LINDEN — A season to remember.
Kelby Harwood certainly had a season to remember.
One so good, in fact, he has been named Journal Review Football Player of the Year.
The North Montgomery standout put big numbers up on both sides of the ball, helping to lead the Chargers to the County Championship and an appearance in the sectional championship game.
“I wouldn’t want to change a thing,” he said, looking back on a two-year run that had him post some big receiving and defensive numbers.“We lost a strong senior class last year,” he continued, “and I knew that stepping up in a leadership role and taking charge of the team was part of my role if we wanted to have a successful season. The notion that nobody thought we could win the county title fueled a fire in us.”
A pair of overtime wins over Crawfordsville in bad weather and at Southmont did land Harwood and the Chargers that coveted county crown. Harwood had three touchdowns in each game, one of the many highlights of the season.
There were plenty more.
“Beating South again in the first round of the sectionals was great,” the lanky wideout said. “I had a fourth-down fake punt for a first down that I’ll always remember.”
A five TD game in the second playoff game against Lewis Cass also ranks close to the top.
He also found the end zone regularly, catching 48 passes for 812 yards and 14 TDs. He ran for three scores and the only pass he threw all season was for 57 yards and another TD. In his junior and senior campaigns, he had just over 1,500 receiving yards and 22 TDs.
Enough for an award already.
But there are big numbers on the defensive side of the ball, as the receiver transitioned into a tackler.
He had 74 tackles, tied for second-best on the team. He four fumble recoveries, caused three and had an interception. He also had four tackles for loss.
The numbers from this season rolled his two-year totals to 145 tackles, eight sacks, 17 TFLs, a pair of picks, nine fumbles caused and seven recovered.
“Kelby first found his way onto the field as a defensive starter about half way through his sophomore season,” said North head coach Josh Thompson. “He was a two-way starter his junior and senior years. As a sophomore, he started at outside linebacker. His junior season, he continued to start at outside linebacker and he also started at wide receiver. As a senior, he played multiple positions on both sides of the ball. On offense, he was a receiver, slot, running back and quarterback. On defense, he played both inside and outside linebacker for us depending on the week. As a senior, he was selected as a captain for our team. He was also our punter and one of our kickers this year. He is one of the players that we could always count on when we needed a play. He was really good at getting the jump balls.”
Harwood noted the players from previous years that helped shape him into a leader.
“There were a lot of them,” he said. “Guys I really looked up to, like Drew Norman, Ross Dyson, Austin Sulc and Noah Hopkins. They brought me in and showed me how to compete and get better.”
He also noted the coaching staff.
“Other than my parents, I would consider Coach Nate Crum as a role model. He had an instant impact on me as I entered high school, and this year especially he pushed me and believed in me. He is still there for basketball season.”
The rest of the coaching staff also drew praise.
“I have to thank all the coaches, from Coach Thompson through Lutz, Bucher, Hendershot, Haworth, Galloway and Kyle. They all helped push each of us, not just me. Our success starts with them.”
“Kelby always has a great time at practice and during games,” Thompson said. “He enjoys being at football and his enthusiasm is contagious. He always treated the other players on our team with respect no matter their role on the team. He is an outstanding young man.”
Coaches and teammates all fall second, however, to Mom and Dad.
“My parents (Casey and Heather Harwood) have been there for me since I started playing the game,” the son said. “My dad coached me all the way through middle school. He taught me so much. My mom was there every game and it seemed like every minute. She always made sure I was eating well. She was the healthy-meal provider.”
The leadership role developed through the season.
“I knew that I had to be a vocal leader on the field and in the locker room,” Harwood said, “but I also knew that, just like the guys before me who taught me, I had to start teaching the younger players. As the season went on, we developed a ‘one more game’ mentality. We focused on that and it helped lead to a successful season.”
The senior also gave props to a couple of the scout guys.
“Elijah Peebles (soph) and Zach Craig (freshman) were guys that were assigned roles as defenders from the other team during practice so I could see coverages. Those two guys did a great job as the season went along, and they absolutely made me a better player by how hard they worked in practice.”
Harwood will take on another football challenge next fall as he has committed to play for former North Coach Jake Gilbert at Wabash.
He continues to make headlines for Chargers’ athletics, as he recently became the newest member of the 1,000-point club for the North basketball team.
Productive leadership — the hallmark of a Player of the Year.
