Q of the Week: Who is the IHSA Football Player of the Year?
- Thread starter Edgytim
- Start date
In my unbiased opinion, it should go to Emmett Dowling.
I know you've watched him play, and you're probably more objective than most. Blessed with great recovers, Dowling is great in his own right. He throws some beautiful passes, remarkable for their accuracy, their surgical precision.
Man! Wide open race, have to look at title teams first: Dowling, Considine, Abrmas, & Thies
Sorry, no disrespect to Abrams, I just don't know much about him.
It's interesting that Jonas isn't in the conversation. I know he was injured, but still.
Abrams is the best I saw in person this year. Tommy Thies also very impressive.
Almost forgot Myson Johnson-Cook. Might be my PTSD from Saturday afternoon…
I still think Abrams and Thies are better candidates considering how they elevate their teams, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Johnson-Cook playing on Sundays in the future. Kids a DOG.I really thought Theis was fun to watch and Fenwick would not be where they are without him. Definitely POY candidate and if he is given the honor I get it but here is my case for Dowling....
Emmett Dowling accomplishments can be dismissed by people who may think MC gets enough accolades by easily saying "Look at all the talent he has around him". And it's a true statement...he does have an elite corps of WR's, a mammoth line, a top RB who stormed on the scene and a Heisman Finalist QB as his head coach. But Emmett really deserves this because of the grind he went through to get to this point. As a Freshman Emmett was benched after a couple games in favor of another QB who has since transferred. He just wasn't grasping the offense yet. He wasn't one of these players who came to MC who had a personal coach since he was 11, or was at the skills competitions or QB showcases/camps circuit, he was just an athletic kid who was his grade school QB that ran a completely different offense then what MC did and it took him a while to grasp it. Did he pout? No. Did he transfer? No. He asked the coach to put him a WR because it was a position they were in need of help with (all MC WR now are not seniors except Brown who transferred in later). So he finished as a WR and even a part time DB I'm told. But he worked his butt off in the off season to learn the offense, playing WR helped with that, and he got better. He trained with Coach Lynch and his older brother Blainey and still didn't spend all his free time with going to showcases or personal training. Sophomore year he didn't go to Varsity he stayed on the much forgotten Sophomore level and he had a solid year and continued to get better. With Jack Elliott he knew he would be a backup and not be able to be a two year starter and he didn't bolt for another school, he stayed and continued to learn. He got a spot start when Jack went down against a strong BR team and did well. This off season the position wasn't automatically handed to him. He had to work on it. The junior QB Ryder Startz, brother of MC LB Parker Startz, was very talented and had a great Soph year. Again he could have left and gone to Marist where his twin sister is and just won a Volleyball State Championship, or to Laurence with Coach Swanson when he got the job there, but he stayed at MC, a school that had been in his family for years, and he had to battle again to win the job, which he obviously did. And what did he do? He's approaching 4,000 yards and 40 TDs in the air and numerous yards and TDs on the ground and is the leader on the #1 team in the State with an extremely hard schedule. Long way from being benched as a Freshman. He's a grinder and I hope a D1 college gives him a shot. Give it him @Edgytim he earned it.
