Worth County’s State Championship football team was celebrated one last time Thursday as all the players were recognized by Coach Jon Adwell.
The freshmen were recognized first. Among them:
—Jordan Dannar, who is one of the fastest players on the team and made an immediate impact on special teams. He had a key one-on-one tackle on one of the Rock Port backs on a kickoff late in the State Championship game.
—Bentin Roberts. Overcame an injury that sidelined him for the first two JV games and became a fullback and a linebacker.
—Brock Healy. He was rushed into service in the first game against Rock Port and nearly led the Tigers back. As part of the scout team, he showed a high football IQ and became very good at predicting what the other team’s players would do.
—Xander Bodle. One of the littlest guys on the team, became one of the three kickers on the kickoff squad. Worked hard at overcoming drops as a receiver.
—Tucker Fletchall. One of the more versatile players on the team. They tried him at different positions this year, including guard, tight end, and defensive end.
—Jace Burns. When he came in, Coach Adwell said he didn’t know the speed of the game at first. But he worked hard in the weightroom and showed the potential to be a disruptive presence at nose tackle.
—Liam Cordell. As a freshman, he showed good body control and technique as a receiver.
—Mason Hiatt. Coach Adwell said he needed to go on a diet of glass and nails. Is breaking in as a wide receiver and a defensive back.
—Wyatt Scadden. Has the potential to develop into one of the best receivers the Tigers have ever had along with the likes of Bob Prather, Vinny Fletchall, Joel Terry, Dylan McIntyre, and Drew Yarmer. Coach Adwell said he had some of the most sensational catches he has ever seen.
Regarding the sophomores, Coach Adwell said, “These boys are starting to see the light. They are starting to see how their hard work in practice and the weight room pays off. I have high hopes for all three.”
—Liam Hayden. Took his aggression to another level this year. He is his own worst critic, and is much harder on himself than his coaches are.
—Trenton Adwell. The nephew of Coach Adwell, who said about Trent, “Last year, he liked tractors. Now, he likes football.”
—Wes Brown. Hit a big growth spurt this year and is no longer one of the littlest guys on the team. He is learning how to play offensive guard and defensive line.
Coach Adwell recognized some of the people behind the scenes.
—Jeannie Fletcher has done stats for the Tigers since she and Mark arrived to Worth County in 1991, 35 years ago. She kept going even after the time that Mark forgot to pick her up after a game.
—Payton Adwell. The daughter of Coach Adwell, she keeps stats, including timeouts, and helps keep him grounded.
—Larry Kinsella. The one-time line coach for Chuck Borey, he drives equipment to the games, films for the team, and Coach Adwell considers him one of his best friends.
The junior varsity squad finished unbeaten, with none of the games being close. The toughest game they played, besides the daily practices against the eventual State Champions, was an intersquad scrimmage they had between Coach Adwell’s team and coach Les New’s team, won by the latter on a last-second two point conversion.
Coach Adwell paid tribute to his assistants, Cree Beverlin, Dan Collins, Les New, and Derrick Fletchall. Cree Beverlin took the special teams. Dan Collins was the spotter from the booth, Les New called the plays on offense, and Derrick Fletchall worked with the offensive and defensive linemen.
The attention then turned to the juniors.
—Dylan Smith. Has more nicknames and talks more smack than anyone on the team. But it didn’t stop him from working his way into a key special teams role; he never let anyone get outside of him.
—Hayden Sanders. Not only a strong passer who can take the heat off the running game, he became one of the best lead blockers around. Worth County is one of the few teams that utilizes a quarterback this way. A perpetual optimist even when things were not always going the team’s way, he put it most simply at the Princeton game. “I’m proud of these boys,” he said.
—Caleb New. He did not even figure into the team’s plans at the start of the season, but broke into the starting lineup as an end, where he blocked and sealed off the edges. He had a big growth spurt last winter and finally stayed healthy. He made some big catches in the State Championship game, and helped out on special teams and defense as well.
