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Each week of the Indiana High School Football season we brought you four student athletes that have been nominated by their school's athletic director, coach, or even you the fans! Below are the nine weekly winners and a little bit about their accomplishments. Now we turn to the Ivy Tech Scholar Community College Athlete of the Year contest. Voting will run until the end of the IHSAA State Football Tournament.
These nine scholar-athletes have put their work in on the field and in the classroom and now it's time for you to vote on who will be honored during an on-field presentation at the December 9th home game against the Titans. So read the on and off field accomplishments of the below football players and make your voice heard by voting for who you think is deserving of being named the Ivy Tech Community College Scholar Athlete of the Year!
Anthony Warrum/WR-DB-PR/Heritage Christian - Warrum has excelled on and off the field over the last few years becoming an exemplary student-athlete. Aside from his AP classes and mission trips, Warrum has been a reckoning force over the past few years. He is a highly sought after Division I talent and Coach Ron Qualls says "there's not much he can't do. He is a fine young man.
Damian McDuffy/New Albany High School/Defensive Tackle - McDuffy a defensive lineman for New Albany is a Bulldog scholar, he has a 4.0 GPA, he is an excellent student, class leader and is involved in many nonprofit organizations. One specifically is the Lupus Foundation, where he has helped in raising over four thousand dollars last year for the foundation. This is something that hits home for McDuffy as his sister has lupus. He also is part of the Ice Socks team of the Kentucky Special Olympics helping raise 60,000 dollars for the Special Olympics and plunging into the river for the last three years. When McDuffy played freshman football, they lost only one game, and he was pulled to the varsity to play in sectionals. As a sophomore he was a starting defensive lineman, making many sacks and tackles through the season. The person who nominated him said "he is a determined player, and loves the game. He plays football with his heart, and recently participated in the Pro College Combine in Indianapolis with the some of the best in the state."
Chris Duckwall/Eastbrook High School/Offensive Lineman - Chris excels in academics alongside athletics. He is a peer mentor at his high school and works with the program to help freshman feel welcome and comfortable. He also has a job at a local golf course where he is known for his hard work ethic. Chris was an all-conference player last year as a junior, and is starting off well this year too. He is a starting offensive lineman, and this week he excelled on the defensive side as well. He takes his role as a senior leader very seriously. He loves being a team captain and works hard to encourage and excite his teammates
Josh McDonald /Greenfield-Central High School/WR-DB – Josh has been dealt a hard hand early in his life. He lost his brother two years ago and he remains the inspiration for Josh on and off the field. In the classroom he is able to maintain a 3.3 GPA on top of playing football and working a job. On the field he has been a staple of the Cougars on both sides of the ball.
Chandler Carroll/Yorktown High School/RB-DB – Chandler is ranked 5th out of 210 students in the junior class at Yorktown High School. He has a 4.022/4.000 GPA. He is taking a heavy load of AP courses, including AP Language, AP US History, and AP Chemistry, and he is receiving a high A in all. Chandler is also a Freshmen Mentor for Yorktown's Freshmen Kickoff Mentoring Program. He is responsible for monitoring the progress of three freshmen on a weekly basis. Chandler rarely leaves the field for the Yorktown Tigers. He is the feature running back, he is the second leading tackler from his cornerback position, he returns kicks and punts, and he is the holder for extra point. On Saturday September 8th against Greenfield Central in the Horseshoe Classic at Lucas Oil Stadium, Chandler rushed for 144 yards on 19 carries and one TD. On defense, he had 11 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 interception. He was the Horseshoe Classic Player of the Game. In four games, he has rushed for 528 yards and 6 TDs. He has 22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 4 interceptions.
Ryan Ripp/Hamilton Southeastern High School/RB-LB – If you're from Hamilton County and you haven't heard of Ryan Ripp you must be sleeping under a rock. This two-way starter has been the heart and soul of the Royals this season. Off the field, Ripp is a "high honor roll" scholar athlete with a 3.83 GPA. His stats on the field are impressive but his most impressive statistical measurement could be the 1740 he scored on the SAT. In 2011, Ripp had 1,174 yards and 19 touchdowns. This season through six games, Ripp has 759 yards and 15 touchdowns while sharing carries with a few other players. He has been voted to the All-HCC team the past two years which is no easy feat.
Joseph Sweeney/Cardinal Ritter High School/Defensive Lineman - Currently ranked second in his class with a GPA of 4.574, scored a perfect 800 on the Math portion of the SAT and perfect 36 on the Math portion of the ACT. He has received numerous academic awards. At Cardinal Ritter, is Vice-President of the National Honor Society, a member of the 2011 Championship Brain Game team and 2012 Runner-up Brain Game team. Also a member of the White River Academic League team and Academic Super Bowl. Participates in Service Learning, Campus Ministry and as a Student Ambassador. Is a nine year 4-H member and was named Outstanding 4H-er in Wayne Township in 2010. Won state and national awards in the Electric project. Participated in Youth Leadership Hendricks County during his sophomore year. Offensive and Defensive Lineman for the Raiders. Started both ways in 2011. Named Scholar Athlete for 2011 season, and academic All Indiana Crossroads Conference. Also, Scholar Athlete and Academic All Conference for Track and Field team in 2012.
Joey Miller/ Pioneer High School/RB/DB – Miller is quite the standout in the classroom. He has a 3.5 GPA and is ranked 22 in his class. The person who nominated him said "he's faced a lot of adversity and always keeps an positive attitude." Adversity in the form of injuries over the last few years which has kept him off the field, but he has still made an impact for the Panthers. He has been named a two-time National Underclassmen Combine most valuable running back. On the field this year, he has accumulated 1306 yards through eight games and has 18 touchdowns.
Connor Burgess /Carroll High School (Fort Wayne)/OL – Connor is widely respected as a leader at Carroll High School. He is the president of his sophomore class, a six year student council member, and is striving for the Academic Honors Diploma. He is also actively involved with his church and in youth ministry. The person who nominated him said "I noticed early on that this quiet, unassuming young man had the wide approval of a large number of his classmates in the school where I teach. Always on the lookout for potential leaders, this was immediately on my radar." He carries that over onto the football field as well. "This aforementioned ability seems to transfer into his relationships with team mates, making Connor Burgess part of the glue that sticks a good team together." He holds the Carroll all-time freshman and sophomore squat records. Connor also stays after every practice to help pick up the football locker room.
