LAPEL — What does a good defender need to be successful in the game of football?
Aggression? Yes, that helps. The very nature of football isn’t exactly for the weak of heart.
Passion? Most definitely. Take a look at the best defenders throughout the history of the game and try not to say anyone from Dick Butkus to Ray Lewis didn’t play with passion.
Motivation? Certainly. Everyone that has suited up at one time or another has had that passion to play the game and suceed at it, otherwise they wouldn’t be on the field.
Each of those three criteria are a necessary ingredient that goes into making a successful football player.
And in the case of Lapel’s Logan Ingle, those three qualities helped make him The Herald Bulletin’s Defensive Player of the Year for the 2009 high-school football season.
“For two, two-and-a-half years, Logan’s been a great player for us,” said Lapel head football coach Nate Andrews. “He’s got a motor that you can’t coach. He’s ruthless, and he’s relentless coming after the football.”
Ingle played defensive line for the Bulldogs. Specifically, he lined up at defensive tackle.
In some defensive schemes in the game today, all that is asked of a defensive tackle is that they jam up the middle and keep their linebackers clean so the linebacker can make the stop.
The most recent evidence of this was the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, who had Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams keeping Ray Lewis from being blocked by linemen and fullbacks and were an integral part of a defense that won a Super Bowl.
Ingle though isn’t a space-eater. He’s a defender and a look at his numbers proves that.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound senior had 109 tackles in his final prep campaign. In the last few weeks of the season, Ingle did spend time as a linebacker. But the bulk of his numbers came from lining up with a hand on the ground.
“We had a need at linebacker due to some injuries, and we were loking for a guy to make some plays,” said Andrews. “We turned to Logan for one of our defenses, and he was able to do that. But we felt he was at his best when he had his hand on the ground.”
“I was really motivated to play (middle) linebacker. I’m used to being on the line and having three guys block me. Playing linebacker and being free to roam was fun,” said Ingle. “I played linebacker when I was a kid, and it just felt like home.”
His final statistical line broke down with 64 solo tackles, 45 assists, 26 tackles for loss, seven sacks, nine hurries, four fumbles forced and four fumbles recovered.
An indication Ingle was in for a big year was the opening week of the season when the Bulldogs’ defensive tackle had 10 tackles for loss in the second half.
During the Knightstown game, Ingle was playing linebacker for the Bulldogs when the scheme called for him to drop back in coverage.
“He was in a Cover 2 situation and was able to be very rangy and get out to the sideline and knock down a pass on a comeback route, which is unheard of,” said Andrews. “For him to be able to do that was impressive. With his wingspan, he’s able to make those plays.”
Ingle’s plans are to attend Ball State University and walk on to the football team.
Local Sports
THB Defensive Player of the Year: Logan Ingle
Lapel defensive lineman proves versatile, dominant
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Bearcats upend AHS
Often basketball is a simple game, and it was certainly true for the Anderson boys basketball team here Thursday night. “We had too many turnovers — that’s the game,” said AHS coach Joe Nadaline after the Indians lost to Muncie Central 54-46 for their eighth straight defeat.
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Bulldogs topple Raiders, win 9th in a row
The Bulldogs keep on rolling. Lapel (16-3) led from start to finish as it beat visiting Shenandoah 69-47 Thursday night to push its winning streak to nine games.
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PHHS shoots down Fishers
It can be easy to take Kellen Dunham for granted. But the Pendleton Heights senior reminded everyone why he is a Mr. Basketball candidate with a furious fourth quarter Thursday night against Fishers. Dunham scored 15 of his game-high 32 points in the final eight minutes, connected on all 10 of his free-throw attempts during the period and drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key early in the frame that sent the fifth-ranked Arabians on their way to a 53-42 victory.
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Frankton subdues Liberty
Youth was on display Thursday night in Frankton as the host Eagles squared off against the Liberty Christian Lions boys basketball team. Neither team had a senior start the game, and Frankton proved to be the more seasoned team in a 68-59 win.
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Indians fall to Bearcats 54-46
Photos from Anderson as the Indians hosted the Muncie Central Bearcats.
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Five for fighting
Like other coaches, Alexandria wrestling coach Jack Grimaldi sometimes has to worry about how to motivate his charges as they head into their matches. That shouldn’t be an issue for him with his five Tigers heading into Saturday’s individual semistate at New Castle.
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Red-hot Lapel limiting miscues
Like any basketball coach, Jimmie Howell knows how important it is for a team to be playing its best basketball as the state tournament draws near.
But what’s going on in Lapel might be redefining that theory.
With a 60-42 win on the road over Class 3A No. 6 Guerin Catholic on Saturday, the Bulldogs pushed their winning streak to eight games. Over the 32-minute course of the game against the Golden Eagles, Lapel committed a microscopic four turnovers. -
PH moves on
On the roster of every successful team is a player or two who will do the unpleasant work. The ones who actually find satisfaction in this pursuit are worth their weight in wins to any coach. Pendleton Heights sophomore Kiawna Cottrell was just that player Tuesday as the Arabians advanced to the second round of sectional play with a 55-45 victory over Greenfield-Central.
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Indians slay Spartans
The last time these two girls basketball teams met on Jan. 17, Anderson defeated Connersville 83-74 in overtime. Lady Tribe coach Chad Cook knew the Spartans would come out with a chip on their shoulder ready for revenge in Tuesday’s opening round of the Class 4A sectional.
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Eagles eke by Raiders
Back in November, the Frankton girls basketball team handled Shenandoah by 29 points. Tuesday’s sectional opener at Shenandoah wasn’t as easy, but the end result was the same as Frankton moved on with a 44-43 win over the host Shenandoah Raiders.
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