ALL-ETBLITZ.COM GRIDIRON TEAM! | East Texas, here’s your high school football best-of-the-best
Editor’s note: This project took days to complete after statistical research, coaches interviews, and ensuring fairness across the board, and includes players from the entire ETBLITZ.COM coverage area. We believe it is the most thorough list of all-star high school players in East Texas. Thanks to our major sponsors, Whataburger (Whataburger | Order Online with Curbside and Delivery) and Energy Weldfab (Energy Weldfab | Separators, Production Units, Sandtraps, Line Heaters, Vapor Recovery). And We hope you enjoy it!
Members of the Kilgore Bulldogs, including Isaiah Watters (5), Kayson Brooks (11), Derrick Williams (9) and LaPerrion Graves (24), come down the ramp at Sheldon ISD / C.E. King Stadium in Houston, prior to a playoff game against Bay City. (File photo by ALEX NABOR – ETBLITZ.COM)
High school football in Texas ended in December, when the UIL crowned its state champions.
Now, it’s time to pass out some well-deserved rewards from the 2023 season.
ETBlitz.com went live on Oct. 21, and thanks to players, coaches, and most of all, the football fans, we’re proud to present our very first All-ETBlitz.com Gridiron Team, with players from the high school programs we cover: Kilgore, Henderson, Sabine, West Rusk, Tatum, Troup, Arp, White Oak, Gladewater, and Overton (We also cover Leverett’s Chapel, but LC has a six-man program, and stats for six-man and 11-man football aren’t really comparable).
We have superlative honors, a first team, a second team and a third team, based on the statistics – and wins and losses – from the ’23 season. And this is the first of many: we’ll do this for every single team sport in the ETBlitz.com coverage area.
For now, though, drumroll please: the very first All-ETBlitz.com Gridiron Team.
SUPERLATIVE AWARDS
While all these players are special, we have a few performances that stood out above the rest, and we won’t put it off until the end of the article. Each of these players and coaches will receive a certificate from ETBlitz.com commemorating their achievements.
There is one ground rule, though: players that are on the superlative award list won’t appear on the first, second, or third teams. We saved those awards for other special players that also made the most of their opportunities this season.
There are eight awards we have to present. And here they are.
The TOP DOG AWARD, the overall most valuable player award. The debate about MVP awards is always this: is it the very best player of the 2023 season, with maybe the best numbers, the best player on the best team, or is it the player who – without his performances – the team wouldn’t have the success it had?
We think it’s a little bit of both. This particular player had a fantastic year, but there are players with just as good of numbers. If you remove him from Kilgore High School’s roster, though, would they still have won 12 of 14 games?
That player is DERRICK WILLIAMS, the Kilgore Bulldogs’ senior quarterback. Williams only started one season, but he made the most of it. He completed 144-of-237 passes for 2,142 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and ran for 1,019 yards on 114 carries, about 9 yards a carry, and led the Bulldogs with 15 rushing touchdowns.
Under Williams’ leadership of the offense, the Ragin’ Red managed to beat Gilmer (who won the UIL Class 4A, Division II state championship at the end of the season), Pine Tree, and Hallsville in their non-district schedule; ran the table to capture the District 9-4A, Division I championship, beating Palestine, Jacksonville, Lindale, Henderson, Athens and Chapel Hill in the process; and then beat Livingston, Bay City and Needville in the 4A-DI playoffs.
Kilgore’s only two losses of the season were in its very first game, a three-point loss to Carthage (30-27), and in the fourth round of the playoffs to Chapel Hill (21-19) in a game that easily could’ve gone either way.
Congratulations, Derrick, on winning our top individual award.
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ETBlitz.com’s OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD goes to a young man who helped improve his team from a 2-9 mark in 2022 to a 10-2 record in ’23. That would be Overton quarterback BRYCE STILL, a junior who is playing way beyond his years.
In 12 games, Still completed 227-of-346 passes (65 percent) for 3,200 yards – that’s about 266 yards per game and 18.6 yards a completion – for 38 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions. Still also ran for 456 yards, nine touchdowns, and averaged 5.7 yards per carry and 38 yards per game.
