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Gibson Southern, along with their first state championship, can add a few more accolades to their list today. As picked by 425 fans, the Titans dominated AlmanacSports.com's sixth annual Southwestern Indiana Fans Choice All-Area Football Team with nine selections, including player and coach of the year.
Player of the Year: Brady Allen (Gibson Southern)
After being named Mr. Football, it seemed like a no-brainer for fans to pick Brady Allen as their No. 1 guy in Southwestern Indiana, and that's exactly what they did for the Purdue-bound quarterback. Allen earned 71% of the vote, the highest ever in the six years of the fans choice team. The record had been last year's winner, Boonville's Devin Mockobee, who earned 51% of the vote.
Coach of the Year: Nick Hart (Gibson Southern)
Voted coach of the year for the first time was Nick Hart, who also earned his first state championship. Hart has been with the Titans since 2012 and has a 105-20 win-loss record.
Offensive Team
- Quarterback: Brady Allen (Gibson Southern)
- Running backs: Ray Brodie (Memorial)
- Running backs: Aidan Jochem (Southridge)
- Wide receivers: Rory Heltsley (Gibson Southern)
- Wide receivers: Eli McDurmon (Mater Dei)
- Tight End: Connor Foley (Jasper)
- Offensive linemen: Nicholas Boots (Mater Dei)
- Offensive linemen: Timothy Dixon (North)
- Offensive linemen: Cade Virgin (Gibson Southern)
- Offensive linemen: Drew Weinzapfel (Memorial)
- Center: Ryan Holzmeyer (Gibson Southern)
- Kicker: Jackson Mitchell (Castle)
Defensive Team
- Defensive linemen: Kris Butler (Castle)
- Defensive linemen: Aiden Farmer (Memorial)
- Defensive linemen: Ben Luttrell (Gibson Southern)
- Defensive linemen: James Ralph (Mater Dei)
- Linebackers: Levi Dickerson (Gibson Southern)
- Linebackers: John Purdy (Castle)
- Linebackers: Josh Russell (Memorial)
- Linebackers: Wyatt Willman (North Posey)
- Defensive backs: Connor Agler (Memorial)
- Defensive backs: Noah Bryant (Gibson Southern)
- Defensive backs: Brayden Malone (Gibson Southern)
- Defensive backs: Evan Reff (Castle)
- Punter: Steven Pritchett (Central)
Number of players by team:
Here is the breakdown on the voting:
Player of the Year
303 - Brady Allen (Gibson Southern)
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92 - Ray Brodie (Memorial)
30 - OTHERS
Coach of the Year
240 - Nick Hart (Gibson Southern)
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89 - John Hurley (Memorial)
79 - Mike Goebel (Mater Dei)
17 - OTHERS
Quarterback (1)
302 - Brady Allen (Gibson Southern)
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43 - Mason Wunderlich (Mater Dei)
27 - Clay Conner (Boonville)
26 - Ethan Brawdy (North)
14 - Harold Bender (North Posey)
8 - OTHERS
3 - Cameron Tilly (Castle)
2 - Nicot Burnett (Mount Vernon)
Running back (2)
258 - Ray Brodie (Memorial)
123 - Aidan Jochem (Southridge)
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112 - Jaiden Thomas (Bosse)
79 - TJ Hankins (North)
69 - Jed Galvin (North Posey)
32 - Rhett Sheren (North Knox)
32 - OTHERS
Wide receivers (3)
297 - Rory Heltsley (Gibson Southern)
197 - Eli McDurmon (Mater Dei)
139 - Connor Foley (Jasper)
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161 - Brayden Malone (Gibson Southern) (qualified as defensive back)
135 - Leo Collins (Memorial)
89 - Devin Lintzenich (North Posey)
67 - Isaac Maynard (Reitz)
23 - OTHERS
Offensive linemen (4)
266 - Cade Virgin (Gibson Southern)
261 - Nicholas Boots (Mater Dei)
221 - Drew Weinzapfel (Memorial)
174 - Timothy Dixon (North)
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166 - Jacob Potts (Jasper)
143 - Ross Tempel (Heritage Hills)
113 - Will Weatherholt (North Posey)
34 - OTHERS
Center (1)
248 - Ryan Holzmeyer (Gibson Southern)
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177 - Axel Diaz (Memorial)
Kicker (1)
170 - Jackson Mitchell (Castle)
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159 - Ethan Hill (Heritage Hills)
49 - Max Jessee (Southridge)
47 - OTHERS
Defensive linemen (4)
230 - James Ralph (Mater Dei)
223 - Aiden Farmer (Memorial)
216 - Ben Luttrell (Gibson Southern)
195 - Kris Butler (Castle)
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145 - Reece Wilder (Boonville)
