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.
We started with the Summit Athletic Conference.
Now, we head to the Northeast Eight.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RYLEE BIDDLE, EAST NOBLE
Let’s not overthink this. Biddle was the best player in the conference on the best team in the conference. The senior quarterback threw for 23 touchdowns and rushed for 20 more. He accounted for 2,804 yards on the year – 2,142 passing and 662 rushing. He was the full package for the Knights.
While his passing was prolific, Biddle was arguably a bigger thorn in the side of the opposition with his ability to run. Whether it was outside the pocket or between the tackles, Biddle was effective in moving the ball as a runner. He was held out of the end zone as a rusher just three games all season, six times going for multiple scores on the ground.
HONORABLE MENTION: Nathan Foster, Leo; Gavin Smith, Columbia City
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: NATHAN FOSTER, LEO
When Nathan Foster was able to run roughshod over opponents, Leo thrived. When the senior running back couldn’t, Leo struggled.
Despite battling injury late in the season and being shut down by Bishop Dwenger in sectional play, Foster was the key to the Lions’ offensive attack. He rushed for 133 or more yards in seven games and went over the 200-yard mark four times. While Leo did lose to East Noble in a 56-40 shootout on Sept. 19, Foster ran for 252 yards and a pair of scores on 27 touches.
For the season, Foster rushed for 1,444 yards and 18 touchdowns. He averaged 9.6 yards a carry in nine games, having missed the regular-season finale against DeKalb. He also added eight receptions for 125 yards and a score.
Foster was also a contributor on defense, notching a sack and a pair of interceptions.
HONORABLE MENTION: Jimmy Linker, Huntington North; Eli McCormick, DeKalb
BREAKOUT PLAYER: AUSTIN PHILLIPS, FRESHMAN, EAST NOBLE
How can you not go with one of the top freshman in the entire state?
Austin Phillips burst onto the scene in a big way, almost as big as his 6-foot-2, 200-pound frame. After a quiet Week 1, he rushed for 71 yards and a touchdown against Snider while also amassing 11 tackles a week later.
Strong and well-built despite being just a ninth-grader, Phillips was a terror on both sides of the ball in his first prep campaign. On defense, he amassed 99 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three sacks and three forced fumbles.
Offensively, Phillips saw plenty of action at running back, finishing with 967 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He also had a receiving touchdown against New Haven.
HONORABLE MENTION: Cooper Bunn, Norwell; Drake Hall, DeKalb
COACH OF THE YEAR: RYAN ROBERTSON, DEKALB
It wasn’t just a significant step forward with the Win-Loss record in Coach Ryan Robertson’s first season at DeKalb, it was a major culture shift.
Not only did the Barons win their most games in a season (seven) since 2019, Robertson and his staff were able to inject some excitement into a program that had struggled to be competitive in the NE8 in recent years.
The result? A program on the rise entering the offseason, with momentum from a 7-3 campaign, regular-season wins over Columbia City and Leo and playing East Noble tough in Week 4.
While there are some holes with graduation, Robertson has the community feeling good about the Barons entering 2026.
HONORABLE MENTION: Alex Stewart, East Noble
GAME OF THE YEAR: East Noble 21, DeKalb 14, Week 4
Speaking of the aforementioned game with East Noble, DeKalb put a scare into the Knights in Week 4, and the Barons seemingly had the game won before some heroics from Rylee Biddle.
When Xavier Rice hit Noah Spears for a 5-yard score on fourth down with 59 seconds left, the Barons looked as if they were going to pull the upset. But an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty due to celebration forced DeKalb to kick off from the 25-yard line. East Noble then took the return to midfield.
The Knights worked down the field in 55 seconds, with Biddle plunging in from the 1-yard line with four ticks left on the clock.
East Noble escaped with the win, but it showed not only that the Knights were not immune from being challenged, but that DeKalb was a team on the rise in the NE8.
EARLY PICK FOR 2026 NE8 CHAMPION: EAST NOBLE
There are always dudes to replace each season, but East Noble replenishes its roster with underclassmen ready to perform better than most teams in the area.
So yeah, Biddle moves on, as does a significant amount of talent up front, including All-NE8 First Team linemen Hunter Smithson, Sam Strater, Hunter Shire and Ayden Ley, but there are always the next crop of dudes ready to step in in Kendallville.
That, coupled with questions elsewhere at places like Leo, make the pick for an early favorite relatively easy. East Noble enters 2026 with a 17-game winning streak over league opponents. Can someone rise and challenge the Knights next fall?
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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