<p>As a freshman, Caden Curry led Center Grove with 64 tackles and earned a spot on the Class 6A Junior All-State team.</p>
<p>Not bad, he told himself, but we can do better. So he got back to work, trying to get bigger and stronger and more effective.</p>
<p>The results this past fall were nothing short of incredible. Curry put together an epic sophomore season on the Trojans’ defensive line, helping lead his team to the state championship game.</p>
<p>He was the lone sophomore named to the IFCA All-State Top 50, and he is also the Daily Journal’s Defensive Player of the Year.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]
<p>Curry finished the 2019 campaign with 100 tackles, setting a school record with 26.5 tackles for loss and collecting 10.5 quarterback sacks. He forced two fumbles and recovered two. Yet after all that, the 6-foot-5, 250-pounder believes he can do much more.</p>
<p>"I just wanted to improve and try to get better," Curry said. "That’s what I want to do next year — just get better and better."</p>
<p>His emphasis last offseason was working on beating double-teams, knowing full well he’d have to take on multiple blockers on almost every snap. Curry will continue to work on getting more technically sound, but he’s focusing on adding some more bulk to his already imposing frame.</p>
<p>"I have a lot of dreams to go play at the next level," he said, "so I hope I can just keep improving and making it, see how far I can make it in my future.</p>
<p>"I’m trying to work as hard as I can, get as big as I can, to have leverage on everybody else."</p>
<p>College coaches in the Midwest are already aware of what Curry can do — he has scholarship offers from the University of Cincinnati and Indiana University — and the rest of the country will start getting a taste soon. Just after New Year’s Day, Curry will head to San Antonio to take part in the National Combine, an event set up for the nation’s top underclassmen in conjunction with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.</p>
<p>While the offseason combines and camps will give him a chance to show collegiate coaches how he stacks up against the best young football talent in the country, they also provide opportunities for continued improvement heading into his junior season — when Curry will not only be trying to impress the recruiters, but also help Center Grove get back to the state title game and close the deal.</p>
<p>Last month’s 20-17 loss to Carmel, he says, will ensure that he and his Trojan teammates stay hungry until next August gets here.</p>
<p>"It definitely motivates us a lot," Curry said of the season-ending defeat. "We were really close; I thought we should have had it. But it just fuels us for next year to get better and better."</p>
<p>Opposing offenses have the next eight months to try preparing themselves for how scary that might look.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="All-County team" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>The 2019 All-County football defense:</p>
<p><strong>DL A.J. Beil, Whiteland senior:</strong> Named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Mid-State Conference after collecting 73 tackles, 15 of those for loss, with six quarterback sacks and 13 hurries.</p>
<p><strong>DL Austin Booker, Center Grove junior:</strong> A Class 6A Junior All-State pick after racking up 67 tackles (14 of those for loss) and eight quarterback sacks for the state runner-up Trojans.</p>
<p><strong>DL Caden Curry, Center Grove sophomore:</strong> The lone sophomore named to the IFCA Top 50 team … Led the Trojans with 100 tackles, 26.5 stops for loss and 10.5 quarterback sacks. </p>
<p><strong>DL L.J. Weems, Center Grove senior:</strong> A pleasant surprise up front for the Trojans, especially during the postseason … Finished with 32 tackles, including 9.5 for loss and six sacks.</p>
