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 Big School Offense.
QB: Ke’ron Billingsley, senior, Snider – Billingsley went from being in a preseason battle for QB1 to being an invaluable aspect of the Panthers run to a state title. He threw for 1,293 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 548 yards and eight scores. His ability to make dynamic things happen outside of the pocket seemingly grew with each passing week, coming up huge in the regional win over Mishawaka. He capped the season off in style, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the 5A title game dub over Decatur Central.
QB: Jimmy Sullivan, junior, Carroll – With a largely new cast of characters around him on offense, Sullivan built on his sensational sophomore campaign by throwing for over 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2023. He also added 406 yards and five scores on the ground, further showcasing his versatility. Now a verbal commit to Coach Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes, Sullivan has cemented himself as the top quarterback in northeast Indiana.
RB: Uriah Buchanan, senior, Snider – Give Buchanan an inch and he was going to make you pay. Decatur Central learned that in the 5A state championship as the senior broke loose for scores of 80 and 95 yards in the Panthers win, part of a 23-carry, 237-yard effort at Lucas Oil Stadium. For the year, Buchanan eclipsed the 2,000-yard rushing mark and averaged 7.7 yards per carry to go with 28 touchdowns.
RB: Reed Zollinger, senior, Warsaw – In the run-heavy offense of the Tigers, Zollinger was the poster boy. Small at just 5-foot-9 but powerful, the senior played with seemingly unlimited energy, carrying the ball 45 times against NorthWood for 313 yards. A back of exceptional vision and quick feet, Zollinger finished with 1,640 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground in 2023.
RB: Brett Fuchs, senior, Homestead – Need a word to describe Fuchs? Try ‘relentless.’ Seriously, Fuchs rarely went down on first contact, always fighting for that extra yard or inch. Listed at 5-9 and 160 pounds, Fuchs isn’t very big, but he never shied away from contact and his propensity to hit the hole up the middle and kick it to the outside was deadly. He finished the season with 1,432 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Spartans.
WR: Mylan Graham, senior, New Haven – Limited to just seven games due to injury, Ohio State signee Mylan Graham still had a major impact for the eight-win Bulldogs this past season. He hauled in 39 receptions for 566 yards and six scores on the season.
WR: Carter Minix, senior, Bishop Dwenger – There was rarely a play in which defenses were not aware of where Minix was on the field. And the plays they didn’t know, he usually made them pay. Minix finished with more than double the receiving yards as any other Saint, going for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns on 49 catches. Many a team felt it could handle Dwenger’s offense if it limited Minix. Rarely did that happen as he was held under 55 yards receiving just four times.
TE: Brady Rhoad, junior, Carroll – One of the new cadre of offensive playmakers, Rhoad broke out in 2023 to the tune of 30 catches for 386 yards and two touchdowns. A prototypical tight end at 6-4, 215 pounds, Rhoad can make any catch on the field and isn’t averse to staying in and blocking when needed.
OL: Ethan Dodson, senior, Snider – A hulking lineman with power and bulk, Dodson loves to play physical, often taking his blocking assignment to the ground. What is impressive about Dodson is his propensity to get upfield and to the second level and beyond, quick enough to engage linebackers and other defenders in front of the play.
OL: Zack Leighty, senior, East Noble – Rarely does a player command such attention at the forefront of both the offensive and defensive lines, but Leighty was it. At guard on offense and at nose on defense, Leighty was so good at gaining leverage on offense, then shaking it off in the trenches on the other side.
OL: Jordan King, senior, North Side – A Purdue signee, King projects so well at the next level because he is big (6-4, 310) but also very fleet afoot. He can move, evidenced by him suiting up for the Legends on the hardwood. King craves contact and won a fair amount of his line battles because of his ability to hand out devastating punishment at the initial point of attack.
OL: Jackson Bell, senior, Homestead – Another monster in the trenches. Bell takes up a lot of room between his bulk and his wingspan, making him difficult to get around. He plays wide and downhill, evidenced by his ability to pull as a guard to get out in front of the run game.
OL: Caiden Abbs, junior, Carroll – Anchoring the Chargers’ offensive front in 2023 was Abbs, who has some of the best footwork in the area in terms of linemen. Whether it was side to side or backward, Abbs’ propensity to use his lower body to put himself in position for his upper body to do the work was impressive all season long.
AT-LARGE: Kaden Hurst, senior, Leo – Hurst made the most of his single season at Leo, and the Lions benefited significantly. A threat in all three facets of the game, the senior was a regular on Friday night highlight shows doing something dynamic. An Ohio University signee, Hurst finished with a team-high 52 receptions for 722 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 206 yards and six scores. Defensively, he had a team-high five interceptions, one of which he returned for a score. Oh, and he also had four kicks – three kickoffs and a punt – that he took to the house for TDs.
AT-LARGE: Stratton Fuller, junior, Columbia City – One of the most complete players in the area, Fuller had another sensational season for the Eagles. He led the team in receiving with 707 yards (no one else had more than 127 yards) and nine touchdowns. He had 45 receptions while the rest of the team had 19 combined. Fuller also rushed for 139 yards and three scores. Defensively, he had an INT (which he returned for six) and 23 tackles while blocking a field goal. He also served as Columbia City’s primary return man.
K: Mason Smythe, junior, Warsaw – The Tigers have a history of solid placekicking, Smythe is the latest that fits the bill. A multi-year starter, he nailed a 52-yard field goal at Plymouth in Week 3 to set a new program record. He was also huge the week before in a road dub at Chesterton, hitting a pair of field goals in the final five minutes to help secure the win. Smythe finished 12-of-15 on field goals and 29-of-30 on PATs in 2023.
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