By Glenn Marini

Fort Wayne, Ind. – On Friday night at Spuller Stadium two of northeast Indiana’s most electric offenses – and two of the state’s top recruits in Jerquaden Guilford & Maalik Moore – will square off as Northrop hosts Fort Wayne North Side to kick off Summit Athletic Conference play in week three.

The Legends are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2012, having knocked off Northridge in week one by a score of 21-7 while defeating New Haven 39-23 last Friday night.

Northrop also stands 2-0 after besting New Haven 41-0 in week one and earning a come-from-behind 31-23 victory in week two over a Huntington North program that won a sectional title last fall. The Bruins are seeking their first 3-0 start to a season since 1984.

As you might expect between two undefeated teams, there will be no shortage of talent on the turf Friday night at Spuller.

NORTH SIDE’S FIVE TO WATCH:

Leslie Woodson – Defensive End – Junior – 6’4” 213 lbs.

-You may not have heard of Leslie Woodson yet, but you’ve heard of his older brothers Jaylon & Rod Smith, who combined to suit up for 12 seasons in the NFL after playing collegiately at Notre Dame and Ohio State, respectively. Woodson broke his ankle heading into week two of his sophomore year and missed the rest of the 2024 season, so he’s been under the radar until he flashed with two sacks in North Side’s season opener.

COACH’S QUOTE: “He’s probably the next great one coming out of Fort Wayne. It’s in his DNA. The kid can go. He’s probably one of the best pass rushers in this area. Just watch out for him – he’s going to show up on Friday.” – North Side head coach Ben Johnson

Maalik Moore – Safety/Receiver – Junior – 6’3” 190 lbs.

-With offers from Wisconsin, Miami (Fla.), Indiana, Vanderbilt, and a number of MAC schools, Moore isn’t a secret to anyone on the recruiting trail. While his Power 5 offers are aimed at him playing defense in college, he picked up an offer from Western Michigan this week to play receiver. Moore had 5 catches for 81 yards and 2 touchdowns in the season opener, then followed it up with 4 grabs for 106 yards in week two. He also had the game-

clinching fumble recovery in the fourth quarter against New Haven after stripping the ball from behind while running down a Bulldogs receiver.

COACH’S QUOTE: “Maalik is a very special player. Since his freshman year he’s led us in receiving yards. He has about 15-plus offers. He can do it all, he’s a fantastic playmaker, and he’s also punting the ball for us as well.”

Caleb Kiengele – Running Back – Junior – 5’10” 185 lbs.

-With offers from Toledo, Miami (OH), and Kent State, this powerfully-built running back opened the season with 14 carries for 127 yards in a win over Northridge. However, he was held out of week two’s game with an ankle injury, but is on track to return this Friday night against Northrop for the conference opener.

COACH’S QUOTE: “Caleb’s ready to go. That kid has a motor that just doesn’t quit. You want a couple ‘Calebs’ on your team, and I’m happy we have one.”

Jaydin Rivers – Quarterback – Senior – 6’3” 215 lbs. -If the name ‘Jaydin Rivers’ sound familiar to football fans in the Indy area, it should – he played last season at Warren Central, where he threw for 746 yards and 6 touchdowns with the Warriors. The athletic lefty played his sophomore year at Hammond Noll, going 97-of-181 (53.6%) for 1,015 yads and 7 touchdowns while adding 4 more scores on the ground. Rivers transferred to Fort Wayne North Side for the spring semester in 2025, so he’s had time to develop a rapport with the Legends receiving corp as evident by his early-season production. Rivers was 19-of-24 for 195 yards and 3 TDs in North Side’s opener, then finished 17-of-27 for 372 yards and 3 TDs in week two. COACH’S QUOTE: “I love his size. I love his knowledge of the game. He’s very smart, he’s a great leader. He picks his teammates up when they get down and holds his teammates and himself accountable.”

Derrion Goodwin – Offensive/Defensive Line – Junior – 6’2” 275 lbs.

