Trojans Sweep Annual Football Awards
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
After looking through the six area teams, the smallest one on the list contains this year's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, as well as the Coach of the Year.[[In-content Ad]]Following the program's second-straight sectional championship season, Triton senior Blake Hoffer has been named the Times-Union Defensive Player of the Year and junior Adam Creighbaum is the Times-Union Offensive Player of the Year. Joining his players on the team, Rodney Younis is the Coach of the Year, an honor also bestowed upon him in 2007.
"I'm happy it happened," Younis said of his team sweeping the awards. "I'm biased because I coach these guys and have been around them for seven years. So, I've seen pretty much seen them grow up."
Younis may be a bit bias, but when both players were also named to the 2008 Class A All-State Team, it's hard to argue.
"They are both gifted, which is God-given, but they also work extremely hard," Younis said. "Blake came in as a sixth grader and started working out with the high school kids. Then Adam began in seventh grade."
That work has definitely paid off.
Blake Hoffer
At 5-foot-8,175 pounds, Hoffer's size may not have intimidated Northern State Conference offensive linemen, but the quickness of the nose tackle definitely made him a handful.
"(In our second game of the year) against Northfield, I really began to feel like I was going to do well at the position," Hoffer said. "I had 18 tackles in the game, which was two away from the school record."
He may have been a couple tackles away from that single-game mark, which was 20 set by Clint Woodward in 2007, but he did grab the school's record for sacks (eight) and tackles for loss (21) in a season.
The two-time NSC all-conference player finished the year with 126 total tackles, while also recovering two fumbles and returning an interception for a touchdown.
Not bad for a kid coming in at 150 pounds as a junior.
"I ate a lot of protein during the summer," Hoffer said about packing 30 pounds on between his junior and senior seasons.
As a junior, Hoffer spent most of his time on the defensive line, but when bigger schools were on the schedule, Younis could move him to linebacker, utilizing his skills.
"Last year, we tried to use his strength and quickness when possible," Younis said. "Against Jimtown and New Prairie, we didn't want him to get rolled up, so we'd move him back. This year, he played nose tackle for the most part. However, against Whiting (in the sectional), he was getting double and triple-teamed, so we decided to move him over to linebacker to utilize his abilities."
He may have been able to play two positions, but according to Hoffer, he preferred one over the other.
"There's more contact right off the bat at nose tackle," he said. "I like it that way."
Using his quickness, Hoffer routinely found himself in the backfield of the opposition, and against run-happy NSC offenses, that was very beneficial to the Trojans.
"Against those offenses, it was nice to know where the pitch was going," Hoffer said.
And when a guy's making 126 tackles in a year, he doesn't have to say too much to lead his team.
"He's more of a leader by example than a vocal leader," Younis said. "To have a defensive lineman as a leader is out of the ordiniary. Usually, it's a linebacker or safety."
As a wrestler, Hoffer also qualified for the state finals as a junior at 145 pounds, so to be named as an all-state football player wasn't too big of a shock to his coach.
"I would have been disappointed if he hadn't been named to the all-state team," Younis said. "I thought he was one of the best in the state at his position. A lot of people look at the size of a kid, and at 180 pounds, he's not a typical defensive lineman. But with his ability, size and strength, he's a special player."
Adam Creighbaum
A year ago, Creighbaum was a running back among a stable of others.
Joining seniors Troy McIntyre, Chad Ulmer and Reggie Davis, a young sophomore named Adam Creighbaum was a member of a running attack that gave Triton it's first-ever sectional title in 2007.
On that team, Creighbaum was able to blend in. In 2008, that wasn't going to happen.
"During summer workouts, Coach emphasized how important it would be for me to become a leader," Creighbaum said.
He definitely did that, rushing for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns on 207 carries this season, but that wasn't all he did.
As the team's quarterback, he completed 32 of 75 passes for two touchdowns, and also returned 15 kickoffs, averaging 25 yards a return, while taking two all the way to the end zone.
"Our offense was centered around Adam," Younis said. "Our players really stepped up and blocked well for him. Defenses definitely knew who was going to get the ball, but they stepped up and made plays for him."
