Franklin football delivered its share of highlights during the first season of Mike Leonard's second tenure, and on Wednesday the Grizzlies were recognized by their peers for their efforts.

A dozen Griz players were tabbed as All-HCAC performers, including five first-team selections — defensive lineman Devonte Brown, offensive lineman Isaak Fischer, wide receiver Jordan Fonda, offensive lineman Ben Roembke and linebacker Drew Servies.

Brown, a second-team choice in 2024, is the lone repeat honoree. The Bloomington, Indiana native made 43 tackles (18 solo), ranking second on the team with eight stops for loss and 3.5 quarterback sacks. His 12 QB hurries paced the Grizzlies, and he also intercepted a pass, forced two fumbles and recorded one. His best outing came against Manchester, when he delivered two sacks, picked off a pass and forced a fumble.

Fischer and Roembke were mainstays on an offensive front that paved the way for Franklin to average 32 points and 415.4 yards of offense per game. The Grizzlies put up 3,131 passing yards in 10 games and scored 30 of their 47 total touchdowns through the air. The two junior Hoosiers — Fischer hails from Greenwood and Roembke from Lawrence — were both second-year starters and are expected to anchor a veteran Griz line next fall.

Fonda, who hails from Floyds Knobs, Indiana, had a breakout junior season that saw him lead Franklin with 47 catches for 811 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had four 100-yard games, including a monster nine-catch, 134-yard effort against Bluffton that also included a block of a potential game-ending field goal in a 59-57 overtime victory.

Servies led the Grizzlies' defense with 52 solo tackles, racking up 78 stops in all. The native of Tipton, Indiana had six tackles for loss, three sacks and three pass breakups, as well as a forced fumble and a recovery. He was consistent throughout, collecting 10 tackles on four occasions and nine on two others.

Franklin also had six players named to the league's second team — linebacker Brayden Baker, defensive back Haidyn Bulmer, defensive lineman Carter Edney, quarterback Marshall Kmiecik, receiver Jace Mohr and running back Trevor Winkles. 

Baker made 64 tackles on the year, including a team-high nine for loss. He tallied a career-high 21 tackles in a win at Muskingum, earning a spot on D3football.com's Team of the Week. Bulmer had 53 total tackles, including 37 solos, and added a pair of interceptions; he was the HCAC's Defensive Player of the Week after making a game-ending tackle for loss to cap the third overtime against Bluffton. Edney made 29 tackles, including six for loss and 3.5 sacks, intercepted two passes and forced two fumbles from his spot on the Griz defensive front.

Kmiecik's first season as Franklin's starting quarterback saw him throw for 2,891 yards and 29 touchdowns; he earned HCAC Offensive Player of the Week recognition three times. Mohr caught 43 passes for 513 yards and seven TDs; he also had a punt return for a score in a rout of Manchester. Winkles paced the Grizzlies in rushing with 362 yards, including a career-best 124 yards against Anderson, caught 24 passes and totaled seven touchdowns.

Linebacker Haden Durnil, who led the Grizzlies with 82 total tackles (45 solo), was an honorable mention selection.