-With game-day invites from Ivy League programs Cornell & Dartmouth, Goodwin is the best offensive lineman to wear the red and white of North Side since 2024 grad Jordan King, who signed with Purdue & transferred to Ball State following the firing of coach Ryan Walters. While he gets occasional snaps on the defensive line, Goodwin leads an offensive front that will be key in keeping the pocket clean so Rivers can distribute the football to a

plethora of receivers including Maalik Moore, Jarmeek Hairston, and Jarnard Moore. COACH’S QUOTE: “Derrion Goodwin is a flat-out beast. I love him so much, the kid is an anchor of this entire team. I don’t normally name juniors captains, but he one thousand percent earned that honor this year.”

NORTHROP’S FIVE TO WATCH:

Jerquaden Guilford – Receiver – Senior – 6’3” 185 lbs. -The Ohio State commit is off to a scorching start as a senior, with 8 catches for 220 yards (27.5 yards per catch) and 4 receiving touchdowns through two games. While he has drawn comparisons to Ohio State redshirt freshman Mylan Graham – a New Haven grad who trained at Traction Athletic Performance in Fort Wayne alongside Guilford – the Bruins standout has a bigger frame, while Graham was known for his smooth route-running. Nicknamed “G2,” Guilford has also rushed three times for 21 yards while adding 1 interception on the defensive side of the ball this season. COACH’S QUOTE: “His maturity, his explosiveness have been impressive. He’s doing different things than he did last year – tracking the ball better. He’s worked hard – his body of work is showing.” – Northrop head coach Quentin Bowen

Ifeanyi Emedobi – Defensive End – Junior – 6’3” 200 lbs. -Emedobi’s father, Sam, played D1 football at Eastern Michigan University after an all-state career at Northrop, and Ifeanyi may follow in his footsteps. The rangy defensive end has played football for just four months after moving back to Indiana from Georgia, but made his impact felt in week two, racking up ten tackles and a whopping seven tackles for loss in a win over Huntington North in just the second football game of his life.

COACH’S QUOTE: “He’s just a baby deer out here wandering around, and he gets to the quarterback and he gets to the ball carrier. I’ve been impressed with his willingness to learn and his ability to pick up things that are new to him.”

Maddox Weil – Receiver – Sophomore – 5’10’ 180 lbs.

-Weil exploded onto the recruiting scene this summer, earning offers from Michigan, Penn State, Miami (Fla.), Indiana, and a number of MAC schools. With Guilford stretching the field as a deep threat, Weil is an excellent complement running underneath routes and

making defenders miss in space. He tallied 3 receptions for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns in the season opener. COACH’S QUOTE: “He’s quiet and works hard, puts his head down and just keeps grinding. He’s getting used to playing fast. The kid is very fast and no one really knows that until you actually see it. The game is coming to him right now.”

Dee Hogue – Safety – Senior – 6’1” 180 lbs.

-After helping lead Bishop Luers to the 3A state title game last fall, Hogue transferred to Northrop along with WR/DB Daveon Surry. Hogue was offered by Eastern Michigan University in February after amassing 81 tackles and 9 interceptions as a junior. He added 712 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns as a running back at Luers in 2024. While he’s yet to see much action offensively for Northrop this fall, coach Quentin Bowen says he expects to work Hogue into the mix more and more as the season goes on. COACH’S QUOTE: “His ability to come up and fill the gap is very impressive. It’s good to have a guy like that as your last line of defense.”

Camden Day – Offensive Line – 6’2” 265 lbs.

-Fresh off a trip to Kent State’s game this past weekend, Day has graded out as one of Northrop’s top offensive linemen so far this season while also contributing on defense. Strength is his biggest asset as he set the Northrop record for bench press with 345 lbs. and clean at 285 lbs. this past May.

COACH’S QUOTE: “He’s starting at our strong guard offensively, and is a rotational guy on defense. He put on about 25 pounds of muscle this offseason and it’s great to see it.”