And Creighbaum is happy for the help he received from his teammates.
"We lost a couple of really good offensive linemen from last year's team," the 6-foot, 190-pound Creighbaum said. "We had a smaller line this year, but they really worked hard and I'm grateful for them."
Missing those linemen, as well as a lot of their offense from last year, some may have thought Triton may have lost a little something.
"If you'd have asked if we'd win eight games this year, I'd probably have said, 'No' after looking at them on paper," Younis said of the team that did finish 8-5. "But a paper can't see the heart a team plays with."
An example of the heart of the Trojans, and their offensive leader, came in the second week of season when Northfield grabbed a 13-12 lead from Triton with only 7.8 seconds remaining.
With the Trojans preparing to receive the kickoff, Younis had a message for his kickoff team - get the ball to Creighbaum.
"I was on the front line, and if I'd have gotten the ball, I was going to run it back to Adam and flip it to him," Hoffer said.
Well, Northfield didn't squib the ball.
"For some reason, they kicked it to him," Younis said. "He just caught the ball, and the Red Sea parted."
After receiving the kick, Creighbaum motored 75 yards to the end zone, giving Triton its second win of the year and Creighbaum a clip on YouTube.
"It happened really quick," Creighbaum said. "Before we went out to receive the ball, our special teams coach (Landon) Hawkins told us to never give up when you're down. So I just went out there and got the blocks."
Against South Newton in the Class 1A Sectional 33 championship game, Creighbaum once again found himself in a game-winning situation.
With Triton up 23-21, South Newton looked to win the game with a field goal, but even without playing special teams that often, Creighbaum crashed through the South Newton line, blocking the kick and securing the Trojans' sectional title.
With a guy making so many plays, you'd think the opposition could take him out of the equation, but that never really happened in 2008.
"It does make a difference when the other team keys on you," Creighbaum said. "But you have to do what you need to win. When you sit in the huddle, you can see the other guys want to win, so you really want to win, too. You want to work hard for them."
Rodney Younis
Along with winning for teammates, the Trojans also seem to have a real affinity for their skipper.
Coming to Triton in 2002, Younis has gone through the lean times, but now sits at the helm of a back-to-back sectional winner.
"We lost a lot of athletic ability from last year, but we gained team unity," Hoffer said. "This year, there wasn't one point when we had guys give up on a game. That couldn't be said for last year."
After years of mediocrity at Triton, a team not giving up on a game seems a bit out of character. But with Younis leading the way, the Trojans aren't giving up so easily anymore, and that all began in the weight room.
While doing previews for the Triton Trojans in 2002 and 2003, Younis routinely talked about work in the weight room.
Well, six years later, he's reaping the benefits of that philosophy.
"I've played with these kids for years and I know the determination they have," Creighbaum said. "They hit the weight room and have a good work ethic."
And after years of working to get the football program where it is now, Younis doesn't want to see it trail off.
"It's a matter of continuing what we've done here and having pride in it," Younis said. "We want to follow what the previous seniors have done and continue on that path."
2008 Times-Union All-Area Team
OFFENSE
Quarterback - Adam Creighbaum (Triton)
Running Back - Andy Conrad (Warsaw), Adam Jarrell (Whitko)
Receiver - Zack Linky (Warsaw), Corey Thomas (Manchester)
Linemen - Kyle Grossman (Valley), Dylan Goble (Warsaw), Josh Robinson (Manchester), Ryan Fultz (Whitko), Zack Clark (Triton)
Tight End - Zac Moriarty (Triton)
Kicker - Matt Franco (Warsaw)
DEFENSE
Linemen - Paul Bouse (Whitko), Jimmy Dove (Warsaw), Aaron Peters (Valley), Blak Hoffer (Triton)
Linebackers - Keith Koser (Valley), Ryan Bumbaugh (Whitko), Brady Miller (Manchester)
Secondary - Cort Walter (Whitko), Ryan Henderson (Mancester), Tom Daniels (Warsaw), Dustin Kreft (Triton)
Players of the Year
Offense - Adam Creighbaum (Triton)
Defense - Blake Hoffer (Triton)
Coach of the Year
Rodney Younis (Triton)
Latest News
E-Editions
After looking through the six area teams, the smallest one on the list contains this year's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, as well as the Coach of the Year.[[In-content Ad]]Following the program's second-straight sectional championship season, Triton senior Blake Hoffer has been named the Times-Union Defensive Player of the Year and junior Adam Creighbaum is the Times-Union Offensive Player of the Year. Joining his players on the team, Rodney Younis is the Coach of the Year, an honor also bestowed upon him in 2007.