Emmett Dowling accomplishments can be dismissed by people who may think MC gets enough accolades by easily saying "Look at all the talent he has around him". And it's a true statement...he does have an elite corps of WR's, a mammoth line, a top RB who stormed on the scene and a Heisman Finalist QB as his head coach. But Emmett really deserves this because of the grind he went through to get to this point. As a Freshman Emmett was benched after a couple games in favor of another QB who has since transferred. He just wasn't grasping the offense yet. He wasn't one of these players who came to MC who had a personal coach since he was 11, or was at the skills competitions or QB showcases/camps circuit, he was just an athletic kid who was his grade school QB that ran a completely different offense then what MC did and it took him a while to grasp it. Did he pout? No. Did he transfer? No. He asked the coach to put him a WR because it was a position they were in need of help with (all MC WR now are not seniors except Brown who transferred in later). So he finished as a WR and even a part time DB I'm told. But he worked his butt off in the off season to learn the offense, playing WR helped with that, and he got better. He trained with Coach Lynch and his older brother Blainey and still didn't spend all his free time with going to showcases or personal training. Sophomore year he didn't go to Varsity he stayed on the much forgotten Sophomore level and he had a solid year and continued to get better. With Jack Elliott he knew he would be a backup and not be able to be a two year starter and he didn't bolt for another school, he stayed and continued to learn. He got a spot start when Jack went down against a strong BR team and did well. This off season the position wasn't automatically handed to him. He had to work on it. The junior QB Ryder Startz, brother of MC LB Parker Startz, was very talented and had a great Soph year. Again he could have left and gone to Marist where his twin sister is and just won a Volleyball State Championship, or to Laurence with Coach Swanson when he got the job there, but he stayed at MC, a school that had been in his family for years, and he had to battle again to win the job, which he obviously did. And what did he do? He's approaching 4,000 yards and 40 TDs in the air and numerous yards and TDs on the ground and is the leader on the #1 team in the State with an extremely hard schedule. Long way from being benched as a Freshman. He's a grinder and I hope a D1 college gives him a shot. Give it him @Edgytim he earned it.
He is all that but has less than 100 carries this year. Many mouths to feed down here.Almost forgot Myson Johnson-Cook. Might be my PTSD from Saturday afternoon…
McCaravan, it's a nice story but way too much talent there for a player of the year award for him. Same with Jonas.
I am going with Israel Abrams over Trae Taylor. What Carmel did to Loyola was something. Abrams working with Charlie Bliss has Bronco riding high. Saw Abrams once and it was darts in stride while he was moving. If the CCL rumor mill is correct MC will average 70+ points a game next year.
I am going with Israel Abrams over Trae Taylor. What Carmel did to Loyola was something. Abrams working with Charlie Bliss has Bronco riding high. Saw Abrams once and it was darts in stride while he was moving. If the CCL rumor mill is correct MC will average 70+ points a game next year.
Aaron Stewart. He was the best player on his team, best player in his conference, best player in his County.
Probably the best athlete in the State.
Probably the best athlete in the State.
Considine has been as impressive as anyone in the State. I think seeing him on TV on Friday will open a lot of eyes. Dowling answered the bell and has been great but look what he has to work with. Izzy Abrams and Aaron Stewart carried their teams. Can’t go wrong here but I would lean towards Considine. I think we are all a little tired of hearing about the Caravan.
No doubting Abram's talent and ability but their SOS is pretty weak. They avoided MC, BR, LA and SR. The CCL Blue team they faced was Iggy. They beat Marist by 7, Fenwick by 3, let up 54 to COM and won by 1 and now are coasting through 4A. Another notch for Dowling has been MC's SOS, I don't think any other team in the State could top it.
If it's the same rumor I'd been hearing the last two years the player it revolves around put a tweet up claiming it's false news.
Beware you know Considine has 3 triplet young brothers. Byron may be really, really good.
After the weekend of Championships.
Player of the Year has to go to Considine.
(Though I do feel that play to end the game was PI)
Player of the Year has to go to Considine.
(Though I do feel that play to end the game was PI)
Riley Contreras is the WSS player of the year - played both QB and DB. For the POY in the (arguably) toughest public school conference to not be in the conversation for state POY is ludicrous.
Tommy Theis…Most impressive all around player I’ve seen since Terry (Blackcat) Harthorne… both Theis are good..
Based on consistency throughout the year through the title game and his value to the team on both sides of the ball I gotta go with Considine.
You just put him in the conversation, so there you go...
Co-POY’s to the Thies Brothers.
No way Fenwick has the success they had without those (2).
No way Fenwick has the success they had without those (2).
Last edited:
I said Considine and he plays both ways and will likely play LB in college.
Abrams from Montini. Led his team to a perfect season and finished with 4,072 passing yards (11th most in the nation) and 40 touchdowns. Also would be happy with Considine. Honestly surprised he hasn't gotten more scholarship offers because he seems to have gotten a lot faster.