Anyone who thought that East Noble football would regress when Luke Amstutz stepped down was emphatically proven wrong over the course of the last two seasons.
All Coach Alex Stewart has done in his first two years in Kendallville is compile a 24-3 record, with a trip to the Class 4A state championship game in 2024 and an 11-game winning streak to start last year before a shutout loss to Bishop Dwenger in the sectional final.
Entering Year 3 for Stewart, it is safe to say that the Knights aren’t going anywhere.
While there is experienced and production returning, do not discount the loss of Rylee Biddle. The two-way player was the leader on defense and ran the offense at quarterback. He made 101 tackles on defense and accounted for 2,804 total yards and 43 touchdowns while behind center. Whether it is senior Easton Kline or sophomore Bo Stirlen, the next QB1 has some huge shoes to fill.
Luckily, whoever the quarterback is will have Austin Phillips to hand the ball off to. As a freshman, Phillips, who is ranked the No. 8 player in the entire country in the Class of 2029, rushed for 967 yards and 11 touchdowns a season ago. He averaged over eight yards per touch. Expect Phillips to surpass the 1,000-yard mark on the ground and also see him be a bigger part of the passing game as well.
Lucas Niman is also back having rushed for 616 yards and six scores last season. Senior Ian Ramey, who looked sensational last year before he went down with injury, should have a bounce-back season.
Austin’s brother Alex may not get the attention he deserves, but he is a very capable receiver. Last season, Alex Phillips hauled in 58 catches for 668 yards and seven scores. Along with classmate Alex Scott (41-880-10), the duo are a tremendous one-two punch in the vertical passing game. Add in senior Jack Slater (12-323-1) and there is a lot to like out of the wide receiver corps.
The offensive line was hit hard by graduation. Hunter Smithson, Sam Strater and Hunter Shire, all First Team All-NE8 selections, have departed. Tayden Getts is the most proven big up front, but the Knights will need some newbies thrust into the lineup to step up and step up quickly.
Along with Biddle, East Noble’s defense will also miss leading tackler Andrew Oakes. While undersized, Oakes was a gamer who roamed all over the field and made plays. The Phillips brothers are both exceptional defenders, and Koen Quake from his linebacker spot led the team in tackles for loss last year as a junior with 16.5.
Scott has been brilliant on the back end of the defense at safety for multiple years. Last season, he led the team in interceptions (five) and passes defended (eight). There is no doubt that he will add some to his career totals this year. It will be a senior-laden secondary, with Kline and Jack Slater also back there.
WHY #3?
It is very much “rinse and repeat” with East Noble year after year. The Knights have won at least a share of the NE8 championship in each of the last three years, including capturing it outright with undefeated league records the last two seasons. Currently, East Noble is the standard in the conference and everyone else is chasing it.
With Austin Phillips leading the way on both sides of the football, East Noble is primed for another double-digit win season. For the second-straight season, the Knights are opening the year with a pair of SAC foes with North Side and Snider. If anything, we won’t have to wait long to know just where Coach Stewart’s team stands to begin the season.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
East Noble only lost one game last year, but it was a lopsided one – a 32-0 beatdown at the hands of Bishop Dwenger on the road in the sectional championship game. Once again, Bishop Dwenger is lurking in Sectional 19, as well as North Side and traditional rival Leo.
And then there is the absence of Biddle. When talking about the players who meant the most to their teams in 2025, Biddle was towards the top, if not at No. 1. The departure of Biddle will no doubt affect both sides of the ball, but especially at quarterback.
With new faces at quarterback and along the offensive line, there is cause for a little uncertainty when it comes to East Noble entering 2026. But the Knights typically reload, so why should this time be any different?
CRITICAL GAME
Week 5 at Leo
In what has quickly become one of the area’s best rivalries in the last decade or so, Week 5 has become “East Noble v. Leo” week for most of the media.
The NE8 schedule never changes, which means Week 5 always means it’s time for this showdown.
East Noble has won three straight in the rivalry, the most recent being a 56-40 shootout in Kendallville last year. Almost destined to meet in the postseason in Sectional 19, Week 5 is sometimes just the precursor to a playoff matchup where the stakes are elevated.
Even so, owning the NE8 once again will come down to being able to go on the road and knock off the Lions. Mark your calendars.
CRUCIAL PLAYER
AUSTIN PHILLIPS, SOPHOMORE, RUNNING BACK/LINEBACKER
Now in his second season at the high school level, the expectations have risen for Phillips, who is a top 10 player in his class in the entire country. He is a generational player to come out of northeast Indiana, let alone Kendallville.
While it is not all on Phillips’ shoulders this year for East Noble to have a great season, he will set the tone. Last year, he was just an ultra-talented freshman who showcased his skills to those unfamiliar with his talents. Now, he is a seasoned sophomore and all eyes will be on him every Friday night.
While his play will obviously be important, it is how he handles the spotlight and the expectations that will mean more. Fair or not, the East Noble roster will look to Phillips to set the tone and to be a leader. How he takes to that will go a long way towards the team’s fortunes this year.
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