have also missed the IHSA state playoff field just once (2013) since the 2001 season.
The biggest question for Sterling heading into 2024?
Can the Golden Warriors reload at a few key positions (DL/DB) and make a deeper run in the post-season? The Warriors have been a top team in the Western Big 6 since joining the conference, but the conference race is never a cake walk. Quincy will again be the team to watch along with Moline but the Golden Warriors will also be in the hunt all season long and once they get into the post-season they more often than not will matchiup pretty well in 5A at least early on.
Preseason Ranking? Class 5A Top 10 serious consideration.
