Meet the 2023 Battle Creek Enquirer All-Area Football Team
BATTLE CREEK - The season is over, the playoffs are finished. But there was a lot of memorable moments for the high school football campaign, orchestrated by the top players in the area.
There was some league and conference success by the area teams. Deep runs in the playoffs. And there were plenty of standout individual performances behind those accomplishments deserving of postseason honors.
Meet the Battle Creek Enquirer 2023 All-Area Football Team below. The squad is selected based on nominations from area coaches and the Enquirer sports staff:
MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS:
Enquirer 2023 All-City Volleyball Team
Enquirer All-Area Boys Soccer Team
Enquirer All-City Football Team
Grant Asher
Athens
A standout on an Athens team that struggled for wins in 8-player football, Grant Asher was a do-everything senior for the Indians as he earned honorable mention all-league honors. Asher was second on the team in tackles as a defensive lineman and was also a starting offensive guard and played running back when needed.
Jackson Bagwell
Climax-Scotts
Part of a potent running back group, Jackson Bagwell had a breakout junior season with a team-high 20 touchdowns to go along with 1,307 yards rushing as Climax-Scotts had two running backs go over 1,000 yards. Bagwell was a key two-way player for an undefeated Panther team as a physical linebacker as C-S finished No. 3 in the state rankings.
Max Bleeker
Climax-Scotts
A senior leader on the offensive line, providing good size at 6-foot-1, 275 pounds, Max Bleeker helped the Panthers to a 9-0 mark in the regular season, and a No. 3 ranking in the state, earning a spot in the playoffs. Bleeker led an offensive line that helped C-S amass 3,916 total yards, earning all-league honors.
Parker Chamberlain
Homer
Parker Chamberlain was a standout on a Homer team that struggled for wins. The senior was one of the top safeties in the region as he had 49 tackles, including three interceptions, as he earned all-league honors in the Cascades Conference.
Elliotte Dodds
Marshall
After earning first-team all-league honors at defensive back last year, Elliotte Dodds had a breakout senior season at receiver this season for a 2-7 Marshall team. Dodds had 37 catches for 362 yards and three scores, earning all-league honors this year as well.
Maverick Downs
Colon
A dominant performer for a Colon team that went 4-5, Maverick Downs was a running quarterback who could take over a game. Downs finished his senior season with 1,669 yards rushing with 942 yards passing with 24 rushing touchdowns and 12 passing scores. Earning all-league honors, Downs was a team captain and team MVP.
Landon Evans
Gull Lake
A do-everything athlete for Gull Lake, Landon Evans is a two-way starter at linebacker, starting running back and also stepped in at quarterback due to injury. Evans had a big senior year for a Gull Lake team that won six games for the first time in 16 years as he had 37 tackles and finished with 399 yards rushing and five scores.
Tayven Feldpausch
Olivet
Tayven Feldpausch did it all for Olivet as a senior leader for a 3-7 Eagles team as he was the leading receiver on the team with 428 yards and three scores as well as the second leading rusher with 305 yards and four scores. Playing safety and linebacker, Feldpausch also led Olivet in tackles with 69 and earned all-league honors.
Chase Graham
Bellevue
A physical 6-foot-5, 230-pound tight end, Chase Graham helped Bellevue go from 0-9 a year ago to 6-3 in 2023 as a dominant blocker and pass catcher. Graham finished with 30 catches with 594 yards and eight scores. As a defensive end, Graham had 81 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss as he earned all-league honors.
Logan Gilbert
Climax-Scotts
Giving Climax-Scotts a more diverse offense, with an improved passing game, Logan Gilbert had a big junior year as the 5-foot quarterback played big for the Panthers when they needed it during an undefeated regular season. Helping C-S to a state ranking and to the second round of the playoffs, Gilbert finished with 1,008 passing yards and 14 touchdown throws along with 370 yards rushing and three scores.
Caden Hughes
Union City
A two-way starter, Caden Hughes had a dynamic junior season for a 6-4 Union City team that returned the playoffs as he led the Charger defense from his defensive end position with 50 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Hughes earned all-league honors in the Big Eight.
