As has become customary, Blitz is counting down who he feels are the top 50 individual players in northeast Indiana heading into the 2026 season.
A few insights into Blitz’s protocol:
- This is based on high school impact, not college potential
- No newbies. Players with previous varsity playing time only
Today, we cross the halfway point of our countdown with positions No. 25-21.
No. 25: RB CJ Jemison, senior, Huntington North
Jemison is a burner, plain and simple. When watching his film, as he gets to the edge and turns upfield, you can almost guarantee that he is going for a big gain, if not to paydirt, with his 4.7 speed.
The senior is a versatile weapon out of the backfield. He can carry the load offensively in the running game, or he can haul in passes in the flat for big gains. A year ago, despite battling injury, Jemison averaged 6.4 yards per carry, going for 790 yards and two touchdowns on 124 carries. He also caught 22 passes for 210 yards.
Naturally, Jemison is also an adept return man. A season ago, he took a kickoff back 92 yards for a score and averaged 36 yards per return. Watch for opponents to kick away from Jemison this year in special teams to try and limit his impact.
COACH’S QUOTE ON CJ JEMISON
“Christian is a hard-working young man that has a lot of natural talent. He has worked hard in the weight room and strives to be an outstanding leader on and off the field.” – Huntington North coach Mike Eshbach
No. 24: LB Detrick Smith III, senior, South Side
One of the most vicious and opportunistic defenders in the entire area. Smith III can do it all for the Archers – play the run, drop in coverage, force turnovers. The list goes on and on.
Watching tape on Smith III you can see just how good he is. On one play, he is blowing up a running back on a screen pass. The next, he is coming off the edge to punish a quarterback in the shadow of his own end zone. On another, he is reading a pass attempt, stepping in front to pick it off and going the distance for a score.
Smith III led the South defense in tackles (152) as a junior, and was second in tackles for loss with 20.5. He added four sacks and the 40-yard pick-six.
Impact players like Smith III are a reason why South Side is steadily turning things around under Coach Andre Goodwell.
COACH’S QUOTE ON DETRICK SMITH III
“Detrick has been a very steady and consistent grower at his position for the last three years, he’s been a defensive starter for three years and a captain on our defense for three years. He’s been a top 50 player in the area. He was First Team All-SAC last year. He’s a great teammate and a great young man to coach. It’s been a pleasure having him for four years and look forward to his senior season being solid and one of the best in the state and showing that he’s one of the best in the state. His talents will have a lot to do with our success this season!” – South Side coach Andre Goodwell
No. 23: DT Omarion Waites, senior, North Side
It has been amazing to watch the transformation of Waites over the course of his high school career. At one point, he seemed destined to be a pass catcher as a tight end, but over the years he has committed to the craft of being a lineman and is now one of the best around.
Waites led North Side in tackles a year ago with 98, an insane amount for a defensive lineman. He also was tops on the Legends with 16 tackles for loss to go with four sacks.
What stands out about Waites is his motor. He is quick coming out of his stance with his hand on the ground, and is ready to engage from the jump with his 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame. He moves well laterally and can scoot once he gets off blocks. Perhaps the most impressive attribute is that Waites always has his head up and is watching the ball carrier WHILE he is working to shed a lineman. He uses the lineman’s body against him to put himself in a position to make a play on the ball even before is loose. It shows the savviness of a kid who has really come into his own at the position.
COACH’S QUOTE ON OMARION WAITES
“Omarion Waites never asked for short cuts. He has earned every accolade by working hard and being disciplined. Would you believe me if I told you he started as a WR his freshman year and turned into a beast of a three-tech (lineman)?! I’m so proud of him ’cause he listens and applies what he learns!” – North Side coach Ben Johnson
No. 22: OL Matthew Wiginton, junior, Carroll
At 6-3, 275, Wiginton looks the part of a dominant dude in the trenches. Watch the tape, and he shows just how good he is already, despite being just a junior.
If Wiginton gets his hands on you, you are being taken out of the play. That’s it. His length coupled with his power means that he is on a defensive lineman before he knows it, and he is then made a non-factor by how Wiginton drives his legs and directs a defender where he wants him to go, up to and including on the ground with a pancake block. Frequently on tape, Wiginton takes linebackers out of the play simply by closing on them and forcing the linebacker to back up and otherwise try to get around Wiginton. But it hardly ever works, because Wiginton’s foot speed is excellent.
The fact that Wiginton is a junior means that his best days are ahead of him, a scary proposition.
COACH’S QUOTE ON MATTHEW WIGINTON
“Matthew Wiginton is a junior offensive lineman who is moving from guard to tackle for the 2026 season. Matthew has great strength, mobility and physicality that makes him an excellent player. He has been an impact player for us since his sophomore season. He has great instincts at the linebacker position and always seems to be around the football. We are counting on him to be one of the leaders of our football team.” – Carroll coach Doug Dinan
No. 21: WR/S Alex Scott, senior, East Noble
Scott has been making plays for years now for the Knights. He is one of those dudes that feels as if he has been an impact player on both sides of the ball for six or seven years.
Scott was East Noble’s leading receiver a year ago. His height at 6-3 is already a problem for defensive backs, but when you couple in how good he is at high-pointing the ball, he is almost impossible to defend.
Scott averaged over 21 yards per catch as a junior. He scored on nearly a quarter of his receptions, going for 10 touchdowns and 880 yards on 41 catches.
Defensively, he commands the back end of the defense at safety, and really grew into the role as the season progressed. He led East Noble in both interceptions (five) and passed broken up (eight). Scott has dabbled at quarterback in the past, which gives him the ability to read where a thrower could be going with the ball even more than a typical safety. He has used that to become one of the top safeties in northeast Indiana.
Add in the fact that Scott is East Noble’s primary return man, and he commands the attention of opponents in all three facets of the game.
COACH’S QUOTE ON ALEX SCOTT
“Alex had an all-state season as a junior and we expect the same type of production as a senior. Offensively, he is a great route runner and has the top end speed to take the top off of the defense. On defense, his range allows him to cover a lot of ground and make plays. He is closing in on the East Noble interception record.” – East Noble coach Alex Scott
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