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.
First up, the Summit Athletic Conference.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: JAIDON VANPELT, CARROLL
The only thing that slowed Vanpelt down this year was not being on the field or being less than 100 percent.
After not playing in Week 1, Vanpelt went for 227 yards and three touchdowns against Center Grove, and he only continued to dominate from there.
The senior receiver went for multiple touchdowns in a game on four different occasions, including three scores against Northrop and Bishop Luers and four against Snider.
Even when he was injured he was a factor, operating as a decoy against Northrop in sectional play while hobbled to take attention away from other Carroll receivers.
For the year, Vanpelt accounted for 1,407 yards receiving and 16 touchdowns on 69 receptions. He also had a rushing score and was a perfect 3-for-3 in passes for 92 yards. Defensively, he had 30 tackles and three interceptions, tied for the team high.
HONORABLE MENTION: Jerquaden Guilford, Northrop; Jarron Taylor, Bishop Luers
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: LUCAS NGUYEN, BISHOP DWENGER
You can argue that Lucas Nguyen was responsible for the two biggest plays in Bishop Dwenger’s entire state-winning season…as a kicker.
In the Saints’ 9-6 win over Carroll in Week 4, it was Nguyen’s 52-yard field goal that was the deciding factor in a game that eventually decided the SAC crown. At the time, the kick was a Bishop Dwenger record. Two weeks later, Nguyen would break his own record with a 53-yard boot against Northrop.
Last weekend in the Class 4A title game against Roncalli, it was Nguyen on a fake field goal that hit AJ Shefferly downfield for a 37-yard touchdown with the game tied at 29 early in the fourth quarter. It proved to be the clinching score for the Saints’ first state title in seven years.
All told, Nguyen was 18-of-24 on field goals this season and 36-of-38 on PATs. He also put 54 of 75 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks, an unsung weapon coupled with a dominant defense.
HONORABLE MENTION: David Callison, Northrop; Logan Frieden, Homestead; Gabe Frisinger, Carroll
BREAKOUT PLAYER: GABE FRISINGER, CARROLL
We all wondered how the quarterback situation would play out at Carroll with the graduation of Jimmy Sullivan.
Turns out, the Chargers were in good hands.
After a shaky Week 1 in his first-ever varsity start, Frisinger took to the position and developed into a poised veteran with unquestioned confidence and skill by year’s end. The junior was one of the state’s top passers, throwing for 3,349 yards and 27 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He completed 64 percent of his passes and added 532 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
What was perceived as a potential weakness entering 2025 turned into a crucial strength for Coach Doug Dinan’s team. And, unfortunately for the SAC, Frisinger is set to return in 2026.
HONORABLE MENTION: Heanyi Emedobi, Northrop; TJ Epperson, Bishop Luers; Brandon Gaither II, Bishop Luers; Chris Mhoon, South Side
COACH OF THE YEAR: JASON GARRETT, BISHOP DWENGER
To understand just how much changed in a year at Bishop Dwenger, consider how this program saw its 2024 end – a 38-0 thrashing at home at the hands of East Noble.
From there, Garrett and his staff went to work, analyzing every aspect of the program and making changes, some difficult, to adjust the trajectory of a team that had not won a sectional since 2021, an eternity at Bishop Dwenger.
The result? A state championship, perhaps sooner than expected by some in and around the program. What Garrett did deserves a lot of credit and kudos as Bishop Dwenger won the SAC Victory Bell and a Class 4A crown.
HONORABLE MENTION: Quentin Bowen, Northrop
GAME OF THE YEAR: Bishop Dwenger 9, Carroll 6, Week 4
What a season it was in the SAC when Blitz’s ‘Game of the Year’ choice is one that had zero touchdowns in it.
It was Lucas Nguyen’s 52-yard field goal mentioned above that was the clincher in this clash of the conference’s top two teams. We knew at the time it was big game for SAC supremacy, and it ended up being the difference in who captured the Victory Bell.
Corbin Dempsey hit a pair of field goals for the Chargers from 21 and 28 yards, while Nguyen added 20- and 30-yard boots in addition to his long game winner.
Carroll had chances to score touchdowns, but a fourth-quarter fumble and a late interception sealed it for the Saints.
EARLY PICK FOR 2026 SAC CHAMPION: CARROLL
Despite falling short of defending its 2024 SAC championship this season, the groundwork has been laid for Carroll to return to the top in 2026.
It begins with Frisinger, who will return behind center after breaking out in a big way this fall.
While there will be a lot to replace at the skill positions, the cupboard is far from bare, as the Chargers are easily the most talent-laden SAC program within its JV, freshman and middle school ranks.
The defense will return a lot of production, including First Team All-SAC linebacker Eli Neuhouser and classmates Coleman Tipton, Linkoln Grabner and Ash Wagoner, all of whom filled big roles on that side of the ball as juniors.
There are definitely holes to fill along the line as well, but Carroll will not lack for candidates to step up and perform.
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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