SUMMER FOOTBALL QUESTIONS: The Northeast Eight

The 2023 football season is about two months away, meaning it’s time for Outside the Huddle to begin ramping up its coverage.

Blitz? Yeah, he will be around. But before he gives his unique (often wrong) takes, we thought we would present some questions that need answered in each area league between now and opening night on Aug. 18.

Next up, the Northeast Eight.

Who ends up at QB1 for the defending league champs?

Some thought Columbia City was dead to rights last season with the departure of multi-year starting quarterback Greg Bolt. Yet all Colten Pieper did was throw for 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Eagles.

With Pieper on to the University of Saint Francis, Columbia City is once again seeking a starter behind center.

There are numerous contenders for Coach Brett Fox at this point. But while last summer the program had the benefit of Pieper, a player entering his senior season with previous playing time at QB, this summer Columbia City has a pair of juniors battling for the spot – Zack Berry and Grayson Bradberry.

Many will point to the fact that a running game that amassed 3,500 yards and 40 touchdowns was the strength of the Eagles a year ago, but Pieper was effective enough to force defenses to be honest.

Columbia City needs that type of player at QB. It will look to zero in on that guy this summer.

Is Leo’s offense making the Year 2 jump?

Opening up the offense was a top priority in Coach Jason Doerffler’s first season at the helm of the Lions last year. And while it made certain elements of the fan base happy, Leo struggled against the top defenses in the NE8 – being shut out by Norwell and losing twice to Columbia City.

But plenty of production is coming back – headlined by junior tight end Brock Schott, who is destined for the Power 5 with his recruitment starting to blow up.

Max Loeffler’s 1,491 rushing yards and 15 scores have graduated, but senior Brett Fuller will step into that spot admirably, with classmate Aidan Monds a bruising two-way player that loves to dish out punishment.

But can this team truly break out in the pass game? Senior Kylar Decker is back but must cut down on his interceptions (12) and improve his completion percentage (57 percent) for Leo to reach the next level vertically.

Decker has no shortage of weaponry. In addition to Schott, Leo has senior Kamden Zeisloft (32 receptions, 385 yards, four TDs) back, as well as junior Jaxon Keller (16-193-1).

The Lions will want to utilize every day of the summer to try and find the rhythm necessary for them to hit the ground running in the NE8 and emerge as a true offensive power.

Can New Haven stay healthy?

There is a lot of summer hype around New Haven. And why not? You have one of the best 1-2 punches at wideout in Ohio State verbal commit Mylan Graham and Concordia transfer Ajani Washington, coupled with returning starting quarterback Donovan Williams and leading rusher Tre Bates.

But the Bulldogs lost four games to NE8 opponents a season ago, including a season-ending defeat to DeKalb to open sectional play. In those four losses, New Haven averaged 10 points per game.

No matter how talented your skill positions are, if you cannot block effectively, it doesn’t matter. Conversely, if you can’t stay healthy with a limited depth chart, it hurts all three facets of the game.

While there is legit excitement with Coach Kyle Booher’s squad this summer, it has to stay healthy entering August and beyond, particularly at the positions in which the team is still thin, predominantly the offensive and defensive lines.

Does East Noble look the part of a bounce-back contender?

Coach Luke Amstutz went young last year, and it showed. The Knights suffered their first losing season since the 2006 season, with a mid-season four-game losing streak representing the campaign as a whole with blowout losses to Norwell, Columbia City and New Haven in consecutive weeks.

But the expectation is that 2022 was a one-year thing for East Noble. Those youngsters thrust into the fire on Friday nights last year? There was no question they were talented, but it was the lack of experience that cost the Knights.

Now older and wiser, Amstutz’s squad returns its top three rushers, three of its top four receivers and a multitude of defenders that started a lot of underclassmen last year. Senior quarterback Zander Brazel is also back and ready to take the next step.

East Noble never shies away from a challenge, even in the summer. This week’s PSM 7v7 event will be telling as the Knights will take on the likes of Carroll, Homestead and Snider. At the very least, the event will give us an indication on whether the youth at the skill spots has grown up since last fall.