Rans earns Blake Ress Mental Attitude Award

INDIANAPOLIS — Pioneer senior quarterback Micah Rans won the prestigious Blake Ress Mental Attitude award on Friday.

It came in a 55-29 loss to South Putnam, but that final result shouldn’t diminish the accomplishment.

“It’s really amazing,” Rans said. “A lot going on right now, a lot of emotions, but it feels amazing to receive this award, that’s for sure.”

The Panthers (13-2) fell for just the second time this year. Their only other loss was to a Class 3A semi-state team, Knox.

The Eagles’ (13-2) spread offense was unstoppable in the second half, helping them turn a 14-14 game at halftime into a 26-point win.

“It was just a tough game,” Rans said. “They’re here for a reason. They came to state for a reason, they’re a good football team. I don’t think we played our best football and they were able to capitalize on that.”

Rans played the entire postseason basically on one leg.

“Six weeks ago I fractured my fibula against North Judson,” he said. “It’s been a grind for the last six weeks just to get me on the field with my boys.”

Pain management was a challenge, he added. It appeared to get worse Friday as the game went along.

“It varied game to game, but as the hits add up, I don’t really know how but it just kind of reinjured there maybe,” he said. “It kind of started back in the second half, end of the first half. I started to feel it, all the stuff I took kind of wore off, and it just kind of broke it down.”

Rans was held to 20 yards rushing and a TD on 11 carries. He was 2 of 7 passing for 35 yards. He completed just three passes this entire postseason playing through his injury.

One can only wonder what he and the Panthers could have done had he been fully healthy on Friday. He also could have maybe helped slow the Eagles’ spread offense from his secondary position on defense.

“That could always be a question,” he said.

But Rans helped the Panthers reach the state title game for the sixth time in program history. It’s the Panthers’ third runner-up finish and red medal.

“It’s something I’ll always remember,” Rans said, “this whole week, this whole experience, it was amazing. It’s been our goal for a long time to actually get here and to make it happen, to get here, it was really special.”

The Blake Ress Mental Attitude Award is annually presented to a senior who is nominated by his principal and coach, and has demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability during his four years of high school.

Rans ranks ninth currently in his senior class and has been a member of the Pioneer Athletic Council, Student Council and Pep Club. He also spends his time volunteering at Big Creek Missions in Eastern Kentucky as well as serves as a youth league flag football coach.

Rans also participates in basketball and golf. He was named Hoosier North Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player in football this season and was an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection in boys basketball last year.

He is the son of Kyle and Stacy Rans of Logansport. He plans to attend Purdue University in West Lafayette with aspirations to obtain a degree in finance.

The award is named in honor of Commissioner Emeritus Blake Ress, who served as the IHSAA’s seventh commissioner from 2000-11.

The Indianapolis Colts, the presenting sponsor of the state tournament, presented a $1,000 scholarship to Pioneer High School’s general scholarship fund in the name of Micah Rans.

Pioneer coach Adam Berry said Rans first suffered his injury during the regular-season finale in what was the HNAC championship game at North Judson, which was a 36-18 win.

“He played through a fracture. We took a couple weeks to realize that and he got a special brace made and he fought,” Berry said. “Not too many people are gonna fight through that. And he wanted to be out there, extremely proud of that young man and determination that he showed, as well as our entire team.”

Rans’ injury finally cost the Panthers after they still were able to make a run to the State Finals.

A fully healthy Rans might have changed how the game played out. It was an evenly played 14-14 game at halftime with Rans playing on one leg.

“He’s our most explosive player,” Berry said. “You definitely don’t want to see him injured. A lot of guys probably would’ve just said, ‘hey, I’m gonna sit these next weeks out.’ But he wanted to be out there. He battled and I couldn’t be proud prouder of that guy. The grit. The Mental Attitude Award. I think battling through that injury for six weeks, six and a half weeks, essentially six and a half games, shows he deserves that Mental Attitude because like I said, he wanted to be out there. You couldn’t hold him back. It’s no surprise we were holding him off running the ball. He still looked pretty good today running our midline. South Putnam just made more plays. But like I said, extremely proud of him. Being a Mental Attitude Award winner, very few at Pioneer have done that. And he’s gonna be able to go up on the wall.”