DL – Kyle King
New Palestine, junior
One of Hancock County’s co-Players of the Year, King was unstoppable on both sides of the ball but excelled on defense. He led the state in sacks, with 18, double anyone in the county. His 26 tackles for a loss also were tops in the county, and his 71 tackles were in the top 10. He was an all-Hoosier Heritage Conference selection and all-state selection.
DL – Max Burhenn
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Mt. Vernon, senior
Burhenn was a key piece in the trenches for a Mt. Vernon defense that saw a lot of success on the defensive line. He tied for second in the county and conference with nine sacks, and his 15.5 tackles for a loss were second only behind New Palestine’s Kyle King. He finished the season with 40 tackles and was named all-HHC and all-state.
DL – Connor Price
Mt. Vernon, senior
Price was another big piece for Mt. Vernon’s defensive front, tying teammate Max Burhenn with nine sacks. He finished with 6.5 tackles for a loss and was named to the all-conference team for his ability to get to the quarterback.
LB – Luke Ely
New Palestine, senior
New Palestine’s middle linebacker led the defense to a state championship win in his final season. Ely capped a great career with all-HHC and all-state selections. The senior finished the season with 88 tackles, six tackles for a loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, an interception, and he returned both a fumble and an interception for touchdowns.
LB – Garrett Friesen
Eastern Hancock, junior
Friesen, an all-Mid-Eastern Conference selection, finished fourth in Hancock County in tackles. A leader on the Royals defense, he accounted for 123 tackles, a half sack and two forced fumbles. Friesen led the county in solo tackles with 73, one ahead of co-Player of the Year Maxen Hook.
LB – Aven Jones
New Palestine, junior
Jones quietly had a huge season for the Dragons, topping fellow all-county linebacker Luke Ely in several categories. Jones was fifth in the county in tackles, with 91, and added 10 tackles for a loss, four sacks and a fumble recovery this season. He was named to the junior all-state team.
LB – Bradon Nelson
Greenfield-Central, junior
Nelson had a massive season defensively for the Cougars, finishing second in the county in tackles behind teammate Tyler Antic. The junior had 131 tackles this season, with 11 tackles for a loss, four sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. He had eight games of double-digit tackles this year, including a 27-tackle game against New Castle in the regular-season finale.
DB – Maxen Hook
New Palestine, junior
Hook, a co-Player of the Year, was all over the field for the Dragons, making an impact on offense, defense and special teams. He stood out defensively, leading New Palestine in tackles with 126. From a defensive back position, he compiled 14.5 tackles for a loss, third most in the county, had 11 pass breakups, and added four sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and four blocked kicks. He was named all-HHC and all-state.
DB – Rylan Cole
Mt. Vernon, sophomore
Cole joins New Palestine’s Kyle King as one of two players to make all-county on both offense and defense. The sophomore was second in the county with five interceptions and had 47 tackles and two fumble recoveries this season. Cole returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns and earned all-state honors in his sophomore season.
DB – Ryker Large
New Palestine, junior
One of three New Palestine defensive backs to make the list, Large led Hancock County with 17 pass breakups and picked off three passes, tied for third most in the county. He finished the year with 34 tackles, two forced fumbles and a sack, and was named all-HHC.
DB – Brody Luker
New Palestine, junior
Luker was tops in the county in interceptions, picking off six passes this season. He added 57 tackles and had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, helping the Dragons defense en route to an undefeated season and a state championship.
K – Alex Kropp
New Palestine, junior
Kropp led the state of Indiana in kick scoring, finishing the year with 119 points. He was 6-of-7 on field goal attempts, and made 101 of 104 extra points attempted. The junior was named all-HHC, and averaged 8.5 points per game this year.
P – Eric Roudebush
New Palestine, junior
The Dragons junior didn’t have to punt often, but when he did he was good. He pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line six times, and he averaged 36.3 yards per punt on 21 attempts. Roudebush was named all-HHC as well.
Coach of the Year – Kyle Ralph, New Palestine
Ralph has had an incredible first six years at New Palestine, winning six conference titles, four sectionals, four regionals, three semistates and two state championships, one in Class 4A and one in Class 5A. He has compiled a 74-4 record, and his teams have won 54 straight regular season games and 41 straight HHC games. This year was the biggest achievement yet, as the Dragons powered past a 6A opponent for the first time and won a championship in a class above the school’s enrollment level, capping a 14-0 year with his second championship.
Honorable Mention
DL – Austin Keele, New Palestine, senior; Tyler Vandervliet, Eastern Hancock, junior. LB – Chase Settergren, Eastern Hancock, junior; Tyler Antic, Greenfield-Central, junior; Jacob Hockett, New Palestine, senior; C.J. Faubion, New Palestine, senior. DB – Seth Gillen, Mt. Vernon, senior; Cole Rainbolt, Eastern Hancock, freshman; Jaden Brown, Greenfield-Central, senior; Kade Large, New Palestine, junior.
