Typically, Blitz’s awards wait until the end of the season. But we gotta celebrate the midway point of the season somehow, right?
We can’t truly give out official awards just five weeks in, but what we can do is look at who would likely take home those honors were everything to end today. There is still a lot of football left, but, there have been some truly impressive seasons so far, both individually and as a team.
So here are some mid-season honors as we enter the second half of the 2025 high school football season:
PLAYER OF THE 1/2 YEAR: Harry Scheele, Carroll
Last year at this time, Carroll wide receiver Jaidon Vanpelt was leader in this race as he was piling up yards and touchdowns for the Chargers.
This season, same team and same position, different player.
Scheele is putting up similar ridiculously-high numbers for the Chargers. Through five weeks, he has 45 receptions for 695 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is averaging 139 yards receiving per game, and he is doing it against the likes of Hamilton Southeastern, Center Grove, Bishop Dwenger and Snider.
The senior is also deadly in the return game, returning a punt 70 yards for a score last week against Snider.
No team has been able to find an answer to Scheele thus far. He is the player of the year through five games, and right now it isn’t close.
Other Candidates: Gabe Frisinger, Carroll; Maalik Moore, North Side; Job Richman, Eastside; Alex Scott, East Noble
FIRST HALF MVP: Alex Scott, East Noble
When Alex Scott took a punt return 95 yards to paydirt to put East Noble ahead for the first and only time in its 12-7 victory at Leo last Friday, it was just the latest example of the do-everything senior making a game-breaking impact every week of the season thus far.
No matter where he lines up, Scott is a problem. He is the only receiver for East Noble with double-digit receptions (15), more than 100 yards receiving (244) and multiple receiving touchdowns (three).
On defense, he has already broken the program record this season for career interceptions. He has five of them, while no one else has more than two (Aaron Perlich).
And on special teams, he is someone you don’t want to kick to, regardless of whether it is a kickoff or a punt. Oh, and he punts for the Knights.
Alex Scott does it all.
Other Candidates: Leighton Brown, Jay County; Cooper Craig, Bluffton; Javontae Eldridge, Wayne; Logan Frieden, Homestead; Jaret Laughlin, Fremont; Aiden Reed, Garrett; Job Richman, Eastside
BREAKOUT PLAYER: Braydon Peppler, Northrop
There were a lot of questions around Northrop entering the season, and one of the main ones was if the Bruins had someone that could step into the role as a leader at quarterback vacated by the graduated David Callison.
Enter Peppler, a transfer from Carroll over the summer. Not only did he beat out sophomore Jaelin Jackson for the QB1 job, he almost immediately gained the confidence of his coaches and the respect from his teammates.
That trust has only grown through the first half of the season. The junior is completing 67 percent of his passes for 779 yards and six touchdowns with just a single interception.
Peppler’s rise has also allowed sophomore Jaelin Jackson to continue to grow into the quarterback spot as a backup. Peppler’s leadership has only challenged Jackson for the better.
Peppler’s impact should only continue to rise as top receiver Maddox Weil continues to work his way back from injury.
Other Candidates: Noah Geiger, Columbia City; Garrett Sorgen, Angola; Bracen Staley, DeKalb
COACH OF THE 1/2 YEAR: John Schaefer, Northrop
As mentioned above, the ability for Northrop to avoid being a one-year wonder loomed large heading into this season. While Coach John Schaefer was familiar with the roster haven’t been promoted from an assistant coach spot, it was still his first head coaching gig.
But so far, so good for the Bruins, who are sitting at 3-1, are in the thick of the SAC race and look the part of a program with staying power at the top half of the league.
Schaefer is a different kind of coach. He isn’t much of a yeller and really focuses on teaching the game and dividing his time between all position groups.
There were some who questioned Schaefer’s ability to ascend to head coach and keep the Bruins moving forward. He has proven he can do it.
Other Candidates: Alyx Brandewie, Eastside; Alex Stewart, East Noble; Seth Wilcox, Angola
GAME OF THE 1/2 YEAR: Bishop Dwenger 15, Roncalli 14, 3OT – Week 1
Talk about a banger to begin the season. The game was scoreless in regulation, only for the teams to trade blows, and miscues, in the extra sessions.
In the first OT, Bishop Dwenger had to score on fourth down, and make the extra point, to tie the game and send it into a second overtime. After the Saints were stopped in the second OT, Roncalli fumbled on its possession, with Levi Tippmann falling on it and sending the game to a third OT.
Roncalli scored from 15 yards out in the third OT, setting up Bishop Dwenger’s possession. Jordan Fabini scored on a run in which he was close to being ruled down prior to reaching the goal line. Kolyn Campbell then plunged in from three yards out on the two-point try to win.
The Saints overcame six turnovers and three overtimes to start the season off with a victory against the same team it beat in the Class 4A title game a year ago.
Other Candidates: Week 4 – Columbia City 29, DeKalb 28; Week 4 – East Noble 12, Leo 7; Week 2 – Eastside 21, Adams Central 14
BIGGEST SURPRISE: BISHOP LUERS
Last year at this time, we were talking about another SAC perennial power in the midst of an uncharacteristically bad season in Snider.
This year, it is winless Bishop Luers that is going through it.
While the schedule hasn’t exactly been kind, the Knights are known for competing with the best, in the city and outside of it. That has been tough to do this year with less than eight seniors and a roster across all grades barely above 50 kids.
Offseason transfers hurt the Knights at some key positions, and injuries have piled up through the first half of the season. That said, the lack of depth is concerning, because it is not as if Bishop Luers has not had success in recent years – three-straight trips to the state championship.
Snider evaluated everything introspectively last year during and after its 3-7 campaign, the worst record in program history. The Knights may be in the midst of the same thing to ensure this year is merely a blip on the radar.
WHO GETS TO STATE? – EASTSIDE
You can make the case for a lot of teams around the area to make a run to state – Carroll, Bishop Dwenger, East Noble, Bluffton, Adams Central, the list goes on.
We are also on a streak of four-straight years in which multiple programs from the area have made it to Lucas Oil Stadium over Thanksgiving weekend.
But Blitz sees flaws in a lot of the contenders. Carroll has to deal with Class 6A. East Noble has struggled of late in the first half of games before turning it on. Bluffton will need to get through Adams Central. The Flying Jets haven’t proven they can beat a team going vertical.
The only squad that has the combination of very few flaws PLUS a highly favorable road through the north in its class is Eastside. Outside of Lapel and perhaps Eastern, it is tough to find a team in Class 2A in the north that will be able to contend with the Blazers. Job Richman, Noah Dove and company are an absolute buzzsaw right now offensively.
Eastside has never been to a state title game. It might be the lone area representative come November.
These opinions represent those of Blitz and Outside the Huddle. No opinions expressed on Outside the Huddle represent those of any of our advertisers. Follow Blitz on Twitter at Blitz_OTH
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