Indiana 4A Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The season kicks off in just 2 days! Today, we're looking at the top 5 teams from last year's 4A and what to expect this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">East Central*</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be a new football era for East Central with Josh Ringer and Ryan Brotherton gone &amp; as the Trojans jump up a division. I put them in the 4A preview here simply because they had been 4A and I like to see how they stack against teams they just competed against for similar comparisons. Luckily, they've done a good job developing talent behind Ringer and upfront. They have a young line with a bunch of talent up front. [player_tooltip player_id='1133449' first='Ryan' last='Minges'] should be set to take on a big role at RB. The 2027 product was good last year and has been in the weight room all summer. Having [player_tooltip player_id='553067' first='Carson' last='Pieczonka'] return at OLB will be a big boost for the second level. Having Alex Kuhn back, their sack leader will be big. A few key pieces return but a few key pieces leave, so it'll be a balancing act to begin.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">New Palestine</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New Pal is always one of the most talented programs in the entire state. Offensively and defensively the amount of studs they have is impressive. Better yet, most of them are young and upcoming. Guys like [player_tooltip player_id='1180305' first='Mason' last='Oglesby'], their versatile 6'3" ATH in the 2027 class. [player_tooltip player_id='164410' first='Jacob' last='Davis'] is entering his second year for the Dragons and the progress he made last year was fantastic. Add in the Ranes brothers and then the team starts to take shape, except it doesn't mention [player_tooltip player_id='560133' first='Brock' last='Brownfield'], their anchor upfront. This team is loaded and if they stay healthy and play together, watch out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Northwood</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's going to be a very interesting year for Northwood in my opinion and I'm very curious to see how they respond. That 2023 team was simply magical because of some of the top talent that they had. Nitro Tuggle is gone and off to Georgia. Jojo Edmond is off to Michigan. How that team tries to replace those 2 will be the biggest hurdle. They do have Austin King returning, their second-leading tackler and defensive leader, but it will be hard to replace the 2 P4 players.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Leo</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a chance it takes a hot second for Leo to catch its groove this fall, but if not, watch out because they could be a big problem down the road. They have some big pieces they are trying to replace like Kaden Hurst and Kamden Zeisloft, but they also have some elite talent returning with a bunch of young recruits coming up. That team will be led by [player_tooltip player_id='366867' first='Brock' last='Schott'], the star TE prospect. [player_tooltip player_id='1032218' first='Jaxon' last='Keller'] is also returning and he averaged over 5.5 tackles a game last year. The program does a good job at maximizing players skillsets and with some of the versatility they have upcoming, this team could look much different than it did last fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Evansville Reitz</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Few teams will have to replace as many holes as Evansville Reitz will, but if any team is set up for that situation, it is Reitz. They are losing their tackler, rusher, receiver, sack leader, interception leader, and a ton of depth. The 2024 class that just left Reitz may have been one of the best they've had come through in a long time. Roland Vera Jr, Levi Oxley, Caleb Utley, Ayden Wells, and more are gone. Having that many openings on both sides of the ball is a sign that things may start slow, but don't bail on this team. They're still led by Ben Davies and he's entering his senior year. He's confident, throws with anticipation, and the guys rally around him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->