135 - Caleb Moya (Forest Park)
130 - Jaden Wilson (Mount Vernon)
116 - Hurley Esters (Bosse)
59 - Will Morgan (Perry Central)
20 - OTHERS
Linebackers (4)
289 - Levi Dickerson (Gibson Southern)
205 - John Purdy (Castle)
168 - Josh Russell (Memorial)
168 - Wyatt Willman (North Posey)
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151 - Adam Watson (Castle)
141 - Braydon Durham (Heritage Hills)
134 - Ashton Schuetter (Jasper)
115 - River Snodgrass (Mount Vernon)
80 - Devan Kent (North Knox)
28 - OTHERS
Defensive backs (4)
269 - Brayden Malone (Gibson Southern)
244 - Connor Agler (Memorial)
233 - Evan Reff (Castle)
233 - Noah Bryant (Gibson Southern)
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228 - Bryce Humphrey (Mater Dei)
138 - Bralen Bair (Jasper)
120 - Holtman Doades (North Knox)
25 - OTHERS
Punter (1)
194 - Steven Pritchett (Central)
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79 - John Allen Malone (Princeton)
72 - Kyle Olmstead (South Spencer)
56 - Charlie Kabrick (Jasper)
24 - OTHERS
Tidbits:
- While Gibson Southern's Brayden Malone was the top vote recipient at two positions, the rules state that a player can earn only one position award; Malone had more votes at DB so Jasper's Connor Foley, who finished fourth at WR/TE, got the third slot in that category
- Jasper and North Posey earned a spot on the all-area team for the first time in its six-year history
- Fans have yet to include players on ten teams in Southwestern Indiana (Forest Park, North Daviess, North Knox, Perry Central, Pike Central, Princeton, South Spencer, Tell City, Vincennes Lincoln & Washington)
- Brady Allen is Gibson Southern's second player of the year (the first was Isaac Sellers in 2016)
- Only the second time the player and coach of the year were from the same school (other time was Memorial in 2019 with coach John Hurley and defensive lineman Brock Combs)
- Rules state that between the DL, LB and DB's, the top three at each position earn a spot. The final two slots go to two of the three fourth place players in each category. However, for the first time, each position had four players. After Evan Reff and Noah Bryant tied for third at DB, the first "wildcard spot" went to top two of three went to them with 233 votes. The next "wildcard spot" went to Kris Butler with 195 votes. The fourth place LB, with 168 votes, normally wouldn't have qualified. However, since there was a tie at third place between Josh Russell and Wyatt Willman, both were included.
Historical info since fans choice team started in 2016
Players & coaches who have qualified multiple years:
3 - Brady Allen (Gibson Southern), 2019-21
3 - Branson Combs (Memorial), 2015-17
2 - Jacob Boberg (Central), 2018 & 2020
2 - Will Brackett (Memorial), 2018-19
2 - Scott Buening (Southridge), 2017 & 2020
2 - Kenny Butler (Castle), 2019-20
2 - Cole Calvert (Southridge), 2017 & 2019
2 - Brock Combs (Memorial), 2018-19
2 - Joey Diekman (Reitz), 2016-17
2 - Isaiah Dunham (Reitz), 2016-17
2 - Teorien (Tory) Evans (Central), 2019-20
2 - Tre'jon Evans (Central), 2016 & 2019
2 - Max Goodwin (Memorial), 2017-18
2 - Drew Hart (Memorial), 2016-17
2 - Aidan Jochem (Southridge), 2020-21
2 - Austin Jones (Memorial), 2018-19
2 - Michael Lindauer (Memorial), 2017-18
2 - Eli McDurmon (Mater Dei), 2020-21
2 - Keioni McGuire (Memorial), 2017-18
2 - Jarrett Naas (Reitz), 2016 & 2018
2 - Steven Pritchett (Central), 2020-21
2 - Evan Reff (Castle), 2020-21
2 - Isaac Sellers (Gibson Southern), 2016-17
2 - Niles Sutton (Castle), 2019-20
2 - Miguel Turnbaugh (Memorial), 2017-18
2 - Drew Weinzapfel (Memorial), 2020-21
All-time number of players & coaches by team (2016-present):
- 32 - Memorial
- 21 - Central
- 20 - Gibson Southern
- 20 - Southridge
- 13 - Castle
- 13 - Mater Dei
- 13 - Reitz
- 5 - Heritage Hills
- 5 - North
- 3 - Boonville
- 2 - Harrison
- 1 - Bosse
- 1 - Jasper
- 1 - Mount Vernon
- 1 - North Posey
To be eligible, a player must have been named to one of the local all-star teams and play for a team in Southwestern Indiana (Daviess, Dubois, Gibson, Knox, Martin, Perry, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh & Warrick counties). Write-in votes were also accepted.
Any questions? Email us at dengler@almanacsports.com. | 
Dan Engler