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The DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD goes to a familiar name: Kilgore senior defensive back ZAYLON STOKER.
Stoker, who signed with Lamar University a few weeks after the season, followed his phenomenal junior season (10 interceptions, among other highlights) with a big senior season: 106 tackles, 68 solo, one for loss, four interceptions, two pass break-ups, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.
There were some unbelievable performances by a lot of seniors across the ETBlitz.com landscape, and we decided to add a few special awards to the All-ETBlitz.com Gridiron Team. That’s what makes our team special: it’s not a humdrum list with the same-old, same-old awards.
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Here’s an award we came up with called the SENIOR SPOTLIGHT AWARD, given to a senior who was crazy-good on both sides of the ball. That senior is P.J. WILEY, who played both wide receiver and linebacker for coach Clint Fuller’s Ragin’ Red.
Wiley, as a receiver, caught 36 passes (which led KHS) for 615 yards, averaged 17 yards a catch, and 11 touchdowns.
On defense as a linebacker, Wiley had 89 tackles, 54 of them solo, eight for loss, a sack, an interception for a touchdown (in a playoff game against Bay City), four pass break-ups and a fumble recovery.
Now, we move from the senior experience of Mr. Wiley to a pair of young men who also played a huge role in Kilgore’s success this season – and who will be around for years to come.
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It’s our FUTURES AWARDS – offense and defense. By definition, the Futures Awards go to two young men who should have an impact on the future – in this case, Kilgore High School’s future.
The Futures Award for offense goes to a freshman, Kilgore’s RAYSHAUN WILLIAMS.
Williams showed all sorts of potential at running back this year. Splitting time with four other running backs, Williams still finished with 612 yards and four touchdowns on 80 carries, averaging 8.1 yards per carry.
And defensively, the Futures Award goes to linebacker LaKEYLEON GRAVES, a sophomore.
Graves also had a ton of playmakers around him, but finished with 83 tackles, 42 solo, a tackle for loss, a pass break-up, and two quarterback hurries.
Kilgore fans will get to enjoy watching these two young men make many more plays over the next few seasons.
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Our next award – or actually, awards, plural – go to three juniors that, without question, contributed greatly to their teams this year. They were so good, in fact, that we couldn’t decide on which one to give it to, so we’re naming all three of them our JUNIOR JUGGERNAUTS award-winners.
The trio: Sabine quarterback COLT SPARKS, West Rusk linebacker/running back COLE JACKSON, and Overton receiver JAYDEN EDWARDS.
Now, Sparks couldn’t quite help the Cardinals into the UIL Class 3A postseason, but he did have a fantastic year. Sparks, in 10 games, completed 130-of-201 passes (64 percent) for 1,616 yards, about 161 yards a game, and for 12 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He also won the statewide Built Ford Tough Award a week during the season, voted the best player in all of 3A that week.
He also rushed for 959 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 6.9 yards per carry, 95 yards per game, and had three games of over 100 yards.
Jackson came up huge on both sides of the ball. Jackson had 101 total tackles at outside linebacker for coach Rafe Mata’s Raiders. He averaged about 8 1/2 a game, had three interceptions this season (144 return yards), two sacks, caused three fumbles, and three quarterback hurries.
And Edwards, who also was a Built Ford Tough Award-winner this year at the 2A level, was a big part of the Overton passing game, along with Isaiah Hawkins, Rylan Holleman and others.
Edwards hauled in an outstanding 75 catches for 1,346 yards, averaged 17.9 yards a catch, and 19 touchdowns in helping the Mustangs in their great turnaround.
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Our final award goes to the men who engineered that turnaround, the COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR AWARD.
That would be to the staff of the Overton Mustangs, led by SCOTTY LAYMANCE, in his first year as head coach.
Laymance took a team that won two games in ’22 to a 10-game winner in the 2023 season. They won the first nine (Quinlan Boles, All-Saints, Bowie, Colmesneil, Linden-Kildare, Cushing, Mount Enterprise, Alto, and Carlisle) before running into Tenaha in the final regular season game.
Overton would lose the showdown against the Tigers in Tenaha, 41-21. But they did bounce back to get a 40-9 first-round playoff win over Evadale before losing to eventual state finalist Mart in round three.