"I'm happy it happened," Younis said of his team sweeping the awards. "I'm biased because I coach these guys and have been around them for seven years. So, I've seen pretty much seen them grow up."
Younis may be a bit bias, but when both players were also named to the 2008 Class A All-State Team, it's hard to argue.
"They are both gifted, which is God-given, but they also work extremely hard," Younis said. "Blake came in as a sixth grader and started working out with the high school kids. Then Adam began in seventh grade."
That work has definitely paid off.
Blake Hoffer
At 5-foot-8,175 pounds, Hoffer's size may not have intimidated Northern State Conference offensive linemen, but the quickness of the nose tackle definitely made him a handful.
"(In our second game of the year) against Northfield, I really began to feel like I was going to do well at the position," Hoffer said. "I had 18 tackles in the game, which was two away from the school record."
He may have been a couple tackles away from that single-game mark, which was 20 set by Clint Woodward in 2007, but he did grab the school's record for sacks (eight) and tackles for loss (21) in a season.
The two-time NSC all-conference player finished the year with 126 total tackles, while also recovering two fumbles and returning an interception for a touchdown.
Not bad for a kid coming in at 150 pounds as a junior.
"I ate a lot of protein during the summer," Hoffer said about packing 30 pounds on between his junior and senior seasons.
As a junior, Hoffer spent most of his time on the defensive line, but when bigger schools were on the schedule, Younis could move him to linebacker, utilizing his skills.
"Last year, we tried to use his strength and quickness when possible," Younis said. "Against Jimtown and New Prairie, we didn't want him to get rolled up, so we'd move him back. This year, he played nose tackle for the most part. However, against Whiting (in the sectional), he was getting double and triple-teamed, so we decided to move him over to linebacker to utilize his abilities."
He may have been able to play two positions, but according to Hoffer, he preferred one over the other.
"There's more contact right off the bat at nose tackle," he said. "I like it that way."
Using his quickness, Hoffer routinely found himself in the backfield of the opposition, and against run-happy NSC offenses, that was very beneficial to the Trojans.
"Against those offenses, it was nice to know where the pitch was going," Hoffer said.
And when a guy's making 126 tackles in a year, he doesn't have to say too much to lead his team.
"He's more of a leader by example than a vocal leader," Younis said. "To have a defensive lineman as a leader is out of the ordiniary. Usually, it's a linebacker or safety."
As a wrestler, Hoffer also qualified for the state finals as a junior at 145 pounds, so to be named as an all-state football player wasn't too big of a shock to his coach.
"I would have been disappointed if he hadn't been named to the all-state team," Younis said. "I thought he was one of the best in the state at his position. A lot of people look at the size of a kid, and at 180 pounds, he's not a typical defensive lineman. But with his ability, size and strength, he's a special player."
Adam Creighbaum
A year ago, Creighbaum was a running back among a stable of others.
Joining seniors Troy McIntyre, Chad Ulmer and Reggie Davis, a young sophomore named Adam Creighbaum was a member of a running attack that gave Triton it's first-ever sectional title in 2007.
On that team, Creighbaum was able to blend in. In 2008, that wasn't going to happen.
"During summer workouts, Coach emphasized how important it would be for me to become a leader," Creighbaum said.
He definitely did that, rushing for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns on 207 carries this season, but that wasn't all he did.
As the team's quarterback, he completed 32 of 75 passes for two touchdowns, and also returned 15 kickoffs, averaging 25 yards a return, while taking two all the way to the end zone.
"Our offense was centered around Adam," Younis said. "Our players really stepped up and blocked well for him. Defenses definitely knew who was going to get the ball, but they stepped up and made plays for him."
