We are celebrating the holidays in style, unveiling our Outside the Huddle All-Area teams for the 2023 football season.
We will release our All-Area squads, in addition to our individual award winners, over the next week or so.
First up, the Small School Offense.
QB: Jack Hamilton, senior, Adams Central – Hamilton finally got the opportunity to be behind center for the Flying Jets at the varsity level and he made the most of it. He accounted for close to 40 total touchdowns and rushed and passed for over 1,100 yards each.
QB: Kobe Meyer, senior, Heritage – A multi-year starter that was a big part of Heritage’s resurgence, Meyer finished 2023 with 1,197 yards passing and 19 touchdowns, while also rushing for over 1,000 yards and a further 13 scores.
RB: Seth Pruitt, junior, West Noble – One of the most consistent and skilled running backs in the area, Pruitt eclipsed the 100-yard mark on eight different occasions this past season while finding the end zone multiple times in seven games. The junior finished with 1,454 yards on the ground and 25 touchdowns, adding a further two scores receiving.
RB: Linkin Carter, sophomore, Eastside – The 10th grader burst onto the scene with 32 carries for 193 yards and three touchdowns to open the season against Woodlan. He went over the 100-yard mark on seven more occasions through the course of the season, finishing with 1,379 yards and 19 scores. He AVERAGED over eight yards per carry and also added a receiving touchdown.
RB: Mickey Daring, senior, Bishop Luers – A man of many talents, Daring served as the Knights’ ‘thunder’ to Gion Jimenez’s ‘lightning’ in the offensive backfield. He rushed for 706 yards and 10 scores, as well as the game-winning two-point conversion against rival Bishop Dwenger in overtime. Defensively, he amassed 74 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and three sacks from his linebacker spot.
WR: Keyan Arroyo, sophomore, Lakeland – Few QB-WR connections were more fruitful in 2023 than Brayden Holbrook and Arroyo in Lagrange. The pair of sophomores feasted on opposing defenses, with Arroyo hauling in 30 catches for 675 yards and six scores. He also saw significant time on defense, finishing with 42 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
WR: Avery Cook, junior, Concordia Lutheran – The Cadets’ first winless season since 2010 was not without its individual talent. Cook was one of the better receivers in the SAC, hauling in 70 receptions for 871 yards and eight touchdowns in a breakout junior campaign.
TE: Trevor Currie, senior, Adams Central – A monster in every sense of the word. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior was Hamilton’s favorite target downfield, finishing with 936 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns, including a 6-126-2 effort in the 1A title game. He also served as the Flying Jets’ primary placekicker and punter.
OL: Zac Wurm, senior, Adams Central – The anchor in the trenches for AC on both sides of the ball, Wurm’s bulk at 285 pounds was well utilized with great technique and ferocity. Never far from the ball, Wurm notched six tackles in the state title game while consistently opening up holes for an offense that finished with over 5,200 yards for the year.
OL: Johnny Cruz, senior, Bluffton – The Tigers won their most games in a season since 1982 and Cruz was a big reason why. Offensivelty, he was relied upon to be a leader up front and pave the way for a rushing attack that few defenses could slow down. On the other side of the ball, Cruz had 24 tackles, five TFL and a sack.
OL: Ethan Hochstetler, senior, Fairfield – When your offense rushes for over 2,700 total yards and 23 touchdowns, the offensive line is doing something right, even in a unique triple-option offense. Hochstetler was the most talented of the bunch, a two-way stud that also finished with 61 tackles, 9.5 TFL and 6.5 sacks on the defensive side of the ball.
OL: Dane Sebert, senior, Eastside – An imposing figure at 6-2, 275 pounds, Sebert has been a mainstay up front for the Blazers for multiple years. He was one of the top pure guards in northeast Indiana and affected games on defense as well with 47 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and two sacks.
OL: Charlie Riddle, junior, Heritage – A massive force for the Patriots on both sides of the ball at 6-4, 255 pounds. A wrestler as well, Riddle’s effectiveness was just as much about technique as it was bulk. He was a mainstay up front on offense and accumulated 36 tackles, three TFL and a sack on defense.
AT-LARGE: Drew Yates, senior, West Noble – West Noble won its first 10 games of the season, with the senior Yates playing a pivotal role. The senior was responsible for 31 total touchdowns – 19 passing and 12 rushing – to go with over 2,000 total yards. Yates completed 73 percent of his passes for the Chargers, capping his prep career off in impressive fashion.
AT-LARGE: Gio Jimenez, senior, Bishop Luers – On a team full of old-school bruisers, Jimenez was the lightning. He shined when most needed, with four of his top five yardage totals coming in the playoffs, as well as nine of his 14 rushing scores. For the year, Jimenez finished with 901 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, adding 183 yards and three scores receiving. He also served as one of the Knights’ primary kick returners.
K: Angel Rojas, junior, Bishop Luers – Rojas hit 80 percent of his PATs and five field goals over the course of the season. He also put eight of his kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks.
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