Congratulations to coach Laymance, his staff, and to all of our superlative award-winners!
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ALL-ETBLITZ FIRST TEAM
Quarterbacks: Grayson Hearon, Troup, and Cole Watson, Tatum.
Hearon completed 151-of-226 passes (66 percent) for 2,635 yards, averaged 237 passing yards per game, 13.7 yards per completion, and threw 41 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Watson was 63-of-111 for 1,013 yards and 12 touchdowns, and ran for 1,053 yards and 21 touchdowns. And then he played linebacker like a stud (see below)!
Running backs: Carsin Cooper, Gladewater; Noah Murphy, West Rusk; Brett Wells, Troup.
Cooper was the newcomer of the year in Gladewater’s district; he’s just a sophomore. In nine games, he ran for 1,263 yards and 11 touchdowns on 161 carries. He averaged 7.8 yards a carry and an eye-opening 140 yards a game, and rushed for 100 yards or more in seven games.
Murphy shared time with Cole Jackson, and both had a fantastic season. The senior ran for 1,232 yards and 18 touchdowns on 172 carries, an average of 7.2 yards a carry, and 112 yards a game. He had five games of rushing for 100 yards or more.
Brett Wells is just a freshman, and he stood out big-time for Troup. He finished with 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns on 149 carries, averaging 7.8 a carry and 105 yards a game, running for more than 100 yards in six games this season.
Fullback: Aubrey Saylor, Kilgore. Saylor’s here largely because of his blocking, something he excelled at his entire career for the Bulldogs. In 2023 alone, Saylor helped Kilgore’s offensive line block for 2,255 passing yards and 3,086 rushing yards.
Wide receivers: Trae Davis, Troup; Jayden Sanders, Kilgore; Isaiah Hawkins, Overton; Javon Towns, Kilgore; and Zane Bourque, Arp.
Davis is a Kansas State signee and combined with Hearon for a just-ridiculous year. Davis had 67 catches for 1,245 yards, averaged 18.6 yards per catch and had 20 touchdowns.
Sanders had 30 catches for 771 yards, averaged 25.7 yards a carry and eight touchdowns, and was also invaluable as a cornerback and returner (more below). Teammate Javon Towns often took the top off the defenses for Kilgore this season, including one spectacular TD catch against Chapel Hill in the regular season. And the best part is that he’s coming back next year. Towns had 15 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns in 2023, and averaged 20 yards a catch.
Hawkins joined Edwards, Still, Holleman and others in that potent Overton offense. “All” Hawkins did this year was make 85 catches for 1,068 yards, averaged 12.6 yards a carry and catch 14 touchdown passes.
And Bourque, suiting up for Arp, had 61 catches for 1,287 yards, averaged 21.2 yards a catch, and have 11 TDs. That 1,287 yards is a school record, according to a reliable source: Mike Alzamora, Arp ISD’s public information director.
Tight end: Josh Parrish, Kilgore.
Like Saylor, Parrish was primarily used as a blocker, and was good enough that he made first-team All-District in 9-4A, Division I, as well as this team.
Offensive line: Braydon Nelson, Kilgore; Kayson Reed, West Rusk; Emmanuel Young, Kilgore; Brock Johnson, Henderson; and Matthew McPherson, Overton.
All of these guys were first-team All-District choices in their respective districts, selected by the coaches, which means they graded out super high.
Kicker: Jovany Jaimes, Sabine; Bryce Wallum, Troup.
We were just going to select one, but both of these guys deserved first-team honors. Jaimes made 42 of the 43 extra points he kicked, and hit 6-of-8 field goals, a long of 47 yards.
Wallum only had to kick four field goals, but he hit three of them, a long of 27 yards, and his ridiculous stat is the sheer number of extra points he kicked: 63-of-65, an amazing feat.
Defensive line: Cameron Christian, Kilgore; Jobey Shico, Gladewater; Wylie Mitchell, Kilgore; Jackson Tucker Phillips, Kilgore.
Christian, Mitchell and Phillips were all named to 9-4A’s first team: that’s how good Kilgore’s defense was this year, allowing only about 16 points and 270 yards per game.
