Daily Chronicle 2024 All-Area Football Team

Daily Chronicle 2024 Football Player of the Year

Burke Gautcher, sr., QB/S, Sycamore

First-team offense

Nathan Kleba, sr., QB, Genoa-Kingston

The Cogs threw the ball more than they have in recent years, and Kleba’s efficiency was a big reason why. He completed 52 of his 90 pass attempts for 712 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 24 carries, 177 yards and two touchdowns.

Davon Grant, jr., WR, DeKalb

Despite being bracketed all year, the junior still made 67 catches for 1,016 yards, plus ran 12 times for 71 yards and a touchdown. At safety, he had 39 tackles and four tackles for loss. He was an All-DuPage Valley Conference selection.

Billy Miller, sr., WR, DeKalb

If teams focused too much on Grant, Miller made them pay. He had 50 catches for 765 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Barbs. He also was named to the All-DVC team.

Aidan Wyzard, sr., WR, Sycamore

The Northern Illinois commit had a breakout season in his second year playing football. He made 26 catches for 665 yards and nine touchdowns and also returned a kick for a touchdown.

Carter Grabowski, jr., RB, Kaneland

He ran 140 times for 631 yards and five scores, made 18 catches for 179 yards and a score, plus returned a kick for a touchdown.

Owen Zaccard, jr., FB, Genoa-Kingston

He ran 86 times for 519 yards and four touchdowns as Genoa-Kingston made a return to the postseason. He also had an impact on defense for the Cogs.

Kyle Prebil, sr., TE/LB, Sycamore

Most of his offensive contributions were as a blocker, but he did make two catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. With a young offensive line, Prebil was a source of experience for the Spartans. He also was second on the team with 75 tackles, a team-best nine of which were for a loss. He had two sacks.

Owen Sisson, jr., OL, DeKalb

The All-DVC selection was athletic for his 6-1, 260-pound frame. His great feet and lateral quickness were an asset. He recorded 24 pancake blocks.

Owen DePauw, jr., OL/DL, Sycamore

He’s already a two-time first-team selection on the All-Interstate 8 Conference team. He had a big hand in the success of both lines, with a team-best six sacks among his 14 tackles and eight for loss.

Will Rosenow, so., OL, Sycamore

The Sycamore O-line kept getting better as the year went on, and Rosenow was a big part of that. Not only was his run blocking a big part of why the Spartans kept things on the ground more later in the season, but his pass protection was excellent, as well.

Jake Buckley, jr., OL/DL, Kaneland

Buckley was a force on both lines for the Knights. In addition to his blocking prowess on the offensive line, he had 41 tackles, 10 for loss and two sacks on defense. He was an All-Interstate 8 selection.

Dylan Sanagustin, sr., WR, Kaneland

One of the few returning skill players for the Knights this year, Sanagustin was a Swiss Army knife for the team. He ran 66 times for 355 yards and seven touchdowns, plus caught 40 passes for 547 yards and six touchdowns. He was named to the All-Interstate 8 team.

First-team defense

Justin O’Neal, sr., DE, DeKalb

An All-DVC selection, O’Neal finished the season with 77 tackles, eight for loss and three sacks.

Pierre Cathina, sr., DE, DeKalb

The defensive line was a major strength for the Barbs, and like O’Neal, Cathina was a big part of that. He had 51 tackles, six for loss and two sacks.

DeMarrion Belue, sr., LB, DeKalb

Belue had 55 tackles, six for loss and four sacks for the Barbs.

Tommy Butler, sr. LB, Hiawatha

Despite missing a game, Butler was a force on both sides of the ball for the Hawks. He had 102 tackles, three for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception. He also ran 96 times for 440 yards and five touchdowns. He made the Illinois 8-man Football Association North first team.

Rogan O’Neil, so., LB, Kaneland

The sophomore had a big impact in his first season, getting 10 tackles for loss and two sacks along with 63 tackles. He was honorable mention on the All-Interstate 8 team.

Landon Egler, sr., LB, Sycamore

The All-Interstate 8 selection led the Spartans with 82 tackles. He had eight tackles for loss, including two sacks. The linebacker group was a big part of the reason the Spartans won their first 11 games and gave up more than 14 points only twice, neither after Week 4.

Caden O’Donnell, sr., LB, Sycamore

O’Donnell defined what a ball-hawking linebacker can be. He had four interceptions and a fumble recovery and had three defensive touchdowns. He finished the year with 69 tackles, two for loss, and six sacks.

Cooper Bode, jr., LB, Sycamore

Bode had a pair of interceptions to go with 55 tackles this year. He had a sack among his six tackles for loss and earned a spot on the All-Interstate 8 team.

Dylan Hodges, sr. LB/RB, Sycamore

Not only was the All-Interstate 8 selection the lead back for the Spartans, but he made 31 tackles, two for loss, when called upon at linebacker. He had 129 carries for 713 yards and seven touchdowns.

Patrick Young, sr., S, Genoa-Kingston

Young was an occasional weapon on offense but was strong in the secondary for the Cogs. He had 74 tackles, three for loss, an interception and five pass breakups.

Carter York, sr., S/WR, Sycamore

The All-Interstate 8 selection could make a catch whether playing on offense or defense. He had five interceptions this year, one he returned for a touchdown. He also made 33 tackles, two for loss, and forced a fumble. He was the leading receiver with 41 catches for 693 yards and three touchdowns.

Thatcher Friedrichs, sr., CB/K/P, Sycamore

Friedrichs had 33 tackles on the year, but some of his biggest contributions were in the kicking game for the Spartans. He was 2 for 5 on field goals with a long of 45 yards, 55 for 57 on extra points and punted 21 times for an average of 38.4 yards per kick, 12 times going inside the 20.

Honorable mention

Mariyan Dudley, sr., RB, DeKalb; Hayden Hodgson, sr., TE/LB, Genoa-Kingston; Sam Bruno, sr., K, Kaneland; Josiah Mitchell, jr., WR, Sycamore