Fenwick High School senior quarterback Kaden Cobb, who will play his collegiate football at Ball State University next year, is Wednesday Journal’s All-Area Football Player of the Year.
Recovering from a shoulder injury that cut short his junior season, Cobb threw for 2,846 yards and 30 touchdowns (a new single-season Fenwick record) and added 520 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground as he led the Friars to their first IHSA state football championship.
“I appreciate that. It means a lot,” Cobb said of the honor. “It wasn’t easy bouncing back from an injury in the spring. It took a lot of hard work and dedication.”
Moreover, Cobb’s leadership abilities cannot be overstated. He came up with game-changing plays when they were needed, particularly in games at St. Ignatius, at Nazareth, and against Sycamore — the latter two in the postseason. That’s what a Player of the Year does — make big-time plays in big-time situations.
Having won a state title, it’s no surprise Fenwick has multiple players on our All-Area team. However, there are also several players from Oak Park and River Forest High School who merited spots.
Here is the 2021 Wednesday Journal All-Area Football team:
Offense
QB: Kaden Cobb, Fenwick (Sr.)
RB: Kelby Gray, OPRF (Sr.)
RB: Danny Kent, Fenwick (Sr.)
WR: Bryan Hunt Jr, Fenwick (Sr.)
WR: Eric Locke Jr, OPRF (Sr.)
WR: Max Reese, Fenwick (Sr.)
C: Jimmy Liston, Fenwick (Sr.)
OL: Rasheed Anderson, Fenwick (Sr.)
OL: Andrew Delgado, OPRF (Sr.)
OL: Carlos Gutierrez, OPRF (Sr.)
OL: Aaron Johnson, Fenwick (Jr.)
Defense
DL: Suleiman Abuaqel, Fenwick (Sr.)
DL: Cole Robertson, OPRF (Jr.)
DL: Kole Sneed, OPRF (Jr.)
DL: Mirko Jaskic, Fenwick (Jr.)
LB: Conor Paris, Fenwick (Sr.)
LB: Owen Detmer, OPRF (Sr.)
LB: Henry Spillane, OPRF (Sr.)
DB: Denium Juette, Fenwick (Sr.)
DB: Martin Paris, Fenwick (Sr.)
DB: Jacque Walls, Fenwick (Sr.)
DB: Timmy Spillane, OPRF (Jr.)
Special teams
Kicker/punter: Iain Ramage, Fenwick (Sr.)
Kick returner: Demetrius Dortch, OPRF (Sr.)
