Blitz and Outside the Huddle are counting down who they feel are the 50 most impactful players in northeast Indiana heading into the 2024 season.
Today, we enter the top 20.
No. 20: RB/MLB Dylan Krehl, senior, East Noble
Krehl isn’t a big dude. In fact, he is downright small. But he plays much, much bigger.
High school football is great because players without “prototypical” size can excel because of effort and smarts. That is Krehl. At all of 5-foot-7 and 195 pounds, the senior is built like a bowling ball. He plays like it too, running over bigger defenders on the regular and rarely going down on first contact.
Offensively, Krehl led East Noble last season with 12 rushing touchdowns to go with 635 yards on the ground. He also hauled in 17 receptions for 252 yards and four scores as a safety net out of the backfield in the pass game.
Krehl led the Knights with 88 tackles and 11 tackles for loss from his middle linebacker spot. His ability to step up and fill a hole on defense and make a sure stop is off the charts, as well as his pursuit all over the field. His motor simply does not stop.
COACH’S QUOTE ON DYLAN KREHL:“Dylan had an incredible junior season, earning IFCA All-State honors. This offseason, he’s been a phenomenal leader in our program and we look forward to his leadership on the field and in the locker room. I have high expectations of him leading our defense from his middle linebacker position and being a big-time playmaker from the running back position.” – East Noble coach Alex Stewart
No. 19: DB Tristen Newsome, senior, North Side
There is fast and then there is Tristen Newsome fast.
The school record-holder in the 100m dash, Newsome brings that quickness to the football field, filling a variety of roles for the Legends.
Despite being just 5-8, he is as physical of an on-ball corner as there is in the area. There is no room to operate for receivers when Newsome is in coverage. He can also line up at safety if need be. In 2023, he had five interceptions, exactly half of what North Side had all season (10).
Using his speed, Newsome also blocked a field goal against Northrop.
But Newsome’s biggest impact this fall could be on offense. He saw some spot action at quarterback last year, throwing for 51 yards and rushing for 58 in an October loss to Carroll. Expect North Side to have certain packages, if not the entire offense, built around Newsome at QB1.
Football isn’t hard. Get the ball to your playmakers in space. With his speed, Newsome is definitely that.
COACH’S QUOTE ON TRISTEN NEWSOME:“Tristen has all the tools to play every skill position on the field. He is the fastest player in the SAC. He is the school record holder in the 100 meter dash! He is very smart, can catch, run, tackle, return kicks and can also throw the football. We are going to use him everywhere on the field this year. He is also a captain of our team.” – North Side coach Ben Johnson
No. 18: WR/DB Jerquaden Guilford, junior, Northrop
To say Guilford has had a decent couple of months would be an understatement.
Since June 5, the wideout has pictured up scholarship offers from the likes of Ohio State, Pitt, Tennessee and Penn State, not to mention Eastern Michigan and Akron.
All told, the junior sits on close to 10 offers at the FBS level, with more sure to come.
What do colleges like? The same thing that Northrop coach Quentin Bowen likes – big-play potential. Guilford is extremely quick and gets in and out of his routes with innate speed. His hands are big and his 6-2 frame allows him to out-reach defenders for jump balls. As a sophomore, he led the Bruins in receptions (26), receiving yards (374) and touchdowns (four) a year ago. He also had an INT on defense.
COACH’S QUOTE ON JERQUADEN GUILFORD:“Jerquaden is a great kid with a ton of talent. The sky is the limit for him and his ability.” – Northrop coach Quentin Bowen
No. 17: FS/WR Braden Walter, senior, Heritage
Watch each of Walter’s seven interceptions in 2023 and you can recognize why he is so impactful on the field for the Patriots. At his safety spot, he is the eyes on the back end, and when the snap comes, there are few players better at diagnosing what the offense is doing.
Walter’s break on balls is exceptional, as is his ability to use his body to shield prospective pass catchers from getting to the ball. Offensively, he is set to be one of Heritage’s top weapons after he hauled in a trio of touchdowns last year while averaging 18 yards per reception.
COACH’S QUOTE ON BRADEN WALTER:“Braden is the ultimate playmaker. Whether it’s at safety making interceptions or tackles, or with the ball in his hands at wide receiver or punt returner. He’s just a kid you know is going to make good things happen on the field. His teammates feel the same way about Braden as well. That’s a testament to how hard he works and what kind of leader he is.” – Heritage coach Jeremy Hullinger
No. 16: RB Linkin Carter, junior, Eastside
To say Eastside went as Carter went a year ago would be an understatement.
Carter eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark eight times last season. In those games, Eastside went 7-1.
In the games that Carter was held under 100 yards, the Blazers went 0-3.
Another prep stud with small size (5-7) but big power and tenacity, Carter finished his junior campaign with 1,439 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. He also averaged 13.5 yards per catch and had a touchdown through the air. His field vision is impressive, and his propensity to shed tackles leads to a lot of yards after contact.
As Eastside enters 2024 as NECC Small Division favorites again, look for Carter to lead the way.
COACH’S QUOTE ON LINKIN CARTER:“Linkin is a game changer for us. He’s able to be a big-play threat, but also is extremely comfortable running between the tackles. He is an outstanding back that had a really solid sophomore season. He’s worked his tail off to get stronger and more explosive over the off-season and we’re excited for what he will bring to our team this year. He’s really emerged as a leader and is a guy in our locker room that sets the example of how to be an elite player, teammate and human being.” – Eastside coach Alyx Brandewie
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