Christian had 76 tackles, 45 of them solo, four for loss, two sacks, a pass break-up, two blocked kicks and three quarterback hurries. Mitchell had 71 tackles, 38 solo, six for loss, four sacks, and seven hurries, and JTP had 66 tackles, 44 solo, 10 for loss, 2.5 sacks, eight hurries, a blocked kick and a pass break-up. And the bad news for Kilgore’s opponents in 2024: none of them are seniors.
Shico is a senior, but went out in style, with 65 tackles, 29 solo, six for loss, four sacks, and five hurries.
Linebackers: Malachi Pierce, Kilgore; Matthew Hardy, Kilgore; Brett Wells, Troup (again) and Cole Watson, Tatum (again).
Watson was impressive on both sides of the ball for coach Whitney Keeling’s Tatum Eagles. He had 132 tackles, 19 for loss, five sacks and a pick-six, an interception for a touchdown.
Pierce led the Kilgore Bulldogs in tackles with 109 of them, 48 solo, seven for loss, a sack, two interceptions, two pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two hurries, and two defensive touchdowns, a heck of a senior year.
Hardy, doubling as a linebacker and Kilgore’s bruising running back, had 86 tackles, 51 solo, two pass break-ups, a fumble recovery and three hurries.
And Wells, a Swiss Army knife for Troup along with Bryce Wallum, had 93 tackles, 54 solo (more solo than assisted), eight for loss, a sack, an interception, and a caused fumble.
Defensive backs: Javon Towns, Kilgore; Jayden Sanders, Kilgore; Carson Gonzalez, Tatum; Judson Dotson, West Rusk.
Towns and Sanders were just beasts this year – both just killed it, each playing three different posts (defensive back, receiver and returner).
Towns had 94 tackles at safety, 58 of them solo, two for loss, led Kilgore with seven interceptions, had seven pass break-ups, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries – and a partridge in a pear tree. Wow.
Sanders had 27 tackles, 12 solo, but had three interceptions and four pass break-ups – no one was lining up to throw against this guy. He also had a forced fumble.
Tatum’s Gonzalez had a nice year on offense (more later), but here at DB, he had three interceptions to go along with 31 tackles.
Dotson, just a sophomore, was all over the place for the Raiders. As a DB, he had 38 tackles, 28 solo, defended nine passes, and did so pretty darn well: had four interceptions.
Punter: Jovany Jaimes, Sabine. Jaimes was back at it again for the Cardinals as their punter, and had the best season of any punter in the ETBlitz.com coverage area. He punted 33 times for 1,359 yards, averaging 41.2 yards a punt.
Kick returner/ punt returner: Jayden Sanders, Kilgore.
This guy. He’s being recruited by a passel of teams, and no wonder: in addition to his work at corner and receiver, he was one of those guys you just do not kick to on special teams. Sanders had seven kick returns this year for 273 yards, averaged right at 40 yards a return, and two touchdowns. And he also had a 41-yard punt return.
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ALL-ETBLITZ SECOND TEAM
Quarterbacks: Frank Smith, Arp; Jordan Smiley, Henderson.
Smith went 115-of-203 for 2,211 yards (53 percent), averaged 185.1 yards per game, 9.6 yards per completion, and threw for 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He ran for 1,196 yards and 21 touchdowns on 153 carries, averaging 7.8 yards a carry.
Smith was a four-year starter, Alzamora noted, and is the program’s all-time leading passer.
Smiley was 77-of-140 (55 percent) for 1,145 yards, averaged 127.2 yards per game, 8.6 yards per completion and tossed nine touchdowns, and eight picks.
But on the ground, Smiley ran for 656 yards and 14 touchdowns, had three 100-yard rushing games, averaged 4.6 yards per carry and 72.9 yards rushing a game.
Running backs: Jesstin Starling, Henderson; Cade Silvertooth, Sabine; Isaiah Watters, Kilgore; Matthew Hardy, Kilgore.
Starling made a big splash in his sophomore year for coach Clay Baker’s Lions. He ran for 1,032 yards and six touchdowns on 130 carries, averaged 7.9 yards a carry and 103 yards a game.
