Selected by The Herald-News Sports staff, we are proud to present the 2025 Herald-News All-Area Football Team.

First Team

Jonas Williams, Lincoln-Way East, QB, sr.

A USC commit and two-time Herald-News Player of the Year who has graduated high school early and will start college on Jan. 5, Williams became the IHSA’s all-time leader in career passing yards (11,347) and touchdowns (147) this season. A late-season ankle injury that caused him to miss two games kept those numbers from being even higher. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder passed for 2,488 yards and 35 touchdowns this season despite missing two games with an ankle injury.

Broden Mackert, Providence, RB, jr.

The leader of a dominant Providence rushing attack, Mackert ran for 1,756 yards and 23 touchdowns on 226 carries. The junior led Providence to the 5A state finals and was named both an All-CCL/ESCC honoree and the CCL/ESCC Orange’s Offensive Player of the Year. Mackert also earned IHSFCA All-State honorable mention.

Caeden Curran, Morris, RB, sr.

Curran ran for 1,824 yards and 25 touchdowns on 316 carries, caught nine passes for 109 yards and a TD, and was named Interstate Eight Conference Offensive Player of the Year and IHFCA Class 4A All-State first team.

TJ Lewis, Bolingbrook, RB, jr.

One of the top running back recruits in the state for the Class of 2027, Lewis ran for 1,784 yards on 227 carries and scored 21 rushing TDs. He also had six receptions for 81 yards and a TD.

Jayden Armstrong, Joliet Catholic, WR, sr.

Armstrong had 39 catches for 623 yards and six touchdowns and also ran 21 times for 132 yards and four scores. He was named ESCC/CCL Orange Division MVP and earned Class 6A All-State honors.

Ryan Kettman, Wilmington, RB, sr.

There have been several skilled running backs to come through Wilmington, and Kettman’s career will hold up against any of them. Despite being on the bench in blowouts by halftime most of the year, Kettman recorded 1,703 yards and 30 touchdowns on just 128 rushes, good for 13.3 yards per carry. He’s tied for the school career touchdown record (66) and tied for second in career rushing yards (3,840). The Class 2A All-Stater and All-Illinois Central Eight pick also had 42 tackles and 10 pass break-ups.

David Croom, Plainfield East, RB, jr.

Croom had 1,368 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns to help lead the Bengals to their first playoff appearance since 2021. He was a Class 6A All-State honorable mention selection, as well as an All-Southwest Prairie Conference member and team MVP.

Bryce Tencza, Providence, OL, sr.

A third-degree blackbelt in taekwondo and a Lafayette football recruit, Tencza earned All-CCL/ESCC honors and was named the CCL/ESCC Orange’s Co-Lineman of the Year. Tencza spurred a Providence rushing attack that totaled 3,507 yards this season. The Celtics went 10-4 and reached the Class 5A state championship game.

Brogan Kjellesvik, Morris, OL, jr.

Kjellesvik is a three-year starter and anchored an offensive line that gained 3,089 yards on the ground. He was an All-Interstate Eight Conference first-team pick and named Class 4A All-State honorable mention.

Zach Ohlund, Wilmington, OL, sr.

Ohlund was the top offensive lineman for a Wilmington offense that had the fourth-most rushing yards in IHSA history (5,744) and the third-most rushing touchdowns (92). A Class 2A All-State member, Ohlund also saw 19 of his 80 tackles go for a loss.

Finn Fuller, Plainfield North, OL, sr.

Fuller, one of the team’s captains, was a three-year starter for the Tigers and was named to the All-Southwest Prairie Conference team.

Derrick Pomatto, Joliet Catholic, LB, jr.

Pomatto collected 74 tackles (six for loss), a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and an interception for the Hilltoppers. He was named ESCC/CCL Orange Division Defensive Player of the Year and earned Class 6A All-State honorable mention.

Colton Benaitis, Lockport, DB, sr.

