Culver football preview: With McCuen twins gone, sophomore-heavy Cavs hope to zoom up Hoosier North standings with Zorich, Zehner

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

It might be hard to tell identical twins Jonas and Caleb McCuen apart, but it might take awhile to imagine the Culver football team without them.

Jonas McCuen was Culver’s quarterback the last three years, passing for over 2,100 yards. He also had seven career interceptions on defense. Caleb McCuen had over 700 career receiving yards.

Jonas and Caleb were also the valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of Culver’s Class of 2026.

Theron Carrington, who had 123 tackles and seven sacks on defense in his career, and Izaya Vela and Skyler Greer, key cogs in the offensive line, also graduated.

Culver has gone from one win in coach Austin Foust’s first year in 2023 to two wins in 2024 to three wins last year. 

They split their summer work 50-50 to get ready – an hour in the weight room followed by an hour of fundamental work in the field. They also went to Purdue for a one-day camp and had multiple scrimmages in July.

Foust said 22 kids, including 12 sophomores, came out for football at Culver. He said players understand that they need to rely on everybody.

“Our kids do a really good job here of just being coached up, being here,” Foust said. “I haven’t seen anybody, if somebody else goes in their spot, upset or mad or things like that. They kind of understand to be where we want to be, we’ve got to have as many guys on the field getting some guys some breaks and things like that trying to create that depth.”

To improve further in a McCuen-less world in 2026, they might need to take another step defensively. Culver allowed 47 points per game in 2023, cut it to 36 per game in 2024 and got that number down to 28 per game in 2025.

Tom Bendy, who was Foust’s defensive coordinator during Foust’s tenure at John Glenn from 2017-21, is new to the Culver staff and has brought a 3-4 scheme with him.

Senior linebacker Drake Zorich could have a big say if they take that next step, according to Foust.

“It starts with Drake,” Foust said. “We have some younger guys that I think are maybe trying to lead a little bit, but everybody knows that Drake’s the captain. Drake’s the guy. Drake’s the alpha. As we say when we break, who’s our alpha? Drake’s always the guy that steps and says it. Drake’s one of those kids that loves football and has been a starter and is going to be a four-year starter for us. Probably one of the best leaders I’ve been around just in terms of not only how he works in the weight room and on the field but just the vocal side too as well.”

Offense

Zac Zehner, who threw six varsity passes last year as a freshman, takes over under center. His father Mike preceded Foust as coach from 2016-22 and is currently listed on Foust’s coaching staff. Mike Zehner is also Culver’s athletic director.

Foust quipped that Zac Zehner is “a little more athletic than what his dad is” and that he can roll out of the pocket and make plays with his feet.

“He’s done a really good job this summer,” Foust said. “I’ve seen him kind of grow up, and he’s done a really good job of taking care of the football in these scrimmages too. Sometimes in the summer, you always worry about getting in those bad habits where, well, it’s not a game, so I can just throw the ball up because it doesn’t matter kind of thing. He’s done a really good job of, OK, if it’s not there, take off with your feet and things.”

Culver will also look to increase production from its running game, which averaged less than 40 yards per game last year and only 3.4 yards per carry last year.

Junior John Carr, who led the team with 230 yards rushing, is back.

“For John, it’s just taking the next step of just being able to play a little bit faster,” Foust said. “Now he’s an upperclassmen and understanding what’s going on and having that experience of a full season at running back. That’s going to be the next step we’re looking at to where he can be a guy that we can just put in there, give him carries, give him a blow, come back in and try to keep him fresh the whole game.”

Junior Braylon Jackson and sophomore Colton Falk, a converted offensive lineman, are other possibilities in the running game, and sophomores Brayen Bush and Carter Beem will also be in the running back mix.

“I think we have some depth at the skill level spot to where we talked to our kids and had to explain it to them what running back by committee and carries by committee really means,” Foust said. “I think that’s where we can have some depth and get some guys some breaks there and hopefully spread around the carries too as well.”

Jackson will be moved around the field in ways to get him the ball in space, including at wide receiver. Sophomore Reese Carter and Coehn Markley will also help at wide receiver. Markley is a senior who is playing football for the first time.

Sophomores Josh Tomblin and Matthew Bloomquist will be the tight ends, and Foust said they will split time.

Freshman Josh Bloomquist, who is Matthew’s younger brother, will start at center. Foust said that Josh Bloomquist attended practice often last year as an eighth-grader.

“He’s been chomping at the bit,” Foust said. “He doesn’t look like a freshman when he’s out there so far. When we’ve had to scrimmage, he’s held his own at center.”

Zorich starts at left guard with sophomore Isaiah Milam starting at right guard. Sophomore Zane Whitfield will start at right tackle with junior Joey Salyers at left tackle.

Senior Shane Martin suffered an injury and will be unable to play this season, according to Foust.

“Size-wise, we’re bigger than what we have been,” Foust said.

Defense

Culver will go to an odd front defense with rotating nose tackles that includes Arian Day, Salyers and junior Braxton Jeffries.

Milam, Josh Bloomquist and Whitfield will rotate in at end.

Zorich and Falk will play inside linebacker. Bush is also competing for time there. Tomblin and Matthew Bloomquist will play outside linebacker.

In the secondary, Jackson and Markley will man the cornerback spots. Safeties include Beem and Carr.

“We’re sophomore-dominated,” Foust said of the defensive improvement during his tenure. “Some of it is discipline, eye discipline especially – reading your keys. The other too is just getting better at tackling. It’s just that process where it takes a little bit of getting guys in our system and getting guys in our practice and how we’re doing things and how we want to do it. This is how we tackle and just drilling it and drilling it and drilling it and continuing to get better.

“We are very sophomore dominated, but it’s a really good sophomore class. So we’re hoping they can grow up very fast.”

Special teams

Bentley Van Horn, a freshman move-in from Argos, will be the kicker and punter, though Foust said punter is “a little more up in the air.”

Jackson and Carr will be the kickoff and punt returners.

“Every week, we just want to keep getting better,” Foust said. “We want to play our best football by Week 10, and that’s what we kind of tell our guys. We should see us in an upward trajectory every single week, and when playoff time comes around, we want to be playing our best football. There, anything can happen.”

Schedule

Culver dropped Attica as its Week 1 opponent and replaced them with Central Noble, a Class 2A team that won one game last year. Culver is one of five teams from the Hoosier North – North Judson, South Central (Union Mills), Triton and Winamac are the other four – in Class 1A, Sectional 41.

Aug. 21 – vs. Central Noble, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 28 – vs. West Central, 7 p.m.

Sept. 4 – at Triton, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11 – at Winamac, 7 p.m.

Sept. 18 – vs. North Judson, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 25 – vs. Caston, 7 p.m.

Oct. 2 – at Pioneer, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9 – vs. North Miami, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16 – at South Central (Union Mills), 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 23 – Class 1A, Sectional 41 quarterfinal

Class 1A, Sectional 41

Bowman Academy, Culver, North Judson, North Newton, South Central (Union Mills), Triton, West Central, Winamac