9-4A ALL-DISTRICT ANNOUNCED | Kilgore’s Williams, Stoker win big; full team announced here

Kilgore defensive back Zaylon Stoker (4, center) was named the defensive player of the year as part of the District 9-4A All-District Team. (Photo by DENNIS JACOBS)

Kilgore ran through District 9-4A football like a hot knife through butter.

Yes – even through Chapel Hill, in the final game of the regular season for the district title.

And when you do that – go 6-0 in district play, that is, and win a district championship – you tend to get a lot of recognition on the 9-4A All-District Team, as chosen by the coaches of the programs in the district: Kilgore, Lindale, Chapel Hill, Henderson, Athens, Palestine, and Jacksonville.

Superlatives

Kilgore’s Derrick Williams, the Bulldogs’ senior quarterback, was named the district’s overall most valuable player, and teammate Zaylon Stoker, a senior defensive back who recently signed with Lamar University, was named defensive MVP. And Chapel Hill running back Rickey Stewart was named offensive MVP.

In the 2023 season, Williams rushed for 1,019 yards on 114 carries, about 9 yards a carry, and led the Bulldogs with 15 rushing touchdowns. He completed 144-of-237 passes for 2,142 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Stoker had 106 tackles, 68 solo, one for loss, four interceptions, two pass break-ups, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.

Freshman running back Rayshaun Williams, also of Kilgore, was named offensive newcomer of the year, and Lindale defensive tackle Kaleb Walker, a sophomore, won defensive newcomer honors.

Chapel Hill senior Kendall Allen won defensive lineman of the year, and Lindale’s Casey Poe, a left tackle en route to Alabama, was named offensive lineman of the year.

Palestine’s Jon Denman, Chapel Hill’s Jayvin Mayfield and Athens’ Jaxson Stiles were named co-utility players of the year; Denman is a junior, and Mayfield and Stiles are both seniors.

And Kilgore coach Clint Fuller and his coaching staff earned top honors, as well, for a Kilgore team that ultimately went 12-2 with the district crown and lost a 21-19 battle in the fourth round of the UIL Class 4A Division I playoffs to Chapel Hill – who lost convincingly in the state championship to Anna.

First-team all-district offense

Chosen at quarterback were Chapel Hill junior Demetrius Brisbon and Lindale senior Clint Thurman.

At running back: Athens’ Jamauri Manning, a senior; Palestine senior Ti’Darion Crawford; and Henderson sophomore Jesstin Starling.

There’s a logjam at first-team all-district wide receiver, a bunch of them, but they’re all seniors: Kilgore’s P.J. Wiley, Athens’ Ray Jorien, Chapel Hill’s Cameron Kelley and Jayvin Mayfield; Palestine’s K’Mari Gipson; Lindale’s Marcus Field; and Jacksonville’s Jermaine Taylor.

First-team tight end selections were Kilgore’s Joshua Parrish, Palestine’s Perry Cole and Henderson’s Jordan Ervin.

Fullbacks on the first team: Palestine’s Elijah Walker and Kilgore’s Aubrey Saylor, both seniors.

And the first-team all-district offensive line, at tackle: Kilgore senior Braydon Nelson, Athens senior Daniel Banuelos, Chapel Hill senior Dyllan Drummond and senior Pablo Martinez; Lindale’s Christian Pettway; and Palestine’s Baylinn Williams, a junior.

First-team guard: Kilgore senior Emmanuel Young, Palestine senior Julian Garcia, Henderson junior Johnathan Bateman, and Lindale sophomore Cameron Griffin.

And first-team center: Athens senior Jaden Trigg and Henderson senior Brock Johnson.

First-team all-district defense

Kilgore had three players to make the front line: sophomore Cameron Christian, junior Wylie Mitchell and junior Jackson Tucker-Phillips.

Henderson junior defensive lineman Kiyun Pellum also was named first-team all-district, as was Palestine senior Cole Perry, and Lindale senior Jake Curbow.

At outside linebacker, first-teamers are Kilgore’s Malachi Pierce, a senior, as well as the Athens duo of Gage Friedrich (a senior) and Jase Warren (a junior), and Chapel Hill’s duo of Trevor Brooks and Ja’Borian Cook, both juniors.

First-team all-district inside linebackers: Kilgore senior Matthew Hardy, Lindale junior Nathan Bradford, Athens junior Mason Shelton, and Chapel Hill senior Da’Veon “DaDa” Ross.