Owen Jackson
Union City
Owen Jackson was a standout for a 6-4 Union City team that returned to the playoffs as he led the Chargers in tackles from his linebacker spot with 102 stops as the senior was voted Big Eight Conference MVP and earned all-state honors.
Seth Keson
Bellevue
Seth Keson was part of a dramatic turnaround for the Bellevue football program that was winless a year ago and finished 6-3 in 2023. Keson set the single-game rushing record at the school with 355 yards as he played big as the Broncos quarterback. Keson finished with 1,241 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns with 708 yards passing and nine scores. On defense, he finished with 60 tackles and four interceptions as he earned all-league honors.
John Klimp
Galesburg-Augusta
John Klimp was a standout on a 2-7 Galesburg-Augusta team as he is a returning member of the Enquirer all-area team as a two-way standout player, finishing among the team leaders in rushing and tackles.
Luke Lawrence
Climax-Scotts
The key to the running game for Climax-Scotts, Luke Lawrence was an important two-way player for the Panthers during his junior season. Lawrence finished with a team-high 1,481 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns for the run-heavy Panthers. He also was a physical linebacker for a C-S team that went undefeated in the regular season and finished No. 3 in the state rankings, earning all-league honors as well as being picked to the all-state team.
Benson Luma
Gull Lake
The leading rusher for a Gull Lake team that won six games for the first time in 16 years, Benson Luma had a big senior year as a two-year, two-way starter for the Blue Devils. Benson finished with 753 yards rushing with five touchdowns and was among the team leaders in tackles at weakside linebacker.
Garrie Mann
Gull Lake
Garrie Mann was a devastating blocker from the tight end position as Gull Lake went 6-3, winning six games for the first time in 16 years. A three-year varsity starter, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior was also a key to the Blue Devil defense with 69 tackles, including 27 tackles for loss and seven forced fumbles, earning all-league and all-state honors.
Nicholas Martin
Maple Valley
The leading tackler as a senior linebacker, Nicholas Martin helped Maple Valley go 7-2 overall and earn a championship in the Tri-River Conference in 8-player football. Martin had 110 tackles and was voted Tri-River Defensive Player of the Year as he finished his three-year varsity career with 244 tackles, earning a spot on the all-state team.
Austin Miller
Marshall
A two-year starter, Austin Miller was the leader of the Marshall offense as the 6-foot-3 quarterback had a 119.4 efficiency rating as he had 883 yards passing and nine touchdowns. The junior was voted a team captain and earned all-league honors for a 2-7 Marshall team.
Nick Ryan
Marshall
A four-year varsity player and three-year starter, Nick Ryan was an anchor for the offensive line at 6-foot-1, 260 pounds for a 2-7 Marshall team. Showcasing good pass blocking, Ryan was a big part of the Redhawks offense and earned all-league honors and was voted team captain.
Andrew Shepard
Maple Valley
The leading rusher as a senior running back, Andrew Shepard helped Maple Valley go 7-2 overall and earn a championship in the Tri-River Conference in 8-player football. Shepard had 1,047 yards rushing with 15 touchdowns in eight games, earning all-league honors.
Josh Walman
Climax-Scotts
A key lineman in the Climax-Scotts running scheme, Josh Walman had a standout senior year as an undersized tackle at 5-foot-11, 180 pounds. In helping the Panthers to a 9-0 mark in the regular season, earning a spot in the playoffs, Walman led an offensive line that helped C-S amass 3,916 total yards, earning all-league honors as well as being picked to the all-state team.
HONORABLE MENTION
Chase VanMiddlesworth (Climax-Scotts), Sam Bleeker (Climax-Scotts), Ashton Matrau (Climax-Scotts), Tayshawn Simpson (Marshall), Caleb Dahlem (Bellevue), Noah Loren (Bellevue), Bradley Spencley (Gull Lake), Brody Grimes (Gull Lake), Evan Brandenburg (Maple Valley), Callan Hoefler (Maple Valley), Ben Kelenske (Olivet), Dylan MacDonald (Union City), Riley Laird (Union City)
Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick
This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: The Battle Creek Enquirer 2023 All-Area Football Team
