You would think the post-Stratton Fuller era would look more bleak than it is shaping up to be for the Columbia City Eagles.
Yes, he was only one player, but Fuller was very much of the face of this program for the better part of three years. His play, in all three facets of the game, helped propel the Eagles to 25 victories from 2022-24.
But with 13 starters back from an eight-win team a season ago, Columbia City should stay close to the top of the Northeast Eight even without ‘Strat,’ who is now at Army.
Three starters along the offensive line are back – seniors Carson Carpenter and Carson Henry and junior Caden Bohnstedt. They will help protect new quarterback Gabe McDevitt, a junior, as well as open holes up for senior Trace Parrish (503 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns) and junior Gavin Smith.
The top three receivers are gone, but senior Bradyn Elkins is primed to be the top target for McDevitt. Junior Andrew Furthmiller at 6-foot-2 presents a a matchup problem at tight end as well.
Smith and his eight interceptions are back in the secondary. He will be joined by juniors Ian Berry and Tannor Ellis. Senior linebacker Sam Bean is a terror as he posted nine tackles for loss and will be a bigger problem this year. Parrish and Corbin McIntosh are veteran linebackers as well.
The defensive front will be very sound with interior lineman Gavin Shepherd back with senior edges Avery Fremion and Owen Love. There is depth up front as well with juniors Dorain Bunn, Tanner Rider and Jace Pettigrew.
Columbia City has beefed up its non-conference slate in the hope that it can be presented with more challenges in the first half of the schedule. Routinely, we don’t know just how good the Eagles are until the second half of the season when they matchup with East Noble and Leo in weeks 7 and 8. NorthWood on the road opens the season, giving Coach Brett Fox a good fellow Class 4A opponent to get a read on his team.
Overall, this is a team that shouldn’t slip too much, provided the skill position players can deliver as guys like Fuller, Landon Fazio and Tyler Faust did last year.
WHY #8?
With an exceptional youth program and a pipeline that feeds the majority of its talent into the high school without worry of transfer, Columbia City has hit its stride under Coach Fox. Being able to withstand big personnel losses due to graduation is a mark of a good program, and the Eagles are in that position.
The schedule still feels backloaded, but not as much as in years past with NorthWood on the schedule and the rise of Huntington North.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
Last year’s senior class brought a lot to the table, not just in the form of production but also in leadership. Fox has challenged his returning starters to pick up where the Class of 2025 left off in both. This is still a team that must replace its quarterback, several receivers and the top two tacklers on defense. Perhaps the best thing for them is the Week 1 challenge at NorthWood to see exactly where they are at.
CRITICAL GAME
Week 7 vs. East Noble
When Columbia City rolled through the NE8 in 2022 on the way to a league championship, it hammered East Noble 42-19 on the road. Since then, the Eagles have lost two in a row in the series by a combined score of 70-14.
So, the path to another conference title goes through East Noble, and once again the two will have to wait until Week 7 to meet. That could be an advantage for Columbia City, which has time for its new skill position players to settle in.
CRUCIAL PLAYER
RB Trace Parrish
This isn’t a case of Parrish being THE guy for Columbia City, but as the top returning rusher with some veteran linemen in front of him, it would really help out the Eagles if Parrish could flip with the 1,000-yard mark in rushing yards. With a new quarterback behind center and largely inexperienced receivers, being able to trust the run game would go a long way towards helping the offense get comfortable.
Parrish doesn’t have to be a world beater, but production would be extremely beneficial, and he has the pedigree to be able to deliver.
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