We are celebrating the holidays in style, unveiling our Outside the Huddle All-Area teams for the 2025 football season.
We will release our All-Area squads, in addition to our individual award winners, over the next week or so.
As is customary, Outside the Huddle has two all-area teams, the Small School (Classes 1-3) and Big School (Classes 4-6).
On Festivus, we released our Small School Offense.
Next up, the Small School Defense.
DL: Ayle Taylor, senior, Bishop Luers – One half of the dynamic Taylor brothers duo, Ayle was a disruptive force on the edge of the Knights’ defense. His length and agility made him a perfect match for the position, getting around defenders he could speed by and pushing his way through those he couldn’t. He finished his season with 10 sacks and 14 quarterback hurries to go with 65 tackles and a team-high 27 tackles for loss. He was voted First Team All-SAC and to the IFCA’s Class 3A Senior All-State squad.
DL: Jarron Taylor, senior, Bishop Luers – The other half of the Taylors, Jarron was an absolutely force in the middle. At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, he was the perfect blend of size, quickness and technique. Rarely could offensive linemen get the upper hand on Jarron in the trenches. He led Bishop Luers in tackles with 97, an astounding stat for an interior linemen. He also had a team-high 11 sacks to go with 22 tackles for loss. Like his brother, he was voted First Team All-SAC and Class 3A Senior All-State.
DL: Cam Fravel, senior, Adams Central – Fravel was an absolute dude for the Flying Jets for several seasons, and culminated his prep career with a sensational 2025 campaign. A two-way stud, Fravel was key to an AC rushing game that amassed over 3,700 yards this past season. But he was also a menace along the defensive front, where he led the Flying Jets in sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (13). He also scored a pair of defensive touchdowns to go with 92 tackles and four pass breakups. Perhaps most telling of his dominance, Fravel blocked seven kicks as a senior, five extra points and a pair of punts.
DL: Weston Ott, senior, Churubusco – Name a sport, Ott can excel at it. It started with baseball, then evolved into football and throwing events in track, the latter of which helped him earn a scholarship to Notre Dame. On the gridiron, Ott was a force. He compiled an insane 134 tackles as a senior to go with 17 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, both team highs. Big but spry, the Eagles utilized Ott defensively by moving him around. On offense, he lined up as a punishing tight end in Churubusco’s run-heavy scheme, but also hauled in a half-dozen passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. He also served as the team’s primary placekicker on kickoffs.
LB: Nathan Plattner, senior, South Adams – Every defense needs a veteran who serves as the vocal leader of the unit. Plattner was that, and dominated with his play as well. He led the Starfires in tackles with 100 from his middle linebacker position to go with five tackles for loss. He also played center along the offensive line. He was voted First Team All-ACAC and to the Class 1A Senior All-State Team by the IFCA.
LB: Griffin Morgan, senior, Bluffton – While his collegiate future is the baseball diamond, Morgan was still a very impressive football player over his prep career. He led the Tigers in tackles in 2025 with 104 while also adding nine tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. Morgan was voted First Team All-ACAC and to the Class 2A Senior All-State Team by the IFCA.
LB: Reece Hammond, junior, Adams Central – Hammond’s top performance of the season came in the sectional championship against Eastside when he kicked off the scoring with a fumble return and capped the win with an interception he took to the house. But the junior was a menace all year long. He amassed 136 tackles to go with nine tackles for loss, three interceptions and three passes broken up. He also saw considerable time on offense, hauling in four passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. He was voted to the All-ACAC squad as well as Class 2A Junior All-State.
LB: Brayden Mygrant, senior, Bishop Luers – A reliable and steady presence in the middle of the Bishop Luers defense, Mygrant was often underappreciated in his role, overshadowed by the dominance along the front line. But Mygrant was integral in the Knights’ run to the Class 3A state title game. He posted 83 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception. He also was a threat on offense, scoring four touchdowns on the ground and hauling in a pair of touchdown receptions. Mygrant was voted All-SAC Second Team and to the Class 3A Senior All-State squad by the IFCA.
LB: Hayden McNeeley, senior, Fremont – McNeeley was one of the best defenders in the area that not many people knew about. In the Eagles’ eight-win campaign, McNeeley led the team in tackles (116), tackles for loss (13), fumble recoveries (four) and forced fumbles (two). He was voted All-NECC Small School Defense and to the Class 1A Senior All-State Team by the IFCA.
DB: McKale Woodson, senior, Bishop Luers – Woodson was the experienced veteran of a secondary that saw significant turnover from 2024. With an eye for the ball and impressive technique, Woodson shined as a senior on the back end of the Bishop Luers defense, effectively taking away his side of the field. He had 33 tackles and a tackle for loss on the year with six passes defended. He got the call on the opposition’s best receivers and delivered week in and week out. He was voted First Team All-SAC.
DB: Braylend Reber, senior, Adams Central – The skills that make him an exceptional basketball player at 6-3 also paid dividends on the gridiron. Reber led the Flying Jets with four interceptions, one of which he took to the house for a touchdown against Eastside in the sectional final. He amassed 63 tackles for the year. On offense, he led the team in receptions with 24 to go with 332 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed 11 times for 163 yards and four scores. Reber was voted All-ACAC First Team.
DB: Lucas Weber, senior, Heritage – One of the great individual efforts of the season was in Week 6 when Lucas Weber scored all 30 of the Patriots’ points in a 30-20 win over Tipton – four rushing touchdowns, three extra points and a field goal, a game in which he played quarterback. He was the team’s leading rusher for the season with 722 yards and nine touchdowns, while also hauling in 11 receptions for 96 yards and a score. Weber was just as effective on defense, finishing third on the team in both tackles (58) and tackles for loss (seven) and leading the Patriots with four interceptions. Weber was an easy selection for All-ACAC First Team.
AT-LARGE: Brogan Parks, sophomore, West Noble – The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Parks was everywhere for West Noble in 2025. He led the team in rushing with 633 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he truly shined on defense at outside linebacker. For the year, Parks led the Chargers with 14 tackles for loss and 11 sacks to go with 73 tackles and an interception. He played with confidence and intelligence rarely seen in sophomores at the prep level. He was named All-NECC Big School Defense and to the Class 3A Junior All-State Team.
AT-LARGE: McKale Bottles, senior, West Noble – As versatile as they come in the NECC, Bottles filled a variety of roles for the Chargers. He concluded the season with 78 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions on defense. As a split back, he paced the team with 38 receptions, 470 receiving yards and five scores, adding another touchdown via the run. He was named All-NECC Big School Defense.
P: Abram Gehrett, junior, Bluffton – Gehrett did not have to punt much with the Tigers, who averaged 37 points per game, but when he did he was effective. He put nearly a third (six) of his 19 punts inside the 20-yard line, with a long of 43 yards. For the season, he averaged 34 yards a punt. He also shared kickoff duties. He was voted First Team All-ACAC.
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