St. Francis transfer Iggy Amorrortu, Metea Valley’s new QB, is already leading

Metea Valley junior quarterback Iggy Amorrortu is no stranger to being the new kid in town.

But he is sailing in uncharted waters as a starting quarterback.

Amorrortu, whose family moved to the area in 2025, is a transfer from Wheaton St. Francis. For the Spartans, he was the backup quarterback behind Brock Phillip, who led the team to the Class 5A state title last year and attends Iowa Western.

“Brock Phillip was a great mentor,” Amorrortu said. “He taught me everything. He was also a backup at Geneva, and he taught me to become a good backup and how you should always be ready no matter what.”

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Amorrortu completed 15 of 31 passes for 311 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions in limited duty last year. He’s ready to lead the Mustangs (2-7), who return to the DuPage Valley Conference this season.

“I wasn’t ready to become a leader or a quarterback to lead a team because I still had that younger mentality that it’s about me,” Amorrortu said. “Coming here, everything just worked out.

“All these guys just bought in and said, ‘We trust you.’ That really brought me to become a better leader, and then everybody rallied around it. I’m team-first.”

As Metea Valley coach Patrick Sheehan enters his second season, he believes Amorrortu is the perfect leader for a program trying to get on the map. The Mustangs have had just one winning season and have an overall record of 33-108 in their 16-year history.

“The best qualities about Iggy are he came in a couple months ago and immediately embraced the culture that we set last year in my first year, and then added to it,” Sheehan said. “He started getting guys to go throw at Knoch Park, holding kids accountable to getting extra work but doing it in his own way, where he was creating friends and not just making it a punishment but understanding this is what is necessary to get better.

“That really sticks out right away, and he’s also a great kid. He means well, and I think that all of his teammates see that.”

Indeed, Amorrortu was elected one of the team’s six co-captains by his peers.

“That says what the guys really think about him, which is really cool for a transfer coming in,” Sheehan said.

Charlie Larson was Metea Valley’s starting quarterback as a junior last season but has moved to receiver to make room for Amorrortu.

“I’m very happy to see him here,” Larson aid. “We love having him here. He’s a great leader, so we’ve been working hard. He’s been pushing everyone at practice and in the weight room, so it’s been better for the whole program.

“It’s going to open up some more options for more people.”

Amorrortu’s skills give him plenty of options on the field.

“His strengths are that he can really do it all,” Sheehan said. “He’s got a strong arm, and he’s a big kid and can move well and sees the field well.

“We feel we can give him anything and he can see it well. He’s a good football player and not just a good athlete. He takes the play design and really masters it.”

Amorrortu, whose brother Sebastian kicked at Minnesota State Moorhead, aspires to play in college too. He said he’s already getting positive feedback from recruiters.

“They said that I’m able to make some throws that some quarterbacks are not able to make,” Amorrortu said. “They like my bigger frame. I’m 220, but I’m able to run a 4.6 (seconds in the 40-yard dash), so I’m able to run a little bit as well.

“Height-wise, they do want me a little taller. My growth plate is a little bit open, so I should get like a half an inch more.”

Metea Valley junior running back Noah Douglas, who transferred from Waubonsie Valley a year ago, likes what he has seen from Amorrortu.

“He holds people accountable,” Douglas said. “He holds the team accountable, and I feel like that right there is already a step ahead of other teams because most teams don’t have people who hold each other accountable.

“He really pushes everybody to work hard, and he pushes everybody to reach their best potential.”

Having won over the hearts and minds of teammates, Amorrortu is ready to start leading them to victory.

“I see a bunch of hard workers,” he said. “Everybody has bought in.

“There’s no, ‘Oh, we’re going to lose,’ or ‘Metea is historically losing.’ Nobody is saying bad things on our team.”