The NECC’s Big Division has been pretty darn fun of late. Over the last four years, four different teams have won it, most recently Garrett a season ago as part of its magical season.
Do the Railroaders repeat? Or does someone else reach the top and continue the variety from year to year?
Lets break down the NECC’s Big Division.
The favorite: West Noble Chargers
Lost in Garrett’s 13-win campaign a season ago was division mate West Noble, which for the second-straight season reached the 10-win mark.
While do-everything athlete Seth Pruitt has departed, there is still a lot of proven talent up in Ligonier. Senior quarterback Trey Shisler threw for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago, with fellow seniors Xavier Yates and McKale Bottles are both fireworks waiting to happen with the ball in their hands.
Defensively, the top two tacklers are gone, but Bottles and Yates are both stalwarts on that side as well. Factor in youngsters Ethan Yates, a junior, and sophomore Brogan Parks and the defense shouldn’t slip too much.
The only two games the Chargers lost last season were to Garrett, by 11 points in the regular season and just one in the sectional championship.
This senior class is hungry to flip the script on Garrett in 2025.
The contender: Garrett Railroaders
Seven defensive starters are back from a 13-win team that reached semistate last year. There are players at all three levels – Aiden Hunt at defensive tackle, Brayden Nusbaum at linebacker and Alex Guzman in the secondary – and first-year head coach Chris Albertin will lean on all three to set the tone.
Nusbaum and Guzman give the Railroaders a proven one-two punch in the offensive backfield at running back. Hunt and fellow senior Jake Reynolds are the only other returning starters on offense, both along the line.
There will be some youngsters in key positions for Garrett, including perhaps sophomore Wyatt Hefty at quarterback, cousin of the departed Calder Hefty.
The rest
ANGOLA HORNETS
Eight defensive starters are back from a year ago, although growth will need to be shown as the unit struggled to slow down the offenses of Garrett and West Noble in last season’s matchups.
Lucas Lentz is exceptional along the defensive front. He is a multi-year starter and a returning First Team All-NECC Big Division honoree. Niles Knox is also back after starting on the defensive line.
Seniors Alex Thomas and Andrew Morvilius are back at linebacker, as well as fellow starter junior Gus Heavin. The secondary has multiple starters returning as well, led by seniors Hawk Hasselman and Dallas Davidson.
Both Hasselman and Davidson will be looked upon to be big impact guys on offense. Hasselman has been doing it for years, although he may not be at quarterback this fall. That would potentially be advantageous, as moving Hasselman around may be the best pathway to success for the Angola offense. Thomas is a big target at tight end and can be a matchup nightmare for defenders.
Angola is hoping to avoid a third-straight losing season for the first time in over 30 years.
FAIRFIELD FALCONS
Coach Cory Stoner is aiming for more success in Year 2, but he will have to do it with a significant amount of production and leadership out the door due to graduation.
Over 92 percent of the rushing yards are gone, as is 70 percent of the receiving yards. The top five tacklers from last season’s 5-6 campaign have graduated as well.
Sophomore Brandt Sark is a player to watch after he started at wideout as a freshman. First Team All-NECC Big School honoree David Almiray returns, as does fellow starters up front Nolan Steele and Trevor Riegsecker.
While the offense was gutted, the defense has to be better. It allowed an average of 39.5 points per game to its four division foes last season.
LAKELAND LAKERS
The tandem of quarterback Brayden Holbrook and wide receiver Keyan Arroyo are running back one more time as seniors for the Lakers.
Holbrook is a gunslinger, and as he goes, Lakeland goes. The problem last year was the fact that Lakeland couldn’t get stops. The two games against Garrett were especially frustrating, as while the Lakers could move the ball and score against the Railroaders, they could not get stops themselves, eventually being outscored in both matchups.
For Lakeland to be a factor in the Big Division, the defense has to take some significant strides forward.
BIG DIVISION PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. West Noble
2. Garrett
3. Lakeland
4. Angola
5. Fairfield
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