BROWNSBURG, Ind. — They don’t say a lot. They don’t need to.

Oscar Frye and Aiden “AJ” Jobe have let their play, and their poise, do the talking all season long. The steady heartbeat of an undefeated Brownsburg team that’s headed to Lucas Oil Stadium this Saturday night to face Westfield for the IHSAA Class 6A state championship.

They’re more than just teammates, they’re close friends who know exactly how to bring out the best in each other, and in their teammates. No chest-pounding. No sideline drama. Just trust, work, and results.

When I sat down with Frye and Jobe, I didn’t just learn how they lead on the field. I learned who they are off it: thoughtful, grounded, funny, and fiercely committed to the people around them.

Ask Oscar what motivates him on the days when things feel off and he says, “Just focusing on the process. I won’t be 100% every day, maybe I’m at 80, but on those days, it’s critical I maximize the 80.”

Ask AJ the same and he doesn’t hesitate: “Not being able to play all of last year... I just remind myself God’s got me, so I lean on Him and push through.”

That injury, the one that kept Jobe off the field as a junior, didn’t just change his body. It sharpened his mindset. You can see it now in how he runs, how he leads, and how he talks about playing for something bigger than himself.

“I play for the Lord,” AJ says, “and try to give Him glory in everything I do.”

Oscar, too, puts his purpose plainly: “I’d say God and my teammates. But I know I’m loved unconditionally, so I don’t think about that too much. I just play something I love, with guys I love.”

They’re not loud leaders. They don’t need to be.

For Oscar, leadership means “motivating my teammates to bring their very best. All of them are different, so you have to know each person well to get the max from them individually, leading with your words and by example.”

AJ sees it the same way: “You have to lead by example and be able to rally with the guys around you for the good of the team.”

Their teammates would probably say they're the kind of guys who don’t ask for trust, they’ve earned it.

And how do their teammates see them? AJ is described as “chill, reliable, hardworking.” Oscar shrugs and laughs. “Sheesh, I don’t know... Sharpe recently described me as an ‘old soul that makes him laugh every day.’ I took that as a compliment.”

If you gave them a day with zero obligations, AJ would build his dream schedule like a man with a plan: “I’d get up, read my Bible, then eat a good breakfast: pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns. Go play a round of golf, go swimming, and finish the night fishing.”

Oscar? He’d mostly stick to his usual rhythm. “I enjoy my normal day. Maybe I’d watch an old movie with my family.” Top Gun, Braveheart, or Rocky IV, to be specific. Solid choices for this old soul.

Their musical tastes are equally on brand. Oscar gets hyped before a game to the Rocky soundtrack. AJ prefers “Lion” by Elevation Worship.

There’s more to these two than football.

AJ drops a quiet detail you might miss: “I’m the only person in my family that went to Brownsburg.” The rest went to Tri-West. It’s the sort of information that doesn’t make headlines, but it matters. A quiet step in a different direction and one that’s clearly worked out.

Oscar’s story comes with a grin: “I played hockey through sixth grade… got in two real fights on the ice.” Not exactly the calm quarterback image you might expect, but maybe that edge is part of what makes him so composed now.

And if they weren’t playing football? Oscar says he’d be back on skates or buried in his schoolwork. AJ? He’d probably be hitting home runs or perfecting his swing on the golf course.

When it comes to who they look up to, both players choose role models who reflect their values. Oscar looks up to Eddie Rickenbacker, a World War I flying ace, racecar driver, and aviation pioneer. It’s a fitting choice for a quarterback who values discipline, courage, and quiet confidence.

AJ points to NFL running backs Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor, athletes known not just for their talent, but for the way they carry themselves; humble and hard-working. But his deepest admiration goes to two spiritual mentors: Pastor Johnny Chang and Phillip Anthony Mitchell, men who’ve shaped the way AJ stays grounded through every high and low.

If you gave them a plane ticket to anywhere, AJ’s going global and headed to South Africa. Oscar’s headed to his family’s lake house.

For dinner?

Oscar: “Spaghetti or pizza.”
AJ: “Medium steak with mashed potatoes and fries.”

While these two don’t consider themselves superstitious, they do stick to routines. 

Oscar’s pregame ritual is straightforward: “Ham sandwiches and a nap.”
AJ? “I just try to keep the same routine and read verses from the Bible to keep my mind calm and confident.”

And when it comes to advice, each recalls a moment that stuck. AJ channels his position coach, Coach Crider: “Trust yourself and just play hard and play fast.” Oscar remembers it simply: “Keep life simple.”

Their jersey numbers carry weight. AJ wears No. 3, just like his cousins did growing up and because of its biblical meaning. Oscar wears No. 18, a nod to Peyton Manning, and to Jake Dunn, Brownsburg starting quarterback when Oscar was a freshman.

“I looked up to him,” Oscar says. “He was a great mentor.”

Now, they’re the ones being looked up to.

Oscar wants to be remembered by his teammates “as someone who loved them and always put them before myself.”
AJ says: “A genuine, trustworthy guy they can always count on to give it my all.”

Their GPA game is just as strong: Oscar holds a 4.5 GPA, while AJ carries a 3.977, successfully balancing their academics with the rigor of a perennial powerhouse football program.

But that’s not what defines them.

They’re not chasing numbers, in the classroom or on the field. They’re chasing growth. Excellence. The kind of daily discipline that doesn’t need a spotlight but shows up in everything they do.

It’s not just about being great students or great athletes. It’s about being dependable teammates, humble leaders, and the kind of young men others look to. In the locker room, in the hallway, and in the bigger moments life throws at them.

And when you ask what Brownsburg football means, their answers match in tone if not in length.

Oscar: “Family.”
AJ: “An elite program where you are held to very high standards and get to be part of an amazing family.”

This Saturday night, they’ll take the field as teammates one final time. Not for themselves, but for each other.

No ego. No drama. Just a quarterback and a running back who believe.

And in a world full of noise, Brownsburg’s backfield is quiet.
But if you listen closely, you’ll hear it: not just how they play, but why.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium. Don’t miss them.

Because someday, when the names Frye and Jobe come up in conversations about Indiana football, you’re going to want to say: I remember when...