Benaitis, a Central Michigan recruit, was a three-year varsity starter on defense. He was a Class 8A All-State first-teamer and named to the All-Southwest Suburban Conference team. Despite missing four games, he ended with 89 tackles (six for loss), eight pass breakups, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Also averaged 19.4 yards per touch on offense.

Logan Van Duyne, Wilmington, DL, jr.

Along with Ryan Kettman and Zach Ohlund, Van Duyne gave the Wildcats a trio of three-year starters to graduate with a pair of state title rings. He manned the opposite guard spot of Ohlund offensively and was the defensive line anchor for a starting defense that didn’t allow a point during the postseason. The All-ICE selection had 53 tackles, including 12 for loss.

Sedrick Love, Joliet West, LB, sr.

Love had 49 tackles (16 for loss), five sacks, 12 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two blocked punts and four pass deflections despite playing in just eight games. He earned Class 8A All-State honorable mention and was named Southwest Prairie Conference East Defensive MVP.

Mick Smith, Morris, LB, jr.

Smith was the Interstate Eight Conference Defensive Player of the Year after totaling 82 tackles (two for loss), three interceptions and a forced fumble. Also ran 57 times for 250 yards and 10 TDs on offense.

Emmett Easton, Coal City, DL, jr.

An All-Illinois Central Eight Conference member and team Defensive Player of the Year for the 9-3 Coalers, Easton recorded 66 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and six sacks. The three-year starter also had a fumble recovery and returned his first career interception for a touchdown in a Class 4A first-round playoff win over Sterling.

Ian Campbell, Joliet Catholic, DL, sr.

Campbell had 21 tackles (six for loss), six sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. The US Naval Academy signee was also an ESCC/CCL Orange All-Conference selection and caught five passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns on offense.

Brady Kozlowski, Minooka, LB, sr.

Kozlowski was all over the field for a Minooka defense that allowed only 17.2 points per game. He was an All-Southwest Prairie Conference first-team selection.

Declan Moran, Wilmington, LB, jr.

In his second year as a two-way starter, Moran set the edge for arguably the most lethal Wilmington rushing attack ever and spent equal time rushing the passer and dominating the flats at outside linebacker. The All-ICE pick had 78 tackles, 18 of them for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Lucas Andresen, Lincoln-Way Central, WR, sr.

Andresen had 36 catches for 577 yards and eight touchdowns for the Knights and added 591 rushing yards and 11 TDs on 51 carries. He was named Class 7A All-State first team and All-Southwest Valley Red.

Cam Shriey, Seneca, RB, sr.

Shriey was named All-Chicagoland Prairie, the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and a Class 2A All-State first-team selection. He finished with 1,376 yards (9.4 per carry), 21 TDs, seven two-point conversions and a receiving touchdown. On defense, he had 49 tackles (four for loss) and a sack.

Second Team

Jacob Alexander, Lincoln-Way East, DL, sr.

Xavier Coleman, Providence, WR, sr.

Richard Conley, Romeoville, QB, sr.

Brody Gish, Lincoln-Way East, RB, sr.

Connor Henline, Coal City, QB, jr.

Aidan Hennings, Lincoln-Way Central, DE/TE, sr.

Andre LaBuda, Lockport, LB, sr.

Blaise La Vista, Lincoln-Way East, WR, sr.

Tamatoa Le’au, Morris, OL/DL, sr.

Dimarius Matthews, Joliet Central, DB, sr.

Zeb Maxwell, Seneca, OL, sr.

Camden McCloskey, Plainfield East, DB, sr.

Billy Moore, Wilmington, QB, sr.

Logan Natyshok, Coal City, RB, jr.

Jack Nowicki, Plainfield North, OL, sr.

Chase Nurczyk, Minooka, RB, sr.

Owen Olson, Morris, LB, sr.

Thomas Piatrowski, Joliet West, LB, sr.

Nathan Reyes, Plainfield Central, OL, sr.

Grant Tustin, Lincoln-Way West, QB, sr.

Dominic Vita, Providence, QB, so.

Tyson Ward, Bolingbrook, QB, jr.