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.
Next up, the Small School Defense.
DL: Dylan Velez, senior, Bellmont – The Braves went winless in 2023, but they had some dudes up front. The most dominant was Velez, who used his height and length to be a problem on both sides of the ball. On defense, Velez typically lined up upright and on the edge, his quickness and ability to get off blocks with his long arms his top attributes. For the year, he accounted for 94 tackles, 31(!) tackles for loss, 11 sacks, five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He also rushed for 461 yards and a score on offense.
DL: Cameron Fravel, sophomore, Adams Central – For those thinking that the Flying Jets are going to be on the decline, Fravel is a prime example why that is a pipe dream. The sophomore led AC in sacks with seven and was one of the leaders in tackles for loss. He is still filling out his 6-foot-2 frame, making him a significant issue for years to come.
DL: Logan Teichman, senior, Heritage – The best season in a decade for the Patriots was helped by an opportunistic defense. At the point of attack for that defense was Teichman, who shined in his final prep campaign. There was no quicker player off the line and into the backfield in the ACAC than Teichman, who was impossible to handle once he gained a full head of steam. He finished with 37 tackles, 13 TFL, two sacks and two forced fumbles. His impact on games was much greater.
DL: Damiun Jackson, senior, Bishop Luers – Jackson recommitted himself to football in the offseason entering his senior campaign. What resulted was one of the more dominant linemen in the area. His stats – 89 tackles, 30 TFL, 11.5 sacks, six forced fumbles – was impressive enough, but the film on him was even more so. Jackson was simply unblockable in some games, namely against Bluffton in regional and North Posey in the state finals. An absolute monster on the edge.
LB: Keegan Bluhm, senior, Adams Central – How good was Bluhm? He could have made this team either as a running back or a linebacker. Defensively, he was a stalwart with over 90 tackles, four sacks and several TFL. On the other side, he led the Jets in rushing and scored 30 touchdowns. Bluhm was a guy that seemed to be around the ball in some capacity on every single snap.
LB: Brayden Kirchner, senior, Central Noble – Sometimes, numbers are deceiving. So when you look at Kirchner’s 185 overall tackles, including close to 100 solo, you may doubt the ability. But watch the film and you will see a player that was so good at diagnosing plays pre-snap. From his inside linebacker spot, Kirchner was almost always on the move prior to the snap, creeping towards the line as he read run. He expertly finished tackles, adding 23 TFL and six sacks to his season numbers.
LB: Fletcher Wenger, senior, Bluffton – Another master of the middle of the defense, Wenger hit above his weight, frequently standing up ball carriers as they made contact after breaking through the line. The senior led Bluffton in tackles with 50, to go along with 6.5 tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions. He also caught a single pass which went for a touchdown.
LB: Brayden Nussbaum, sophomore, Garrett – One of a multitude of underclassmen that saw significant playing time on defense for the Railroaders, Nussbaum may have been the most dominant. He finished with 112 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, three interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries from his linebacker position. Nussbaum also rushed for 161 yards and a touchdown.
DB: Braden Walter, junior, Heritage – One of the top ball-hawking safeties in the area, Walter broke out with four INTs as a sophomore before upping it to seven picks in 2023. A great eye for the game, the junior always seems to be at the right place at the right time. Six of his seven INTs came in Heritage wins, showing he has a propensity for big plays at big times. Walter also served as the primary returner on kicks and punts while scoring six total touchdowns on the year.
DB: Ben Ramseyer, senior, Bluffton – The Tigers had big-time defenders across the board, with perhaps the most underappreciated one being Ramseyer. There was no better lock-down defensive back in the ACAC than Ramseyer, who sometimes didn’t see much action due to his ability to shut off an entire portion of the field. He finished the season with a team-high four interceptions while also rushing for 193 yards and a pair of touchdowns on offense.
DB: EJ Miller, junior, Eastside – Two of the most important aspects of playing the pass as a DB is keeping your eyes on the quarterback and breaking on the ball. Miller does both in impressive fashion. He picked off four passes to go with 35 tackles, while also adding two touchdowns and 195 receiving yards on offense.
DB: Calder Hefty, junior, Garrett – The emergence of promising junior and sophomore classes has the future of the Railroaders looking bright. Bringing back Hefty will be a big part of the equation. Hefty barely left the field in 2023. He was one of Garrett’s top tacklers with 80 to go with a team-high five interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles. At quarterback, Hefty threw for over 1,100 yards and rushed for over 400, amassing 16 total offensive scores.
AT-LARGE: Tucker Jenkins, senior, Bluffton – Versatile and valuable are two different things, but Jenkins fit both for the Tigers in 2023. Wherever he lined up, Jenkins made a difference, not just with his play but also his leadership. He finished with 23 tackles, eight TFL, a sack and an interception this past season, while also handling kickoff duties. Offensively, he rushed for 474 yards and four touchdowns, while also hauling in a pair of touchdown receptions.
AT-LARGE: Wes Javins, senior, Bishop Luers – Along the interior of the defensive front or on the edge, Javins was a force. He was a perfect complement to Damiun Jackson, consistently getting pressure up front to prevent teams from keying on just one guy. He amassed 94 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and nine sacks on the year. As a receiver, he averaged over 21 yards per reception with 424 yards and four scores, including a lunging touchdown in traffic in the state championship game against North Posey.
P: Isaac Zay, senior, Bishop Luers – Zay did a little bit of everything for the Knights. While his ‘natural’ position was safety, he lined up everywhere on the field – linebacker and edge in particular. He finished with 74 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five passes defensed and an interception. He was also the leading receiver for Bishop Luers, hauling in 37 receptions for 664 yards and eight scores. He also handled punting duties, averaging 38.7 yards per boot.
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