Cornerbacks for the first team: Kilgore junior Jayden Sanders, Henderson senior Aden Butler, Athens senior La’Zavion Lee, Chapel Hill’s Jayvin Mayfield, a senior, and Lindale’s Jackson Parker, a sophomore.

And first-team safety: Kilgore junior Javon Towns, Henderson sophomore Lemarion Coleman, Athens senior Jayden Turner, Chapel Hill senior Dillion Johnson, Palestine senior Jordan Walker, and Lindale junior Aiden Warnell.

First-team all-district special teams

At kicker, Chapel Hill senior Aidan Campos and Lindale’s Seth Baggett were the first-team all-district choices, and at punter, Chapel Hill’s Trevor Brooks (yes, the same Trevor Brooks that’s a linebacker), and Athens junior D’Allesandro Soto.

First-team all-district kick returners: Kilgore’s Jayden Sanders and Chapel Hill’s Mayfield, and both at punt returner, as well.

And utility players, first-team: Kilgore sophomore Isaiah Watters, Henderson senior Dashawn Jackson, Chapel Hill senior Dean Darius, Palestine senior Reese Hargers, Athens senior Jaxson Stiles, Lindale junior Chad Ward, and Jacksonville junior Didi Mares.

Second-team all-district offense

Coyt Cooper, the sophomore from Athens, was chosen at quarterback for the second-team all-district offense, and Lindale senior Wyatt Parker and Chapel Hill junior Ja’Borian Cook are second-team running backs.

At second-team wide receiver: Henderson senior Ja’Braden King, Athens sophomore Emanuel Moore, Lindale junior Chad Ward, and Chapel Hill sophomore Damarcion Blaylock.

At offensive line on second-team all-district: Kilgore senior Rashaud Brown, Jacksonville junior Luis Mancera, and Henderson senior Adrian Alexander at tackle; Kilgore senior Parker Allums and senior Braquan Moye, Athens senior David Zavala, Chapel Hill senior Jay Knight, Palestine junior Joe Flynn, and Chapel Hill senior Jose Moreno at guard; and at center, Lindale junior Jack Kirk and Chapel Hill junior Keldrick Davis.

Named second-team fullback: Jacksonville senior Ryan Walker.

Second-team all-district defense

Up front on the second-team line: Henderson sophomore Jordan Ervin, Lindale senior Carson Plunkett and junior Gunner Johnson; Chapel Hill sophomores Isaiah Collins and Dallas Gipson; Athens senior Franky Corona; Palestine senior Camerib Taylor, and Jacksonville’s Jordan Dorsey.

At outside linebacker: Henderson junior Anthony Newman, Athens freshman Jabory Taylor, Palestine junior Cesar Salas, and Jacksonville senior Trent Powell.

Second-team all-district inside linebackers: Kilgore senior Mikel Dennis, Henderson senior Kaleb Tate, Lindale senior Miles Miller, and Palestine senior Kendrick Calhoun.

At corner: Palestine sophomore S’Voryan Martin and junior J’Mauri Jackson, and Athens sophomore Julious Brewer. And at second-team safety: Lindale senior Ryan Betts, Jacksonville junior Elijah Whitaker, Athens senior Brett Horn and Chapel Hill sophomore Josh Casteneda.

Second-team all-district special teams

At kicker: Athens senior Nico Castaneda, Henderson senior Alessandro Diaz, and Jacksonville senior Jesus Nunez. And at punter, Lindale’s Seth Baggett.

Second-team kick returner: Chapel Hill junior Jeff Riordan.

Kilgore’s Leo Yzaguirre and Adan Reyes were named honorable mention kicker and punter, as were Daniel Garcia and Collin Burrows on the offensive line, running back Sage Orange, outside linebacker La’Keyleon Graves, and defensive back Chris Willilams.

Academic all-district

The entire list of AAD players wasn’t available, but here are the Kilgore players who earned academic all-district honors: Parker Allums, Jonathan Barron, Rashaud Brown, Collin Burrows, Kayson Brooks, Cameron Christian, Jakob Davis, Mikel Dennis, Travis Dixon, Taylor Gibson, La’Keyleon Graves, Matthew Hardy, Wylie Mitchell, Braquan Moye, Braydon Nelson, Taylor Oliver, Sage Orange, Joshua Parrish, Jordan Pierce, Adan Reyes, Dre Sanders, Jayden Sanders, Aubrey Saylor, Zander Short, Zaylon Stoker, Javon Towns, Trent Turley, Jacory Walton, Isaiah Watters, P.J. Wiley, Derrick Williams, Emmanuel Young, and Leo Yzaguirre.