With the football season kicking off in just over a month, it is time to begin looking at some of the top players from each position heading into the season.
In addition to my recruiting rankings, this season I will be doing some positional power rankings, among other fun things to help promote all of the talent we have in our area.
To kick off my Top 10 position rankings series, let’s start with quarterbacks. With so many talented QBs graduating, I felt like this would be the most challenging to come up with a Top 10. My thinking is, get the hardest list out of the way first (although likely won’t be).
NOTE: All of these rankings will be updated weekly once the season begins, with the possibility of new names joining the list and names moving up and down.
So, let’s get started.
1. Gabe Frisinger, Carroll
This should shock nobody. The leading passer in our area with over 3,300 passing yards and 27 TDs last season with 11 INT’s, Frisinger is looking to build on that this season. Double-digit picks may seem like a lot, but he threw over 330 passes last fall. While there is no Jaidon VanPelt this season, he still has weapons around him to continue to put up big numbers with a tough conference schedule and the always-rigorous Class 6A playoffs.
2. Job Richman, Eastside
We’ve talked about how dynamic Richman is with his ability to throw and run. Honestly, he had a strong case to be No. 1 with his 1,300 passing yards for 20 TDs and just four INTs last year to go along with 1,700 rushing yards and 11 rushing scores. He will be a name to watch in his senior season for the Blazers.
3. Jamison Roach, Adams Central
Much like Richman, Roach is another signal caller who can get it done in the air or on the ground. He threw for over 1,000 yards last season for the Flying Jets with 15 TDs and four INTs. He also added 1,200 yards on the ground for 23 scores. Roach goes into the season as one of the top guys at his position in northeast Indiana.
4. Axton Beste, Bluffton
Coming off a fantastic state runner-up campaign on the baseball field, Beste is in the midst of preparing for his senior season as the QB for Coach Brent Kunkel’s Tigers. Last season, he threw for 1,700 yards, 25 TDs and just five picks. With both him and running back Cooper Craig returning, the offense should be in good hands. The First Team All-ACAC QB returns under center as one of the top quarterbacks in the area.
5. Lathen Janes, Huntington North
As a sophomore last season, Janes had a quiet, yet impressive season. He finished with 1,700 passing yards for 18 passing TDs and eight interceptions. For a guy that isn’t extremely mobile, it was impressive to see he gained over 300 rushing yards. It was enough to land him All-NE8 Honorable Mention status in the conference. He does lose some weapons, including Jimmy Linker, who led the league in receiving last season, but he should still be in for a solid junior season.
6. Brandon Sanders, North Side
This will be his first season as a starter for the Legends, but he has been waiting for this moment. As a junior, Sanders comes in with a plethora of weapons on offense – Sutton Yorko at tight end, two all-purpose running backs in Caleb Kiengele and Brandon Gaither II, Janard Moore, Maalik Moore and more. In addition to his weapons, Sanders can sling the football, and he can move in and out of the pocket, as well. Sanders has been putting in the off-season work, and he is a name to watch this season for the Legends.
7. Logan Frieden, Homestead
Although he has participated in some camps as a wide receiver, Frieden has confirmed with us that he still plans to be the quarterback for the Spartans this season. He has been putting in some work both as a wideout and a QB during the offseason in hopes of a better senior campaign. When Michael White was sidelined last season due to injury, Frieden stepped in as QB1, as he threw for 1,600 yards and added 300 yards on the ground. This season, both metrics should improve, as well as his TD/INT ratio.
8. Trey McCraney, New Haven
The Bulldogs have struggled the past couple of seasons, but better days could be ahead with some emerging talent, including McCraney. He had the most pass attempts and completions in the NE8 last season and finished fourth in the league in touchdown passes (nine) and yards (1,622). The problem is he did finish second in interceptions with 11. These numbers don’t reflect the talent McCraney has. Being left off any All-NE8 team last fall was likely more than enough fuel to amp him up to prove himself this season.
9. Jaret Laughlin, Fremont
Fremont, as a program, is coming off its first eight-win season since the 2001 season. Much of that success was due to the play of Laughlin. Another dual-threat quarterback, Laughlin threw for nearly 800 yards and eight touchdowns last year, but also added 1,300 yards on the ground with 20 rushing scores. He has great size at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds and will likely begin getting on more colleges’ radars in his senior season.
10. Tommy Coffman, Bishop Dwenger
There is a lot of excitement around Coffman at QB1 for the Saints, particularly with the offensive scheme being switched to a more up-tempo style. Coffman looks the part, as he has reached 6-foot while putting on 30-plus pounds from a year ago. He looks like a natural when rolling out in the pocket, and is a threat to take off and run while also keeping his eyes downfield. Even as a first-year starter, the supporting cast around Coffman, coupled with his skill set and confidence, will allow the Saints to hit the ground running on offense this fall.
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