Before we get to the Outside the Huddle All-Area Team and our end-of-year awards, Blitz wanted to take some time and take a last glance at area conferences and hand out some league-specific hardware.
Next up, the Northeast 8 Conference.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DYLAN KREHL, EAST NOBLE
Krehl started the season rushing for 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Bremen, and he continued to get better week after week.
All told, the senior rushed for 1,623 yards and 19 touchdowns as East Noble advanced to the Class 4A state championship game.
He was just as crucial on defense, notching an astounding 129 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, five sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
A pure football player through and through, the 5-foot-8, 190-pound Krehl was impactful in every facet of the game all season long for the Knights.
HONORABLE MENTION: Stratton Fuller, Columbia City; Brock Schott, Leo
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: TONY DECKER, HUNTINGTON NORTH
There was no bigger surprise in northeast Indiana this fall than the rise of Huntington North. In Year 2 under Coach Mike Eshbach, the Vikings went from one win to nine wins, including the program’s first sectional championship in 31 years.
At the forefront of that resurgence was Decker, who helmed the Huntington North offense at quarterback. All he did was throw for close to 2,000 yards and over 20 touchdowns, while also rushing for over 700 yards and 20 more scores. He was the poster boy of the new-look Vikings, no longer easily scouted by running between the tackles the majority of the time, but instead spreading the field and finding mismatches.
Without Decker, it’s tough to see how Huntington North would have had the success it did.
HONORABLE MENTION: Landin Hoeppner, Leo; Drew Graft, Norwell
BREAKOUT PLAYER: NATHAN FOSTER, LEO
With the graduation of its top six rushers from 2023, there were open questions on who would step up and be the primary ball carrier for the Lions this fall.
Enter the junior Foster, who ended up leading the conference in rushing in the regular season and finishing with 1,312 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Foster, who barely saw any action in the backfield as a sophomore, averaged nearly a first down per carry, gaining 9.8 yards on the ground per touch. Six times he eclipsed the 100-yard mark, including an epic 26-carry, 265-yard performance against East Noble in Week 6 in a losing effort.
The fact that Foster will return in 2025 gives Leo a good starting point with its offense.
HONORABLE MENTION: Gavin Smith, Columbia City; Sully Stahl, Huntington North; Bret Sauder, Leo
COACH OF THE YEAR: ALEX STEWART, EAST NOBLE
When Luke Amstutz decided to step away as head coach of East Noble and head into administration, the prevailing thought was that the program would take a step back. It may not be for long, but the change in leadership, especially with someone coming in from outside the program, would lead to some growing pains.
But that didn’t happen in Kendallville. Coming from Western, all Stewart did was go undefeated in the NE8 to win a league title and lead the Knights to the Class 4A title game.
Amstutz was definitely an asset still being around and in the building, but Stewart operated flawlessly in knowing which buttons to push and which to leave alone in Year 1 at the helm.
HONORABLE MENTION: Mike Eshbach, Huntington North
GAME OF THE YEAR: Columbia City 21, Leo 18, Week 8
The game of the year in the entire area, let alone the NE8.
With Columbia City trailing by three with just over three seconds left, Coach Brett Fox’s team lined up for a game-tying field goal. As the kick went up, it was blocked by Leo. But as the Lions players celebrated, the heady senior Ethan McIntosh went and picked up the ball and ran it in for a touchdown.
As Leo personnel held their hands aloft in triumph, the home crowd and sideline went wild as the Eagles believed THEY had won.
And over both sides’ celebrations was the referee’s whistle, still blowing after initially calling the play dead after the block.
The officials screwed up. The rule is that a blocked field goal is still a live ball as long as it is behind the line of scrimmage. So while McIntosh was going to pick up the ball, Leo players, hearing the whistle and remembering the old adage “play to the whistle,” headed off the field, seemingly with a victory in hand.
Leo thought it had won. So did Columbia City.
The crew conferred, with both head coaches a few steps away pleading their team’s respective case.
In the end, the crew rules an inadvertent whistle. Basically, a do-over.
With another chance, the Eagles won when Grayson Bradberry hit Stratton Fuller at the edge of the front pylon for a 21-18 victory.
EARLY PICK FOR 2025 SAC CHAMPION: EAST NOBLE
There is no doubt that East Noble loses a considerable amount of firepower, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but with quarterback Rylee Biddle and top target Mason Treesh set to return, the offense is in good hands despite Dylan Krehl’s departure.
You not only have to look at what the favorite is set to lose, but also the other contenders. Leo loses a lot. Columbia City has some big holes to fill. Huntington North, while resurgent, also sees a lot of talent exit the program.
So Blitz comes back to East Noble. What can Coach Stewart do for an encore as he settles in for Year 2?
These opinions represent those of Blitz and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Blitz on Twitter at Blitz_OTH
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