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INDIAN RIVER – It’s official – Aidan Fenstermaker is heading to the next level for football.
The two-time first team all-state Inland Lakes football standout made it official by signing his National Letter of Intent to play for the Alma Scots football program during a ceremony last week.
As Fenstermaker wraps up his athletic career at Inland Lakes, he recently discussed his football career, his favorite moments, and those people who have been most impactful during a Q&A with the Tribune.
Q: When was the moment you knew that you wanted to be an Alma Scot?
Fenstermaker: After the campus tour. The first 30 minutes in, I knew. The culture, the community is exactly like Indian River, and I like everything about Indian River, and I think I’ll love Alma just as much.
Q: What will you bring to their program that will help their program?
Fenstermaker: My work ethic and my want to win, my drive to win will push me to try my best and help the team.
Q: You’ve had so many great moments during your Inland Lakes football career. What would you say is your favorite?
Fenstermaker: My favorite moment – win or loss – the comeback that the Martin Clippers had on us, I’d still have to say the state championship game. I remember specifically looking up to the lights in that giant dome on a turf field in front of easily 600-700 people with all eyes on our team. It was just the greatest feeling I’ve ever had as a football player.
Q: If you could have one play back in your career, what would it be?
Fenstermaker: Going back to the state championship game again, I was trying to waste clock, and I had a chance to score, but I got a first down and decided to take a knee and try to run the clock out some more, and we ended up getting a flag, so it was 4th-and-15 after that, so if I had to take a play back and do it again, I would have scored that touchdown 100 times.
Q: Who’s the toughest opponent you’ve competed against on the field?
Fenstermaker: I’d have to say Pickford. Up there, it’s smash-mouth football, and we’re a smash-mouth football team down here, and not a lot of teams like playing us due to it, but Pickford wanted everything about us. We’re 1-1 against them, we’re both 0-1 in the state championship, we’re really, really similar teams, and I definitely think they were our hardest opponent. Those were probably the funnest games I’ve played.
Q: Any player who was the toughest to go against?
Fenstermaker: Not a particular player, but Pickford’s offensive scheme is lot about everybody doing their jobs. There’s not really a standout player on their team that specifically challenged our team individually, it was their team versus our team.
Q: Toughest teammate?
Fenstermaker: The toughest teammate I’ve played with, I’m going to have to say Mitchell Crawford. That kid doesn’t get hurt and he doesn’t quit.
Q: Who have been the biggest influences during your football journey and why have they been so impactful during your career?
Fenstermaker: I would have to say my dad. He’s been close to me, he’s pushed me to be the best I could be, and then I’d have to say my mom, because there’s been times where I’ve gotten so mad at my dad that I didn’t even want to play football anymore – because it was just because he was trying to push me – but my mom was always there to talk about making the decision of either not playing football or getting mad at the wrong person, and she was always there to calm me down, and she was always there to remind me that (my dad) was just trying to push me to my fullest.
Q: You’ve watched a lot of football players at the college and pro level. What player do you enjoy watching the most and why?
Fenstermaker: I’d have to say Barry Sanders. I know I’m going to college for defense, but Barry Sanders was my idol. Everything he did was just everything I wanted to be, so I looked up to him my entire life.
Q: What will you miss the most about playing at Inland Lakes?
Fenstermaker: The community. They just love football. Football is Inland Lakes. The community was just amazing; they were at every game. I can’t name one game where only half the stands were full. Even on rainy games, cold games, they were there, because they loved watching us play, and we loved performing in front of them.
Q: How do you want to be remembered at Inland Lakes?
Fenstermaker: My biggest dream as a kid going into high school, I wanted for there to be a younger kid to ask a coach who’s the best athlete to come through Inland Lakes, and I want (that person) to say me. That’s my dream.
Q: What will be the keys to having success at the next level?
Fenstermaker: Work ethic. College is a different animal. I’ve played 8-man my entire career. Obviously college is 11-man, so I’ve got that obstacle to work over, on top of blending in with the culture, blending in with the team. It’s like starting high school all over again except with a way bigger school.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
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