Editor’s note: In January, The Republic ran its All-Decade boys and girls basketball teams from the 2010s, and over the past four months, we’ve unveiled our All-Decade teams in 17 other winter, spring and fall sports.
Today, our Best of the 2010s series comes to a conclusion. With football set to begin practice on Monday, what better way to get in the mood than by taking a look at the best football players in the area from the past decade?
As with all of our other All-Decade teams, to be eligible, athletes must have played at least two years between 2010-19 and finished their careers at an area school. But unlike the other All-Decade teams in each sport, this one will be done by position:
Player of the Decade: Markell Jones, Columbus East (2015 graduate)
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After playing linebacker as a freshman in 2011, Jones took the state by storm after moving to running back his sophomore year. He ran for 1,610 yards and 22 touchdowns that year, then put up 2,653 yards and 42 scores as a junior in leading the Olympians to the Class 4A state title.
Jones capped his high school career by rushing for a single-season state-record 3,565 yards to go along with 60 touchdowns as a senior, earning Indiana Mr. Football and Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year honors in 2014. He went on to play four years at Purdue.
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Gunner Kiel, Columbus East (2012)
Kiel was another Mr. Football and Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year from East, capturing the awards in 2011. He threw for 4,831 yards and 61 touchdowns in his final two years with the Olympians and was rated as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation by multiple outlets. Kiel spent one year at Notre Dame before playing his final three years at Cincinnati.
Quarterback: Kyle Kamman, Columbus North (2012)
Kamman threw for more than 3,900 yards and 39 touchdowns in two years as a starter for the Bull Dogs and set the single-game school record for passing yards. He went on to play at Ball State.
Quarterback: Trenton Kelley, Columbus North (2019)
Kelley threw for 4,005 yards yards and 41 touchdowns in two years as a starter for the Bull Dogs, tying the single-season school-record with 25 touchdown passes as a junior. He was The Republic Male Athlete of the Year for 2018-19. Kelley is entering his sophomore season at Morehead State.
Quarterback: Josh Major, Columbus East (2018)
Major threw for 3,866 yards and 43 touchdowns and ran for 3,636 yards and 53 scores in three years as a starter for the Olympians. He helped lead East to a Class 5A state runner-up finish as a junior and a 5A state title as a senior. Major is entering his junior year as a receiver at DePauw.
Running back: Mitchell Burton, Columbus North (2017)
Burton, who began his varsity career as a safety, ran for 3,892 yards and 51 touchdowns in a little more than two seasons as a running back for the Bull Dogs. His 25 touchdowns as a senior is a single-season school record. Burton was The Republic Male Athlete of the Year for 2016-17. He is entering his redshirt junior season at Miami (Ohio).
Running back: Andrew Wilson, Columbus East (2012)
Wilson ran for 2,960 yards and 49 touchdowns over his final two years with the Olympians, including 36 scores as a senior in 2011. He went on to play at Indiana University.
Running back: Jamon Hogan, Columbus East (2018)
Hogan ran for 5,480 yards and 77 touchdowns in his career for the Olympians, helping lead them to a 5A state runner-up finish as a junior and 5A state title as a senior. After spending one year at Marian, Hogan is entering his redshirt sophomore year at Hanover.
Wide receiver: Jaylen Flemmons, Columbus North (2018)
Flemmons owns North career records for receptions (93) and receiving yards (1,460) and the single-season record for receiving yards (995), which he set as a senior in 2017. He is entering his redshirt junior season at Ball State.
Wide receiver: Cam Wilson, Columbus East (2017)
Wilson was a two-way player at East as a receiver and defensive back. He recorded 72 receptions, 2,150 receiving yards, 900 kick return yards and 27 total touchdowns for the Olympians, helping them to a Class 5A state runner up finish as a senior. After spending one year at Illinois State, Wilson is entering his redshirt junior season at Indiana University.
Slot receiver/quarterback: Alex Cowan, Columbus East (2014)
Cowan began his varsity career as a slot receiver as a sophomore before taking over at quarterback his final two years, where he ran and threw for more than 1,000 yards both seasons and helped lead the Olympians to the 4A state title as a senior. Cowan went on to play as a receiver at Thomas More.
Tight end: Rhett Myers, Columbus East (2016)
Myers caught 43 passes for 677 yards and 11 touchdowns in his three years as a starter in a run-first offense. Myers, who earlier was named The Republic Boys Track Athlete of the Decade, recently finished his football career at Air Force.
Offensive line: Harry Crider, Columbus East (2017)
Crider was the Indiana Mr. Football Position Award winner for offensive line in 2016, when he helped lead the Olympians to a 5A state runner-up finish. He is entering his senior season as the starting center at Indiana University.