<p><strong>LB Gabe Boyd, Center Grove senior:</strong> Reliable team leader finished second on the state runner-up Trojans with 70 total tackles … Caused one fumble and recovered another.</p>
<p><strong>LB Brendan Couch, Franklin senior:</strong> Earned All-Mid-State Conference honors after finishing with a team-leading 117 tackles, including eight for loss, during the Grizzly Cubs’ 8-3 season.</p>
<p><strong>LB Jackson Schott, Center Grove junior:</strong> Came up with numerous big plays, returning two interceptions for touchdowns and breaking up eight passes … Totaled 41 tackles.</p>
<p><strong>LB Jacob Schultz, Whiteland senior:</strong> All-Mid-State pick paced the Warriors with 104 total tackles … Ranks fifth on the school’s all-time list in solo stops and sixth in assists.</p>
<p><strong>DB Tanner Allen, Greenwood junior:</strong> Led all area players with six interceptions … Made 41 tackles and broke up 13 passes … All-conference pick who also returned kicks for the Woodmen.</p>
<p><strong>DB Max Baker, Center Grove senior:</strong> Collected 68 tackles from his safety spot for the Trojans, adding an interception, a fumble recovery and four pass breakups.</p>
<p><strong>DB Jaylen Dunlap, Whiteland senior:</strong> Earned all-conference honors after intercepting two passes and breaking up 14 others … Also saw action on offense and returned kicks.</p>
<p><strong>DB Matt Soderdahl, Center Grove junior:</strong> Stayed busy on the corner, breaking up a team-high 11 passes and making 67 tackles, including 49 solo stops.</p>
<p><strong>P Dalton Spangler, Whiteland senior:</strong> All-conference selection who averaged 40.3 yards on his punts for the season … Was also perfect on his 24 extra-point kicks for the Warriors.</p>
<p><span>Honorable mention</span></p>
<p>Brett Barger, Indian Creek; Darius Bennett, Edinburgh; Noah Crow, Franklin; Harris Eason, Franklin; Tyler Fuqua, Franklin; Jordan Gorham, Indian Creek; Gage Gosnell, Center Grove; Ewan Niccum, Whiteland; Donnevan Plummer, Whiteland; Cody Robinson, Center Grove; Tyler Ross, Indian Creek; Gavin Ruppert, Greenwood; Sukhraj Singh, Franklin; Scott Sledge, Greenwood; Brayton Spetter, Center Grove; Austin Streeval, Edinburgh; Colby Welch, Franklin; Kayden Welling, Whiteland; Dane Young, Center Grove</p>[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title="Final 2019 stat leaders" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><strong>TACKLES</strong></p>
<p><strong>Player Tackles</strong></p>
<p>Streeval, Edin 154</p>
<p>Schultz, White 104</p>
<p>Bennett, Edin 101</p>
<p>Curry, CG 100</p>
<p>Wardzala, Ronc 100</p>
<p>Couch, Frank 94</p>
<p>Palmeter, Edin 86</p>
<p>Sinovic, Ronc 85</p>
<p>Crow, Frank 78</p>
<p>Bassler, Gwood 74</p>
<p>Ruppert, Gwood 74</p>
<p>Beil, White 73</p>
<p>Ross, IC 73</p>
<p>Kelly, IC 72</p>
<p>Boyd, CG 70</p>
<p>Clayton, Ronc 69</p>
<p>Baker, CG 68</p>
<p>Roberts, Frank 68</p>
<p>Booker, CG 67</p>
<p>Soderdahl, CG 67</p>
<p>DeLoach, Edin 66</p>
<p>Mayhew, Gwood 65</p>
<p>Miller, Gwood 65</p>
<p>Sledge, Gwood 65</p>
<p><strong>SACKS</strong></p>
<p><strong>Player Sacks</strong></p>
<p>Curry, CG 10.5</p>
<p>Wardzala, Ronc 8.5</p>
<p>Booker, CG 8</p>
<p>Beil, White 6</p>
<p>LJ Weems, CG 6</p>
<p>Mayhew, Gwood 5.5</p>
<p>Barger, IC 5</p>
<p>Crow, Frank 5</p>
<p>Donohue, Frank 4</p>
<p>Phillips, White 3</p>
<p>Ross, Edin 3</p>
<p>Snyder, IC 3</p>
<p>Volk, Ronc 3</p>
<p>Welch, Frank 3</p>
<p><strong>INTERCEPTIONS</strong></p>
<p><strong>Player INT</strong></p>
<p>Allen, Gwood 6</p>
<p>Brown, Ronc 4</p>
<p>Bennett, Edin 3</p>
<p>Dewey, Edin 3</p>
<p>Palmeter, Edin 3</p>
<p>Rinehold, Frank 3</p>
<p>Dunlap, White 2</p>
<p>Lopez, Ronc 2</p>
<p>Murray, IC 2</p>
<p>Phillips, Ronc 2</p>
<p>Pruitt, Gwood 2</p>
<p>Ross, IC 2</p>
<p>Schott, CG 2</p>
<p>Sich, Frank 2</p>
<p>Spetter, CG 2</p>
<p>Young, CG 2</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
