Road To History: Andrean Fighting 59ers

For the Andrean Fighting 59ers, their 21-9 win in the Class 2A State Championship game over Evansville Mater Dei was indicative of their season. They had to overcome adversity throughout the year including a 1-2 start. Relying on great leadership, the Fighting 59ers stayed the course and continued to ascend as the season progressed. Their playoff run included a win at Eastside. The title game itself tested Andrean’s resolve one more time, but in a low-scoring battle, they were able to dig deep and take home a state title. Offense Engineering the Andrean offense was Sophomore Quarterback Scott Ballentine. Ballentine’s outstanding season will give 59ers’ fans plenty of reason to be excited in the years ahead. This season, Ballentine went 222/325 through the air for 2,860 passing yards. Ballentine threw for 27 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. Ballentine is an accurate passer who puts the ball where it needs to be. He also possesses great mobility. Ballentine is able to make good throws and hit receivers while on the move. His ability to make plays was crucial for Andrean’s success this year, and he can give opposing defenses fits for the next two seasons. On the ground, Andrean received significant contributions from three players: [player_tooltip player_id="109626" first="Trey" last="Stephens"], Billy Jones and [player_tooltip player_id="39070" first="Drayk" last="Bowen"]. Both Stephens and Jones accumulated nearly 300 rushing yards. But the team’s leading rusher was Bowen. [player_tooltip player_id="39070" first="Drayk" last="Bowen"] was one of the top playmakers in the entire state this season on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he is a premier running back. Bowen led the team with 965 rushing yards on 155 carries, giving him an impressive average of 6.2 yards per carry. Bowen managed two rushing touchdowns. He is a difficult runner to take down, often breaking tackles, falling forward and gaining yards after contact. Andrean’s ability to run the football was critical this season. The leading receiver for Andrean was Robert Ballentine. Ballentine totaled 907 receiving yards. He caught 49 passes, nine of which were for touchdowns. Ballentine runs his routes very well. He shows a great understanding of how to run the route and where to end the route, finding ways to get open. Ballentine exhibits great body control, especially near the sideline. He is a dependable receiver who could do well in an offense at the next level. Defense Without question, the defensive playmaker for the 59ers this season was [player_tooltip player_id="39070" first="Drayk" last="Bowen"]. Bowen is one of the state’s top-ranked players in the Class of 2023- and he justified that this season. Bowen had an impressive 105 total tackles with 60 of those stops being solo tackles. Bowen also had three sacks, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and one punt block. Bowen is already a prospect that college coaches cannot afford to pass on- and he still has one more season in high school. Bowen plays with aggression. He can rush the passer effectively and apply pressure. When defending the run, he gets downhill and attacks the line-of-scrimmage. He is an outstanding tackler. [player_tooltip player_id="39070" first="Drayk" last="Bowen"] is a prospect who can be a star in college. Bowen gets great pressure, but the team’s leader in sacks was Senior Defensive End [player_tooltip player_id="98036" first="Jaden" last="Marsh"]. Marsh racked up 11 sacks this year. He is great off the ball, and he uses his hands well to defeat the block. Marsh gets great penetration, and he can disrupt the play. Not only does Marsh get after the quarterback, but he also plays the run very well. Marsh sets the edge, and he can control the line-of-scrimmage. Any team looking to put heat on the quarterback and win the battle in the trenches needs to take a look at [player_tooltip player_id="98036" first="Jaden" last="Marsh"]. He is a dominant player who could make a huge impact at the next level.