Friday kicks off another season of high school football in the state of Indiana.
Today, we look at nine juniors that people will soon be getting to know a lot more of. These are players that have been overlooked, dealt with injuries or were previously at the lower end of their team’s depth chart.
These players will get a chance to shine on Friday nights this fall.
QB/DB Zach Berry and Grayson Bradberry, Columbia City
I kind of cheated with this one as there is yet to be certainty publicly on who will get the starting nod to start the season. But either way both Berry and Bradberry will have an impact on this Eagles offense this fall.
Zach Berry has made good strides in the preseason, gaining chemistry with receivers such as Ian Stahl in the passing game. Bradberry, who’s famously been one of the more underrated pitchers on the baseball diamond, will be another to watch as he has shown potential to accurately makes all the throws.
This Friday at Churubusco will tell us a little more on the program’s plan under center.
TE/LB Levi Chaney, Garrett
The junior class at Garrett is a huge chunk of its returning experience that could pave way for better success on Fridays.
As a sophomore last year, Chaney caught 14 passes for 202 yards and two TD’s while recording 37 tackles
on defense. With an elevated role at linebacker and getting stronger physically, expect some big numbers out of the 6-foot-1 junior.
DB Angelo Ianucilli, Churubusco
‘Busco has famously been known for having tough and athletically quick kids. But one name that has kept flying under the radar is junior Angelo Ianucilli, who will be looked upon to have a huge season as one of the defense’s most experienced players.
Angelo recorded 69 tackles, three sacks, and 11 TFL’s in 2022 on a defense that had Cullen Blake and Kam Rinker, who have both graduated. We could also see some reps in the backfield from Angelo as the Eagles retool their Wing-T offense. Angelo averaged nine yards per carry getting 14 touches for 126 yards and two TDs last year.
I’m not guaranteeing how many reps he will get, but he will certainly get his fair share. It’ll be interesting to see how Busco’s young offense gels when they host Columbia City on Friday.
RB/LB Aaron Hirschy, Adams Central
The Jets return a good chunk from last year’s run to state in 1A, and some might see AC even slightly better at certain positions.
The loss of Gavin Cook now leads to greater opportunities for other backs to shine. Yes, Keegan Bluhm will receive a lot of attention as he ran for 1,645 yards with 18 TD’s on 248 carries. However, in addition to the return of senior Ryan Tester, the quick Aaron Hirschy will get opportunities on both sides of the ball to add depth and athleticism to an already stacked roster.
Hirschy was limited to just 30 touches for 266 yards and two TDs in 2022 due to injury.
OL/DL Nick Hofer, Fairfield
A standout in discus and shot put for Fairfield’s track and field team, Hofer is a very underrated player that will look to add some strength and physicality to an experienced front line that is the bread and butter of the Falcons’ wishbone offense and their “42” defensive scheme.
The 6-foot-7, 300 pound lineman instantly establishes a true blocker that’s going to compete hard every single down, and that type of size is rare at Fairfield, let alone in the NECC.
None of the Falcons’ other players are north of 6-foot-4 and that type of size will raise eyebrows.
In Fairfield’s scheme under Coach Matt Thacker, you need an excellent set of linemen that can block/tackle, pressure the quarterback and able to create routes for their running backs to execute their incredibly difficult wishbone scheme. When it looks good, defenses struggle against their offense.
For Fairfield to succeed in 2023, it is going to need to sustain consistency, trust their system and, most importantly, stay healthy. Clock management is so important when utilizing a running-focused offense because it allows for the offense to remain unpredictable in their play calls and it keeps their defensive unit fresh.
QB Ty Louden, Woodlan
Woodlan will have a new playcaller under center as Jacob Snyder has graduated. Replacing him is
the skilled and mature junior quarterback that showed promise and composure in the June 7-on-7
event at East Noble.
It does help that the Warriors return a lot of experience up front and at the skill positions. The biggest of returnees to this spread offense is junior Drew Fleek, who ran for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns while also catching 10 passes for 67 yards and a TD.
Everyone knows Fleek can flat-out ball, but having a talented QB instills confidence from coaches and teammates. Woodlan, according to Coach Mike Smith, utilizes SOUL (selflessness, ownership, unity, and larger purpose) to turn confidence into a winning program on the field.
The biggest question for this season will come at the expense of what’s going to be the ACAC’s strongest competition in quite some time with the emergence of Bluffton and Heritage, as well as the Adams County staples Adams Central and South Adams.
Can the Warriors turn those tough games into quality wins?? It’ll start with the young quarterback’s transition into the starting position when the regular season kicks off Friday.
WR/DB EJ Miller, Eastside
In NECC discussions, I’ve mentioned that Eastside has experienced a drop off in overall talent since its run to semistate in 2021. And while some of that will be noticeable at times, there’s still enough skill to compete in the NECC and the unpredictable Class 2A sectional 35.
The Power Spread attack will continue to utilize speed and blue-collar toughness through quarterback Wyatt Davis and a young but skilled lineup of running backs. But don’t underestimate the passing game if it finds rhythm.
One name to watch is EJ Miller. The junior was easily overlooked in 2022 simply because the Blazers had Dax Holman, Carsen Jacobs, Briar Munsey and Dackotia Reed. Because of that, Miller did not get a ton of targets as he caught just six passes for 93 yards.
At 5-11, Miller plays bigger than his height with his elusive speed, good hands and the ability to play a hard-hitting brand of football. He’s the type of playmaker that can utilize his versatility to bring a sense of balance and force defenses to respect the passing game more.
It helps that Davis is a senior quarterback with a high IQ, so that combination could work. I don’t expect as many targets as you’ll see with the elite spread offenses, but I do see one or two receivers having
some kind of impact.
Defensively, Miller is sharp as a whistle using his speed and awareness to frustrate opposing receivers. He recorded 25 tackles in 2022. While not always perfect, Miller never gives up on plays and simply imposes a physical game.
WR/DB Jamari Pearson, North Side
There’s a lot of hype surrounding Notre Dame commit Tae Tae Johnson, as many would expect. But don’t think the Legends lack talent in other areas. While there’s an increase of newer faces following the graduation of many important players, the Legends still bring back Purdue commit Jordan King on the offensive line and you have an interesting quarterback in senior Dylan Schible, who will replace Bohde Dickerson (Saint Francis).
However, one guy that hasn’t gotten much love, or at least not nearly enough attention, is the talented
receiver Jamari Pearson. The 6-2 junior hauled in a trio of catches last season for 33 yards with a TD.
With some movement across key positions, Pearson will now be potentially North Side’s No. 2 target in that lethal spread offense. Most of the attention will go to Johnson, which in theory means opportunities for other targets to take advantage.
Talent is still very strong for Ben Johnson Jr’s squad, and it’s a team hungry to make a run at a division title in the SAC and have another crack at a sectional title.
Week 1 is always interesting, especially now with the change in schedules. North Side now gets to host NLC power Northridge, which was in the state finals in 2021.
Yes, that means we won’t get a North Side-Snider duel until possibly sectionals.
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