Indiana Prep Redzone Player of the Year: 5 Finalist

After analyzing the film, going through stats, and consulting with area scouts/coaches... We have narrowed our Indiana HS Player of the Year to five finalists! This award is based on a player's value to their team, and their performance throughout the season. This award is NOT based on an individual's level of recruitment, or their status as a college prospect.  Without further ado, here are the Final 5 players being considered for our First Annual Prep Redzone Indiana POY. <ul> <li>RB Aaron Nevil- North Harrison</li> </ul> Aaron may not be as much of a household name when compared to the other finalists, but his stats more than speak for themselves. As the state's leading rusher by over 350 yards, and scoring leader by 22 points, Nevil was an absolute workhorse for North Harrison.   On the year he took 368 carries for 2,460 yards and 32 TD’s. Just as impressive were his consistency and reliability... He averaged 6.7 yards per carry, went for over 100 yards rushing in every game, and didn’t lose a single fumble in 368 carries (according to MaxPreps stats).  Listed at 5’8" 230 pounds, you wouldn’t expect him to be an explosive player. But, that was far from the case when you consider the fact that he went for over 200 yards rushing in 7 of 11 his games.  To give you an understanding of Nevil’s value to his team, he scored an incredible 210 of North Harrison’s 356 points on the year.  You consistently see him carrying multiple defenders on his back when the ball is in his hands, and that makes his film a ton of fun to watch as well.  Aaron may not have the clout as some other players in the state, but there are few players in the entire midwest that had a season like his. <ul> <li>QB [player_tooltip player_id="38932" first="Duce" last="Taylor"]- Northside</li> </ul> I had an opportunity to see Duce at a camp last summer, so it came as little surprise when he started the year with a 379 yard / 5 TD passing performance.  Not only did the senior signal caller have a number of huge statistical games, he was extremely consistent too.  He threw for over 200 yards in 9 games, threw for at least one TD in 10 games, accounted for 2 or more TD’s in 10 games, and completed over 64% of his passes on the season.  His explosive game stats are eye opening as well. Duce had 3 games with 6 TD passes, another game with 5 TD passes, and 5 games with over 300 yards passing.  On the year he finished with 3033 yards passing and 33 TD’s, while only throwing 6 interceptions.  Even though he is listed as having 8 offers from FBS/FCS level teams, I still see him as a prospect that is under-recruited.  He has a ton of arm talent, is extremely accurate, see’s the field well, and is just an all-around gamer.  The only knock on him when it comes to major college programs is his lack of prototypical height, but when you turn on the film you see a kid that is capable of doing it all at the high school level and beyond. <ul> <li>RB [player_tooltip player_id="38922" first="Carson" last="Steele"]- Center Grove</li> </ul> There were multiple Trojan players considered for the final 5, but it was their senior leader at RB that made the final cut.  On a nationally ranked team full of D1 studs, Carson is arguably their most important player.  He battled some injuries as a junior, so it great to see him healthy and thriving as a senior.  Steele is a big/bruising back, but unlike many RB's with his size, he also has the athleticism to take it the distance.  When a team has a superb defense like Center Grove, a physical runner is the perfect compliment to their style of play, as he gives them the ability to grind out a game after getting an early lead.  Carson's numbers may not be as impressive as other top running backs in the state, but that is due to Center Grove's large leads, and game flow, more than anything else.  That being said, he's had a great year statistically with 1408 rushing yards / 26 TD’s on the ground, and another 7 catches for 152 yards and 2 TD’s.  Carson will be a major factor in Center Grove’s run for a state championship, and he is a player that has a chance to make waves at the college level as well. <ul> <li>QB Nathan McCahill- Cathedral</li> </ul> McCahill waited until his Sr season to be the man at Cathedral, and I'm sure he would tell you that it was worth the wait.  In the age of players immediately transferring when not named the starter, we rarely see a talented QB that is willing to put the team before himself like Nathan did.  His performance this season is just as much a testament to his character and hard work, as it is to anything else. That aforementioned hard work paid off from the very first week of the season, as he was more than prepared when it came his time to shine.  While leading Cathedral to an 11-1 record with playoff games remaining, McCahill's leadership is impressive to the point that it shines through on film.  QB's are judged on a number of factors, but few of those factors are more important than their ability to win games. McCahill hasn't only won a lot of games, but he has done so while putting up impressive numbers along the way.  He has completed 67% of his passes for 2,621 yards / 34 TD’s, while only throwing 4 INT's on 275 pass attempts.  The senior has also been impressive with his legs... Not only by extending plays with his feet, but by being a key component to Cathedral’s run game.  As the teams second leading rusher, he has carried the ball 103 times for 591 yards and another 11 TD’s.  Nathan McCahill may not have all of the recruiting accolades that other QB’s in his class have, but there are few players that I would want behind center when the game is on the line! <ul> <li>QB [player_tooltip player_id="38897" first="Donaven" last="McCulley"]- Lawrence North</li> </ul> You only have to watch a couple McCulley’s highlight clips in order to see how impressive this kid is as a prospect and player. As a true dual threat QB, he is a player that opposing defensive coordinators have to make an entire game-plan around.  His stats were very impressive on the year, but watching him make the plays is even more impressive. Calling him a game breaking talent could be considered an understatement. Donaven is the type of player that has opposing teams holding their breathe every time the ball is in his hands, because he is pretty much one play away from scoring no matter where Lawrence North was on the field.  As a player with with jaw dropping size and athleticism for the position, one of the most impressive aspects of his game is his accuracy as a passer.  While going 139 of 199 for 2,576 yards and 22 TD’s, McCulley completed 70% of his passes, and only threw 4 INT’s on the year.  Just impressive with his feet, he rushed for 506 yards / 2 TD’s, and had 3 games with over 100 yards on the ground. While he is currently committed to Indiana, don’t be surprised if some of the national powers come in and try to steal him late. This is a player with serious star potential at the college level. &nbsp;