The hype is real off East State Street in Fort Wayne, where North Side has its most-talented roster in recent memory.
But the job of Coach Ben Johnson and his staff is to take that individual talent and pull it together as a team with a singular goal – ending the program’s 36-year sectional drought.
While success in the regular season is good and all, the Legends will be judged on what happens in October and beyond, not in August and September.
North Side brings back a total of 16 starters back from last season’s 6-5 campaign – eight each on offense and defense. Leading rusher Caleb Kiengele returns after running for 887 yards and seven touchdowns. He will be joined in the backfield by junior Brandon Gaither II, a transfer from Bishop Luers who rushed for over 1,000 yards for the Knights.
Do-everything athlete Maalik Moore returns as North Side’s leading receiver. The three-star recruit hauled in 53 receptions for 792 yards and 13 touchdowns past season. Seb Moore and Jarmeek Harrison have graduated, meaning senior tight end Sutton Yorko (10 catches, 138 yards, TD) should see some increased looks in the passing game. Seniors Jarnard Moore and BJ Johnson are two playmakers who should capitalize on defenses’ attention on Maalik Moore. Freshman Jase Brooks is one to watch as he could begin the season as a starter at one of the wide receiver spots.
The wealth of skill on offense will no doubt help out junior Brandon Sanders, who takes over the QB1 spot from last year’s starter Jaydin Rivers. Sanders has big shoes to fill, as Rivers completed 67 percent of his passes last year with 2,506 yards passing and 22 touchdowns. Sanders has an absolute cannon for an arm, but will need to show comfort with the nuances of the position. How he settles into a leadership role will also be key.
For a long time, the Legends struggled with line play, but they are equally skilled in the trenches this year as well. Omarion Waites and Derrion Goodwin are two of the best two-way linemen around. Juniors Kason Tomlinson and Lavardis Casey have experience, and the Holley brothers – junior Nick and sophomore Darius – will play big roles up front after transferring from Bishop Luers.
Leslie Woodson, a verbal commit to Iowa State, is a beast at the edge on defense. He went for 60 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and seven sacks a year ago. A lot of the same players along the offensive front will be in the rotation on defense, including Waites, Goodwin, Nick and Darius Holley and sophomore Zeke Smith.
Senior Markus Williams is a breakout candidate at linebacker, with classmate Jamarcus Martin returning following a junior campaign where he amassed 52 tackles, eight sacks and seven tackles for loss. Junior Ben Davis will join the duo at the second level of the defense.
Moore will lead the back end of the defense with his 38 tackles and four interceptions. At safety, Moore effectively takes away an entire side of the field from his position in the pass game. Jarnard Moore will also be in the secondary with BJ Johnson. Sophomore JB Brinkley and senior Jamari Simmons are ones to watch as well.
North Side must replace its kicker, but Maalik Moore handles the punting duties because, what can’t he do?
WHY #4?
You can argue that North Side has the most talented roster in the area, and you wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. The mix of experience and high skill makes the Legends one of, if not the most intriguing local team entering the season.
There is firepower everywhere, and North Side should have matching or eclipsing its average of 29 points per game in 2025.
The schedule is also advantageous. Due to the SAC’s rotating schedule format, the Legends will not play Carroll or Bishop Dwenger, who many favor as the top two teams in the entire area entering the season.
WHY NOT HIGHER?
When a new quarterback takes over under center, there is always questions. Can he get the ball effectively to the playmakers in space? Can he handle adversity? Will he step up in big moments?
Junior Brandon Sanders doesn’t have to do it all as QB1 for North, he just needs to do enough to allow the skill players do their work. And make no mistake, Sanders is a weapon of his own with how well he can throw.
And while hype and expectations are through the roof, the Legends still need to go out and execute. With a lot of the same faces last year, this team lost to Northrop, Bishop Luers, Homestead and Snider in the SAC.
Hype is nothing if it isn’t backed up on the field.
CRITICAL GAME
Week 1 at East Noble
A Week 1 game as the most critical on the schedule?
Just go with us, here.
North Side wants to show it is for real. There is no better way to do that than go on the road to a hostile environment in Kendallville and come home with a victory. A win sets the tone that this is a different Legends team, while a loss will have people saying it is “same old, same old” despite the loaded roster.
This is a statement game in every sense of the word. You can bet North Side wants to open some eyes right from the jump. And even more so against a potential sectional opponent with the Legends now in Class 4A.
CRUCIAL PLAYER
BRANDON SANDERS, JUNIOR, QUARTERBACK
As mentioned above, a lot of people discount how much Jaydin Rivers meant to the North Side offense last year. He got the ball out quickly and effectively, he did not turn the ball over much and he got the ball into the hands of the guys in best position to succeed. Most importantly, he was a veteran who handled the pressure of the position.
Sanders is a very good quarterback, but he is largely inexperienced in big moments on Friday nights. How does he handle an interception? How does he command the huddle? These are unknowns until he shows it at the varsity level.
With so much talent around him, Sanders does not have to be Superman. He is capable of taking this team to the next level with his skill set, but emotionally is where he truly needs to thrive.
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