Jude Archer. Stepped up in a big way when Cole Ruby injured his hip during the postseason, getting over 150 yards in the State Championship run. Coach Adwell said he was once one of the quietest kids on the team, but came out of his shell and developed a dry sense of humor. Was a constant threat to return punts for touchdowns on special teams. He was willing to take on any assignment without question, such as the time he was asked to crash down on Rock Port’s big linemen during the State Championship game.
Cole Ruby. A big offseason paid off for him this year, as he had over 1,500 yards rushing. He became a lot physically stronger and had the ability to turn nothing into something.
Lance Runde. Recovered from a scary injury last year to get back on the field. Broke into the lineup this year on special teams. One of the most level-headed kids on the team, Coach Adwell said he never gets mad.
Ethan Lininger. Broke into the starting lineup as the center and nose tackle, and has held down those positions ever since. Coach Adwell said he was always willing to volunteer for the blame when something went wrong.
Luke Findley. Coach Adwell said that he showed up ready to play every day, never made excuses, kept everyone else grounded, and was an inspiration to the rest of the team.
Ryder Smyser. Coach Adwell said that once he got his confidence, his performance skyrocketed. Coach Adwell said that Ryder was one of those kids who never complained, even during the game when Coach Beverlin put him on special teams without Adwell realizing it.
Bo Collins. One of the hardest workers on the team. Coach Adwell said that as Bo went, so did the team. Consequently, Coach Adwell asked a lot from him, telling him there could be no bad days or days off. After battling an injury last year, he healed up this year, and the emergence of Sawyer Thurman and Ryder Smyser on the line allowed him to move back to his natural position of end.
After this, Coach Adwell moved on to the seniors.
Brayden Combs. Last year, he started until he blew his knee out in the Stanberry game. But he still worked hard, came to practice every day with a good attitude, and helped show the younger players the ropes.
Sawyer Thurman. At 165 pounds, was one of the most fiery players on the team. Routinely went up against kids 100-150 pounds bigger than he was. Always had his teammates’ backs, and always trusted the process.
Brayden Stevens. He was the top defensive back for the Tigers, and was always asked to shut down the other team’s best receiver, which he did. Also, a steady force at runningback all year.
Lucas Frisch. Had a high football IQ, understood the game as well as anyone, and always had the players in the right position to make plays as a coach on the field. One of the biggest hitters on the team.
Brayden Murphy. One of the most versatile players on the team, he could jump in at multiple positions if needed. Broke into special teams, and jumped in on defense once during the postseason when one of the players cramped up. Was always willing to show younger players the ropes.
Wyatt Hill. Was at 102 pounds as a sophomore, and would always jump in when needed during practices, even when Coach Adwell didn’t want him to for fear of injury. By his senior year, the hunger had paid off and he had played his way onto the field as a defensive back. Even when he had become a starter, he would always volunteer for the defensive scout team in practices.
Lucas Frisch, Brayden Stevens, Sawyer Thurman, Bo Collins, Hayden Sanders, Jude Archer, Caleb New, Wyatt Hill, Ryder Smyser, Ethan Lininger, and Cole Ruby were recognized for making the All-GRC West and All-District squads.
Making the Academic All State squad were Hayden Sanders, Caleb New, and Brayden Combs.
Making the All State Squad were Lucas Frisch, Brayden Stevens, Bo Collins, Cole Ruby, Ethan Lininger, Sawyer Thurman, Jude Archer, and Hayden Sanders. Bo Collins was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Ryder Smyser was named Most Improved. The Best Attitude award went to Brayden Combs. The Underdog award went to Wyatt Hill. Special Teams Player of the Year went to Sawyer Thurman, who had an uncanny ability to squib kick the ball into no-man’s land and give the Tigers some extra possessions. He drew the ire of certain fans for topping the ball, but the fans didn’t realize he was doing what he was supposed to.
The Playmaker award went to Brayden Stevens. The Bell Cow award for Offensive Player of the Year went to Cole Ruby. The Coach on the Field award went to Lucas Frisch. The Mr. Football Award went to Bo Collins.
