Sycamore Spartans football

There were no shortage of people who could catch the ball this year - whether that was on the offensive or defensive side of the ball. Here's this year's Daily Chronicle All-Area Football team.

After putting up eye-popping numbers wherever he played, Sycamore's Burke Gautcher earned his second straight Daily Chronicle Player of the Year award. He heads to Iowa to play for the Hawkeyes in January.

NIU announced a recruiting class loaded with tight ends and defensive lineman while DeKalb County high school players made their college plans official - including Burke Gautcher at Iowa.