And Creighbaum is happy for the help he received from his teammates.
"We lost a couple of really good offensive linemen from last year's team," the 6-foot, 190-pound Creighbaum said. "We had a smaller line this year, but they really worked hard and I'm grateful for them."
Missing those linemen, as well as a lot of their offense from last year, some may have thought Triton may have lost a little something.
"If you'd have asked if we'd win eight games this year, I'd probably have said, 'No' after looking at them on paper," Younis said of the team that did finish 8-5. "But a paper can't see the heart a team plays with."
An example of the heart of the Trojans, and their offensive leader, came in the second week of season when Northfield grabbed a 13-12 lead from Triton with only 7.8 seconds remaining.
With the Trojans preparing to receive the kickoff, Younis had a message for his kickoff team - get the ball to Creighbaum.
"I was on the front line, and if I'd have gotten the ball, I was going to run it back to Adam and flip it to him," Hoffer said.
Well, Northfield didn't squib the ball.
"For some reason, they kicked it to him," Younis said. "He just caught the ball, and the Red Sea parted."
After receiving the kick, Creighbaum motored 75 yards to the end zone, giving Triton its second win of the year and Creighbaum a clip on YouTube.
"It happened really quick," Creighbaum said. "Before we went out to receive the ball, our special teams coach (Landon) Hawkins told us to never give up when you're down. So I just went out there and got the blocks."
Against South Newton in the Class 1A Sectional 33 championship game, Creighbaum once again found himself in a game-winning situation.
With Triton up 23-21, South Newton looked to win the game with a field goal, but even without playing special teams that often, Creighbaum crashed through the South Newton line, blocking the kick and securing the Trojans' sectional title.
With a guy making so many plays, you'd think the opposition could take him out of the equation, but that never really happened in 2008.
"It does make a difference when the other team keys on you," Creighbaum said. "But you have to do what you need to win. When you sit in the huddle, you can see the other guys want to win, so you really want to win, too. You want to work hard for them."
Rodney Younis
Along with winning for teammates, the Trojans also seem to have a real affinity for their skipper.
Coming to Triton in 2002, Younis has gone through the lean times, but now sits at the helm of a back-to-back sectional winner.
"We lost a lot of athletic ability from last year, but we gained team unity," Hoffer said. "This year, there wasn't one point when we had guys give up on a game. That couldn't be said for last year."
After years of mediocrity at Triton, a team not giving up on a game seems a bit out of character. But with Younis leading the way, the Trojans aren't giving up so easily anymore, and that all began in the weight room.
While doing previews for the Triton Trojans in 2002 and 2003, Younis routinely talked about work in the weight room.
Well, six years later, he's reaping the benefits of that philosophy.
"I've played with these kids for years and I know the determination they have," Creighbaum said. "They hit the weight room and have a good work ethic."
And after years of working to get the football program where it is now, Younis doesn't want to see it trail off.
"It's a matter of continuing what we've done here and having pride in it," Younis said. "We want to follow what the previous seniors have done and continue on that path."
2008 Times-Union All-Area Team
OFFENSE
Quarterback - Adam Creighbaum (Triton)
Running Back - Andy Conrad (Warsaw), Adam Jarrell (Whitko)
Receiver - Zack Linky (Warsaw), Corey Thomas (Manchester)
Linemen - Kyle Grossman (Valley), Dylan Goble (Warsaw), Josh Robinson (Manchester), Ryan Fultz (Whitko), Zack Clark (Triton)
Tight End - Zac Moriarty (Triton)
Kicker - Matt Franco (Warsaw)
DEFENSE
Linemen - Paul Bouse (Whitko), Jimmy Dove (Warsaw), Aaron Peters (Valley), Blak Hoffer (Triton)
Linebackers - Keith Koser (Valley), Ryan Bumbaugh (Whitko), Brady Miller (Manchester)
Secondary - Cort Walter (Whitko), Ryan Henderson (Mancester), Tom Daniels (Warsaw), Dustin Kreft (Triton)
Players of the Year
Offense - Adam Creighbaum (Triton)
Defense - Blake Hoffer (Triton)
Coach of the Year
Rodney Younis (Triton)
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092