Football: All-County offense

When he lines up under center in college, Tyler Cherry will likely have a handful of highly recruited wide receiver prospects to look for. But he may never feel the same sense of comfort and security he’s felt the last two years with Noah Coy.

“It’s been great,” Cherry said of his Center Grove classmate. “When you see him lined up against anyone, you know he’s going to find a way to get open and I can trust him.”

Cherry and Coy used their chemistry to lethal effect this season, torching both opponents and the Trojan record books through the air. Inseparable in their impact on the Class 6A regional champs, the two seniors share the Daily Journal’s Offensive Player of the Year honors for 2023.

“We’ve built trust up since, it’s been like eight or 10 years now, so he has the trust in me to put it wherever he needs me to go get it,” Coy said of Cherry. “We kind of just look at each other and know what the plan is.”

More often than not, Center Grove’s plan in big moments involved both Cherry and Coy.

The Trojans have been a run-first team more often than not under legendary coach Eric Moore, but they leaned into their most talented offensive players this fall and passed far more frequently. Cherry completed 218 of 305 passes (71.5%) for 3,156 yards and 34 touchdowns — all single-season school records — while being intercepted just six times. Coy was by far his favorite target, hauling in 97 receptions for 1,417 yards and 21 TDs. All of those figures also crushed the previous school standards.

Brevin Holubar was the Trojans’ No. 2 receiver with 39 grabs.

When Cherry needed to pick up a first down, there was usually little doubt about where he was going to go — and little chance that opposing defensive backs could do much about it. At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, Coy doesn’t exactly fit the mold of what an elite wide receiver looks like, but he managed to become one nonetheless.

“I’ve been able to have pretty great coordination; just blessed with that,” Coy said. “But definitely working on routes day in and day out, being able to get to my top speed out of the breaks, that’s something that I felt like set me apart the last couple of years.

“Just having that mindset that I’m going to come down with anything that (Cherry) throws to me.”

Both players credit assistant coaches Joe and Joey Siderewicz for letting them play freely throughout the last two seasons and open up what has traditionally been a largely power-based offense. Cherry finished his career with school-record totals of 4,574 passing yards and 56 touchdowns despite starting for just two seasons; Coy caught 166 passes — more than double the previous mark — for 2,682 yards and 36 scores.

The tandem was instrumental in helping the Trojans win a Class 6A state title in 2022 and follow up with an 11-2 record and a semistate appearance this year. Center Grove lost a 37-34 overtime thriller to eventual state champ Ben Davis, ending a run of three straight championship seasons, but that doesn’t dampen what the group accomplished together.

“It definitely does sting to come up just a little bit short,” Cherry said, “but on the other note, we had a great performance, so I’m proud of the guys for that.”

After accomplishing so much together, Cherry and Coy will head in very opposite directions next year.

Cherry is committed to play his college football at Indiana. Previously a Duke commit, Cherry called an audible earlier this week after Blue Devils coach Mike Elko departed for Texas A&M. He took visits to Indiana University and Michigan State before signing this week to play for IU.

Coy, meanwhile, has opted to bypass football in favor of a career on the baseball diamond. He’ll suit up for the University of Notre Dame.

Given his immense talent and the distinguished history of baseball-playing wideouts in South Bend (most notably Jeff Samardzija and Golden Tate in the mid- to late 2000s), it stands to reason that one would inquire about Coy’s desire to pull a similar double for the Fighting Irish.

Don’t count on it happening — at least not yet.

“Right now, I’m not sure if it’s the best fit for me to play both,” Coy said, “just because of how hard it is on my body, especially as a middle infielder. A lot of those guys were pitchers, so they were able to do it just because they were freak athletes on the mound, too. But it’s definitely something that’ll stay in my mind; I’m not going to say that I’m not down for it, but we’ll see what happens.”

The future remains unwritten. In the past is a decorated Center Grove career that might not have ended with a fourth title but still wound up loaded with amazing accomplishments.

“It took a week or so just to really funnel in those emotions,” Coy said, “and channel it into good nostalgia and something to look back on through all the memories that we created.”

ALL-COUNTY OFFENSE

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

QB Tyler Cherry, Center Grove senior: An IFCA Top 50 pick and a Mr. Football finalist for Class 6A regional champs… Passed for 3,156 yards and 34 touchdowns, completing 71.5% of his throws … Will play at Duke University.

QB Brock Riddle, Greenwood senior: Put up big numbers in the Woodmen’s new spread offense, throwing for 2,900 yards and 32 TDs and rushing for 553 yards and seven scores … An All-Mid-State Conference honoree.

RB Alex Leugers, Franklin junior: Spearheaded the Grizzly Cubs’ offense, rushing for 1,389 yards and 14 touchdowns in 10 games … Also caught 13 passes for 109 yards on the way to all-conference recognition.

RB Slate Valentine, Whiteland junior: Earned IFCA Class 5A Junior All-State honors after rushing for a county-best 1,940 yards and 20 touchdowns … Had 286 yards and five TDs in sectional win over Terre Haute North.

WR Noah Coy, Center Grove senior: Caught 97 passes for 1,417 yards and 21 TDs, shattering former school records … Named to the IFCA’s Top 50 team … Committed to play baseball at the University of Notre Dame.

TE T.J. Williams, Center Grove junior: A key blocker and receiver for the Trojans on the way to a 6A semistate appearance … Hauled in 18 passes for 141 yards and a score.

OL Tyler Frieden, Center Grove senior: Helped lead the way for a Trojan offense that racked up more than 3,000 yards through the air and over 1,500 more on the ground on the way to an 11-win season.

OL Peyton Hutchins, Center Grove senior: Earned IFCA Senior All-State honors in Class 6A … Anchored a line that paved the way to a 13th consecutive sectional championship and a sixth straight regional crown.

OL Alex Kramer, Greenwood junior: Named to the IFCA Class 4A Junior All-State team … Led the charge as Woodmen passed for 2,906 yards and ran for 2,063 more while scoring more than 33 points per game.

OL Jonah McIntosh, Whiteland junior: All-conference selection keyed a front line that helped the Warriors rack up 3,260 yards rushing (250.8 per game) on the way to a repeat Class 5A sectional championship.

OL Conner Voris, Franklin senior: A three-year starter for the Grizzly Cubs who earned All-Mid-State Conference recognition … Helped pave the way for a ground attack that averaged 231 yards rushing per game.

AP Jalen Sauer, Indian Creek senior: All-WIC and IFCA Class 3A Senior All-State selection passed for 2,225 yards and 31 TDs while also rushing for 1,191 yards and 12 scores … Also served as a punter for the Braves.

K J.D. Sever, Franklin senior: Converted 22 of 23 extra points and six of seven field goals, with a long of 40 yards … Averaged 37.8 yards per punt with a long of 60 … Also an All-County player in soccer.

Honorable mention

Gabe Bennett, Edinburgh; Alan Burnett, Greenwood; Trey Dobson, GCA; Andrew Eckhart, Center Grove; Bobby Emberton, Indian Creek; Jaxon Fleming, Whiteland; Kaden Fleming, Whiteland; Nathan Goins, GCA; Doug Hobbs, Greenwood; Brevin Holubar, Center Grove; Kobe Keithley, Greenwood; Amare Middleton, Greenwood; Malachi Mink, Indian Creek; Jaxson Palmer, Indian Creek; Logan Porter, Indian Creek; Connor Ramey, Edinburgh; Jaxon Ramey, Indian Creek; Quentin Richards, Franklin; C.J. Scifres, Center Grove; Brody Stephens, Franklin; Sam Welch, Franklin; Matthew Yoder, Center Grove