Russ Yeast only got one football season in Indiana, but he got just about everything out of it that he could have asked for.
"It was a great experience," the Center Grove senior said. "I couldn’t have transferred into a better community than I did. The fans, the coaches, all of my teammates, my friends — everything’s been wonderful since I got here."
After a 2016 season that saw him gain more than 2,500 all-purpose yards, score 27 touchdowns and lead the Trojans back to the Class 6A state title game, Yeast is the Daily Journal’s Player of the Year on the offensive side of the football.
Yeast had played receiver and even quarterback during his three years of high school football in Ohio, and he was expecting to be used in multiple spots with the Trojans. But when senior running backs Titus McCoy and Trevor Hohlt were injured in the season-opening loss to Warren Central, Yeast was forced into an unfamiliar role as the main running back.
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He responded well, gaining 1,525 yards on the ground, and as McCoy and Hohlt worked their way back Yeast became more of an all-purpose weapon. He wound up with 27 catches for 602 yards and eight scores, including five in the regular-season finale against Cathedral.
Another adjustment Yeast had to make at Center Grove was spending less time playing defense. In years past, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder never came off the field. This fall, he was used only situationally at cornerback.
"(The coaches) thought that it would be best for the team if I could focus on one and give it my all on one side," Yeast said, "and just come in (on defense) when they need me. So that’s what I was going to do."
Cornerback is where Yeast is expected to play next season, when he’s wearing red and white again at the University of Louisville. The Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year is looking forward to continuing his career at the next level, but he’ll leave with fond memories of his lone season at Center Grove.
"There’s not many places that you can go and play in the environment that we’re playing in week in and week out," he said. "There’s not many high schools in America that have the fan base that we have, so it was really fun doing that."
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Russ Yeast by the numbers during his lone season at Center Grove:
RUSHING: 1,525 yards, 19 touchdowns
RECEIVING: 32 catches, 602 yards, 8 touchdowns
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ALL-PURPOSE YARDAGE
Rushing;1525
Receiving;602
Kickoff returns;251
Punt returns;178
Total;2553
(Averaged 10.5 yards each time he touched the ball)
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Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year
Mr. Football runner-up
IFCA Top 50
AP Class 6A All-State
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The 2016 All-Johnson County offense for football:
QB Jack Kellams, Center Grove senior: Passed for 14 touchdowns and did not throw an interception in Trojans’ final 13 games.
RB Edwin Cisneros, Whiteland senior: Carried 134 times for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns despite missing two games.
RB Brandon Rosado, Greenwood junior: Gained 1,249 yards on the ground and rushed for 14 touchdowns, adding four more scores on 14 receptions.
RB Trevor Hohlt, Center Grove senior: Versatile back gained 627 yards on the ground and 193 on 12 receptions, totaling eight touchdowns.
WR Bryce Hogue, Indian Creek senior: Led all area players with 46 receptions for 755 yards and nine scores.
WR Russ Yeast, Center Grove senior: Gatorade Player of the Year amassed 2,553 all-purpose yards and an area-best 27 touchdowns.
OL Ryder Burchett, Greenwood senior: All-conference tackle blazed paths for dynamic and balanced Woodmen offense.
OL Nick Davis, Center Grove senior: Guard helped lead push for an offense that totaled 4,884 yards from scrimmage.
OL Clay Hadley, Center Grove senior: All-State selection anchored line that gained nearly 265 yards per game on the ground.
OL Tarnjeet Singh, Whiteland senior: All-State selection paved way for rushing attack that gobbled up 311.6 yards per game.
OL Alex Van Dyke, Franklin senior: Class 5A All-State choice helped lead Grizzly Cub offense that averaged 332 yards of offense a night.
K Jacob Ballain, Whiteland senior: Converted 8 of 11 field goals and 37 of 39 PATs, adding 28 touchbacks on kickoffs. Averaged 39.2 yards per punt.
<strong>Honorable mention</strong>
Conner Battinau, Greenwood; Isaiah Borjas, Greenwood; Tavian Cosby, Edinburgh; Garrett Crowthers, Whiteland; Luke Eckert, Center Grove; Tyler Fromer, Franklin; Seth Gallman, Greenwood; Ryan Hammond, Whiteland; Cory Heinrichs, Center Grove; Noah Maness, Indian Creek; Titus McCoy, Center Grove; Ryan McGillem, Indian Creek; Tyce Miller, Franklin; Bailey Smith, Center Grove; Ben Van Dyke, Franklin; Taylor Voris, Indian Creek; D. J. Wilhelm, Indian Creek
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