Football: All-County defense

Owen Bright’s play has always spoken loudly.

As a sophomore on a senior-loaded Center Grove defense in 2021, his fourth-quarter interception helped seal a Class 6A state championship victory over Westfield, the second of the Trojans’ three consecutive titles.

This fall, as one of just a few seniors on a younger defensive unit, Bright found himself forced into a role that had previously been a bit outside of his comfort zone. As the most seasoned player on the field, he needed to do more than just lead by example as he had in the past.

“It was definitely a new challenge for me, just being that vocal leader and taking guys under my wing and sharing the experience I’ve had on the field,” Bright said. “It was my time to step up.”

Bright did so not only as a vocal leader on the Trojans’ defense, but also as his usual dominant self as a player. The senior linebacker was named one of the top 50 players in the state by the Indiana Football Coaches Association, and he is the Daily Journal’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Leading Center Grove to an 11-2 record and another semistate berth, Bright made a county-leading 117 tackles, including 79 solos. He did so against a uniquely daunting schedule that included five straight games against out-of-state opponents to begin the season. Those five teams combined for 61 victories — but went 1-4 against the Trojans, with Bright totaling 61 stops in those contests.

“It was awesome, man,” Bright said of the oddball 2023 slate. “I loved competing against national powerhouses every week. You can’t go into weeks knowing it’s a down opponent, or ‘we beat these guys every year.’ It was new faces, new challenges. We played some great athletes, some really extremely well-coached teams, and I had a lot of fun. It definitely added some spice to the season.”

Between those out-of-state games and battles with in-state rivals such as Cathedral and eventual state champ Ben Davis, which ended the Trojans’ run of postseason dominance with a 37-34 overtime victory in a semistate classic, Bright was going up against a high level of competition nearly every Friday night. Though he’s a bit undersized by Division I college standards as a 6-foot, 215-pound linebacker, he came away from those matchups confident that he can cut it at the highest level if given the opportunity.

“It really showed me that fast brains are going to win you games,” Bright said. “If I get a step on those guys, it doesn’t matter how big they are — they’re not going to get to me.”

The Trojans weren’t quite able to complete the march to a fourth straight state title, but that didn’t put any kind of damper on Bright’s career or his senior season in particular. One reason he enjoyed this year so much was getting the chance to play alongside his younger brother Lincoln, a sophomore starter on the defensive line who Owen says is “going to be 10 times the player that I ever was.”

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more,” Bright said of his overall experience. “I had the opportunity to go win four state championships in four years of high school football and be a key contributor on three of them, and I wouldn’t trade my Center Grove experience for anything. Coach Moore is great. Every single coach is the best coach I’ve ever had; they’re all supportive outside of football, they’re all here for us, they’re great schematically. It was really like playing at a college. … Obviously, we would have liked to cap it off, but you can’t win ‘em all.”

Center Grove wins a lot more than most — and for the past three seasons, Bright has been one of the biggest reasons why.

ALL-COUNTY DEFENSE

The defensive side of the 2023 All-County football team:

DL Kobe Cherry, Center Grove sophomore: Made a big impact in his first season as a starter, making 70 tackles with six for loss and three quarterback sacks for the Class 6A regional champion Trojans.

DL Nate Johnson, Center Grove senior: Named to IFCA Class 6A Senior All-State team … Made 69 tackles, 40 of them solo stops, with five quarterback sacks and an interception … Also a state wrestling qualifier.

DL Blake Smythe, Franklin sophomore: Finished with 68 tackles, including 14.5 for loss and 7.5 QB sacks … Had two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries … Part of IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State squad.

LB Brayden Isley, Franklin senior: An All-Mid-State Conference selection after logging 51 tackles, 13.5 of those for loss … Led the area with nine quarterback sacks … forced one fumble and recovered one.

LB Owen Bright, Center Grove senior: The county Defensive Player of the Year and an IFCA Top 50 choice … Led all area players with 117 tackles (79 solo), adding seven tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.

LB Kaden McConnell, Center Grove senior: Emerged as a leader in the middle of the Trojans’ defense with 81 tackles, 52 of those of the solo variety, on the way to a Class 6A semistate appearance.

LB Jordan Palmer, Whiteland sophomore: Led the Warriors with 106 tackles, including 57 solo stops and 11 tackles for loss … Forced four fumbles and intercepted three passes … IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State.

DB Brody Boswell, Center Grove senior: Led all county players with seven interceptions for an 11-win Trojans team … Totaled 39 tackles and also recovered a fumble … An IFCA Class 6A Senior All-State pick.

DB Tanner Crouch, Greenwood senior: Racked up 80 tackles (11 for loss), three interceptions and three fumble recoveries … Earned all-conference nod as a receiver (49 catches, 853 yards, 10 TDs).

DB Andrian Kolleigbo, Whiteland senior: IFCA Class 5A Senior All-State selection … Made 82 tackles, including 55 solos … Added two interceptions, 10 pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.

DB Michael Soderdahl, Center Grove senior: Made 49 tackles, including 37 solo stops, for the Trojans … Intercepted a pair of passes and recovered a fumble on the way to a Class 6A semistate appearance.

P Gunnar Hicks, Whiteland senior: Averaged 36.5 yards per punt with a long of 61 yards … Was the Warriors’ top receiver with 18 catches and amassed 711 all-purpose yards on offense and returns.

Honorable mention

Luke Barrett, Center Grove; Cole Basey, Greenwood; Eli Bryant, Edinburgh; Luke Chitty, GCA; Jacob Dinkens, Franklin; Curtis Gault, Indian Creek; Scott Harden, Whiteland; Jackson Hartwell, Edinburgh; Lance Jones, Franklin; Dane Kunz, Whiteland; Evan McIntire, GCA; Carter Modlin, Indian Creek; Levi Pappas, Indian Creek; Gunner Ruppert, Greenwood; Ayden Shaffer, Whiteland; Alex Ulloa, Whiteland; Ryder Woolwine, Center Grove