INDIAN RIVER — Landon Fenstermaker just has a knack for making big plays. Not just big plays — game-altering plays. IL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: Inland Lakes football faces a new 2026 challenge in Bridge Alliance IL WANTS TO MAKE THEM BELIEVE: Inland Lakes football wants to 'make them believe,' have big 2026 THINGS TO WATCH INLAND LAKES: Three things to watch with 2026 Inland Lakes High School football Two years ago, he did it as a sophomore by recording a big hit, forcing an Alcona turnover, and giving momentum to the Bulldogs, who won a regional title that night. A week prior, he recovered a pivotal onside kick, which again handed momentum to Inland Lakes in a first-round football playoff victory over Blanchard-Montabella at home. He’s been impactful in every way, shape and form, something he hopes to do one more time this fall for an Inland Lakes team that has lofty goals again heading into 2026. “It’s been great, and the energy has been up,” Fenstermaker said following the team's third day of practice on Wednesday, Aug. 12. “These seniors, we’re trying to get energy. We want the physicality and energy up all the time.”
You can say it’s all gone by in a flash for Fenstermaker, who remembers being a young player in the program when the Bulldogs played Martin for the state championship at Marquette’s Superior Dome in 2023. From those early years in the program to now, it’s been an elite rise for Fenstermaker, a highly athletic star. Last fall was the best season yet for Fenstermaker, who earned all-conference honors by finishing with a team-best 76 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions at linebacker. Offensively, he was also productive, rushing for nearly 600 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also adding three TD receptions and 135 yards. While Fenstermaker didn’t win the starting quarterback job a year ago, he didn’t let it affect his play. Instead, he did his job at the positions he occupied, thrived, and helped make the Bulldogs a force. It’s certainly not official that Fenstermaker will be the starting QB this fall, but he admitted he’s excited for the chance if it happens. “I kind of dictate how the game goes a little bit that as long as the guys around me can do their jobs, I’m confident I’ll get us to where we need to go,” Fenstermaker said. CHEBOYGAN FOOTBALL CANCELS SEASON: Cheboygan High School varsity football program cancels 2026 season BEST SPORTS PROGRAMS SINCE 2020: Which Cheboygan-area sports programs have been the best since 2020? ONAWAY SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: Onaway football eyes success as member of Bridge Alliance Conference If you want a glimpse of Fenstermaker’s elite impact on both sides of the ball, Inland Lakes coach Travis Meyer confirmed it by praising the I-L star and the traits he's brought to the squad. “He’s an explosive athlete,” Meyer said. “He’s natural in traffic, and that’s on both sides of the ball as an outside linebacker-type, and he navigates well, and as a ball carrier, too."
Fenstermaker isn’t just a leader with his fast, physical play either. Mentality-wise, he’s also up to speed, learning from former Inland Lakes greats and applying it to his way of thinking. “I took a lot of good stuff from those seniors from last year, but I also kind of realized what I can do better as a leader,” Fenstermaker said. “Mentally, you’ve got to stay up. Us and Gaylord St. Mary’s last year, in that first half we were down 6-0, our energy was down, and we came out in that second half, we recovered an onside kick, and our energy was up the whole game, and we rallied.” With his last high school year here, Fenstermaker wants to make it a season for the ages. “You’ve got to play smart, but you’ve got to play fast,” Fenstermaker said. "I'm ready to go." Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: 'Big play' specialist Landon Fenstermaker leads Inland Lakes football