Offensive line: David Redding, Columbus North (2017)
Redding was a three-year starter for the Bull Dogs, primarily at left tackle. He is entering his redshirt junior season at Miami (Ohio).
Offensive line: Thomas Shoaf, Columbus North (2013)
Shoaf was a two-way standout for the Bull Dogs, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines. He went on to play at BYU.
Offensive line: Rob McKee, Columbus East (2013)
McKee was a three-year starter for the Olympians and was starting left guard on the Marian University team that won the NAIA national championship in 2015.
Offensive line: Dakota Sneed, Edinburgh (2015)
Sneed was a three-sport standout for the Lancers and a two-way lineman in football. He went on to play at Butler, where he earned honorable mention All-Pioneer Football League honors as a center.
DEFENSE
Defensive line: Mitchel Collier, Columbus North (2020)
Collier was a two-way standout at tight end and defensive end for the Bull Dogs. He was the Indiana Mr. Football Position Award winner at tight end in 2019. Collier is entering his freshman season at Central Michigan.
Defensive line: Drew Schoeberl, Columbus North (2016)
Schoeberl also was a two-way standout at tight end and defensive end and was a three-year starter for the Bull Dogs. He went on to play on the offensive line at Columbia.
Defensive line: Brock Patterson, Columbus East (2014)
Patterson was a standout defensive end for the Olympians. He had the game-clinching sack in East’s 4A state championship win against Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger in 2013.
Defensive line: Brock Greiwe, Columbus East (2015)
Greiwe was the other defensive end on the Olympians’ 2013 state title team. He came back with 64 tackles, including 13 for losses, as a senior. A dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor was found on Greiwe’s brain the week of East’s semistate loss, and although he signed with Indiana State, he was unable to play in college.
Linebacker: Sam Dwenger, Columbus East (2016)
Dwenger recorded 391 tackles, including 29 for losses, and four interceptions in his three years as a starter for the Olympians. He went on to play at Mount Union.
Linebacker: Shaquille Ash, Columbus North (2013)
Ash is the Bull Dogs’ single-season (112) and career (216) tackles leader. He went on to play at Marian, where he was a starter on the Knights’ 2015 NAIA national championship squad.
Linebacker: Luke Teague, Columbus North (2014)
Teague was a three-year starter for the Bull Dogs. He went on to play three years at St. Joseph’s, and after that school closed, he played his final season at Winona (Minnesota) State, where he now is an assistant coach.
Linebacker: Brigham Kleinhenz, Columbus North (2018)
Kleinhenz recorded 154 tackles, including 16 for losses as a senior in 2017. A three-sport standout, he was The Republic Male Athlete of the Year for 2017-18.
Defensive back: J.D. Harris, Columbus North (2018)
Harris is the Bull Dogs’ all-time interceptions leader with 14 and also shares the school record for longest kickoff return (96). He also played some wide receiver for North. Harris is entering his redshirt sophomore season at Northern Illinois.
Defensive back: Mitchell Kelley, Columbus North (2016)
After starting at quarterback the first three games of his junior season, Kelley moved to safety and became a force. in the Bull Dogs secondary. He went on to play safety at Rose-Hulman.
Defensive back: Damon Hunter Jr., Columbus North (2018)
Hunter Jr. recorded 173 tackles and five interceptions in his three-year varsity career. He is entering his junior season at St. Francis.
Defensive back: Jonah Wichman, Columbus East (2019)
Wichman was a two-way standout for the Olympians, exceling as a wide receiver on offense and cornerback and safety on defense, where he recorded 190 tackles and 16 interceptions. He is entering his sophomore year at Butler, where he is playing baseball.
SPECIALISTS
Kicker: Joe Gedeon, Columbus North (2013)
Gedeon made 13 of 16 career field goal attempts. He connected on nine field goals as a junior, including a school-record 43-yarder. A kicker and punter for the Bull Dogs, Gedeon went on to be a punter at Indiana University.
Punter: Sam Thomasson, Columbus East (2019)
Thomasson was 7 for 10 on field goals and 278 for 287 on extra points during his four-year career as a starter. He took over punting duties as a senior and averaged 38.9 yards, with 16 landing inside the 20.
Kick returner: Harley Huser, Columbus North (2017)
Huser was a triple threat for the Bull Dogs, starring as a receiver, defensive back and kick returner. He caught 20 passes for 276 yards and recorded 135 tackles and five interceptions. Huser returned three punts for touchdowns as a senior, including a school-record 87 yarder.
