Blitz and Outside the Huddle are counting down who they feel are the 50 most impactful players in northeast Indiana heading into the 2025 season.
Today, we enter the top 25.
No. 25: LB Anthony Fields Jr., senior, Homestead
When analyzing film on Fields Jr., it is impossible not to notice his closing speed. As soon as the ball is snapped, he is exceptional at diagnosing a play, accelerating and finishing. Often times, Homestead’s defense will stunt to allow Fields Jr. to run free, leading to being unblocked in pursuit.
Fields Jr. led the Spartans in tackles last fall with 78 tackles to go with nine tackles for loss (second on the team) and a pair of sacks. He always has his head up and plays the ball, meaning he is almost never out of position.
With Sam Steward graduated, Fields Jr. is now the key man in the middle for Homestead at linebacker.
COACH’S QUOTE ON ANTHONY FIELDS JR.: “Anthony is a physical, tenacious defender with a lot of experience. We expect a great year from him.” – Homestead coach Chad Zolman
No. 24: LB/ATH Weston Ott, senior, Churubusco
Name a statistical category and chances are Ott put up numbers in it last season as a junior.
Defensively, he led the Eagles with 15 tackles for loss. He was second on the team with 90 tackle and also added three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, a sack, a blocked field goal and an interception.
He threw passes, completing five with three going for touchdowns.
He ran the ball, averaging 5.5 yards per carry on 25 attempts.
He even hauled in five receptions for 53 yards.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Ott can do it all, making him one of the more complete all-around football players in this area.
COACH’S QUOTE ON WESTON OTT: “Weston Ott is a very versatile athlete who has put a lot of time into becoming a leader both on and off the field. We are a better football team with him on the field.” – Churubusco coach Paul Sade
No. 23: QB Axton Beste, junior, Bluffton
It is always a big of an eyebrow raiser when a sophomore gets the nod as a starting quarterback to begin a season. But Beste showed out from the jump, throwing for three touchdowns without an interception in Week 1 last fall against Blackhawk Christian.
That was just the start of a season that saw Beste throw three or more touchdowns in four different games for the Tigers. He completed 71 percent of his passes, an astounding number for a prep signal caller. He finished with 1,152 yards passing with 16 touchdowns.
But Beste is also a dual threat, evidenced by his 527 yards and eight scores on the ground in 2024. What stands out on film is his confidence. He didn’t play like a sophomore last year. There was not a hint of hesitancy or uncertainty. And with two more years of eligibility, he is only going to grow from what we saw last season.
COACH’S QUOTE ON AXTON BESTE: “Axton Beste has every intangible you could ever ask for in a high school quarterback. He’s smart, ultra-competitive, a hard worker and a great leader. He makes our team better with his leadership alone. Our guys would follow him anywhere.” – Bluffton coach Brent Kunkel
No. 22: T/DL Isaiah Coolman, senior, Leo
At 6-2, 280 pounds, you would think Coolman would be in the interior of Leo’s defensive front. Make no mistake, he can play there, but he makes a living getting into offensive backfields from the edge.
A season ago, Coolman compiled 31 tackles, six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks despite missing a few games. While big, Coolman is quick off the snap and can disrupt a play before an offensive lineman has a chance engage him.
On the other side of the ball, Coolman is running back Nathan Foster’s favorite guy to run behind. He can not only command leverage, but uses his strength to push defenders where he wants them to go, typically away from a hole that Foster is so good at recognizing.
Very few area linemen want a piece of Coolman on either side of the ball.
COACH’S QUOTE ON ISAIAH COOLMAN: “Isaiah Coolman has been a contributor on Friday nights for us for four years now. He is a great athlete for a guy his size and plays with a really high motor. He is a great leader and an outstanding representative of Leo High School.” – Leo coach Jason Doerffler
No. 21: S/RB Houston Ellinger, senior, Bishop Dwenger
Oh my goodness, can this kid ball.
While he is listed as a safety, Ellinger is a master disruptor. He reads quarterbacks eyes incredibly well. He can line up deep, he can line up on an outside receiver, he can line up in the slot. He can drop in coverage, handle a wideout in man coverage or rush the quarterback from the outside at the snap.
Ellinger is an absolute gamer who can hurt your offense in a number of ways. He can also return kicks as well. He finished second on the team last season with 93 tackles to go with 10 tackles for loss, four sacks and an interception against Concordia that he took back 38 yards for a touchdown.
With the Saints looking to be more aggressive on defense this season, look for Ellinger to be flying all over the field as one of the most disruptive athletes in northeast Indiana.
COACH’S QUOTE ON HOUSTON ELLINGER: “Hit stick and tone setter on defense. Houston is very physical, fast, athletic and reads scheme very well. He will contribute also as a running back on offense. Runs both downhill and versatile enough to be dangerous in space.” – Bishop Dwenger coach Jason Garrett
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