Silvertooth was another one of those jack-of-all-trades players that coach Cody Gilbert could count on to get the job done, period. He carried the ball, caught the ball, sometimes even threw the ball, and did it all, right?
Rushing is what matters in this category, though, and he excelled there. He had 989 yards and nine touchdowns on 141 carries, averaged 7 yards a carry and 98.5 rushing yards a game, and had five games in which he went over the 100-yard mark.
Watters and Hardy were a part of that multi-player backfield for the Bulldogs, but they were a big part. Watters had 485 yards on 84 carries, and was second on Kilgore’s team with 12 touchdowns (to Derrick Williams). He averaged 5.8 yards a carry.
Hardy ran for 459 yards and scored eight times on 83 carries, an average of 5.5 yards a carry, and most of them were fighting off big defensive linemen, right up the hearts of opposing defenses. And did it all while fighting off injuries.
Fullback: Jamarri Gipson, Tatum
The Eagles got blocking from Gipson, too, but they got offensive numbers from this talented junior, who rushed for 1,023 yards and 12 scores on 123 carries, and he averaged 8.5 yards a carry, just tough to bring down.
Wide receivers: Caleb McKinney, Sabine; Demarcus Wade, Arp; Ty Lovelady, Troup; Dashawn Jackson, Henderson; Carson Gonzalez, Tatum; Gavin Sipes, White Oak.
McKinney had a fantastic senior season: 50 catches for 659 yards, three touchdowns, averaged 13.2 yards a catch.
Wade had 31 catches for 583 yards, averaged almost 19 yards a catch and scored six touchdowns.
Jackson was the Lions’ leading receiver with 485 yards and four touchdowns on 39 catches, averaging 12.4 yards a catch.
Gonazlez had 19 catches for 313 yards, but six of those 19 catches were touchdowns for Tatum. War Eagles.
Sipes was injured a good portion of the year, but still finished with 35 catches for 431 yards and two TDs.
Tight end: Colby Turner, Troup.
Turner was involved in the Tigers’ blocking scheme, of course, but helped the offense with numbers, too: 15 catches for 194 yards (12.9 yards a catch) and three touchdowns for the Tigers.
Offensive line: Jonathan Bateman, Henderson; Xavier Cook, Tatum; Chris Martinez, West Rusk; Vance Fletcher, Overton; Rashaud Brown, Kilgore.
This needs to be said: there were so many offensive linemen that were talented this season that many – most, in fact – of them deserved to be first team. That’s the case with almost every lineman on this team, including these five AND the third team.
Kicker: Leo Yzaguirre, Kilgore.
Leo, a senior, recently signed a letter of intent to move on to Liberty University in Virginia, to play soccer there. And he’s in the middle of another big year of soccer for the Kilgore Bulldogs right now.
Leo missed some time with injuries, but the biggest moment of his year – one of the biggest of Kilgore’s season – will forever be a field goal kick he made with eight seconds left that turned out to be the game-winner for the Ragin’ Red, giving them a 24-23 comeback win at home over Gilmer.
Yzaguirre (pronounced ‘is-a-gwier’) hit 38-of-43 extra points, and was perfect – 4-of-4 – in field goals, a long of 40 yards.
Defensive line: Zach Tyeskie, West Rusk; Xavier Moore, Tatum; Cameron Robinson, West Rusk; Caden Starkey, Troup.
Tyeskie and Robinson gave West Rusk’s opponents fits. Tyeskie had 32 tackles, 20 solo, four for loss, and Robinson just tackled everything in sight: 71 of them, 41 solo, six for loss, to go with three sacks and 11 hurries. He also had an interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Tatum’s Moore was a huge part of the Eagles’ roster on both offensive and defensive lines. On defense, he finished with 43 tackles, 13 for loss, and four sacks.
Starkey had 52 tackles, 32 solo, and an amazing 20 for loss. He had five sacks, to boot.
Linebackers: Kash Fletcher, Overton; Mikel Dennis, Kilgore; Zane Shearer, Sabine.
Fletcher was one of coach Laymance’s key players for the Mustangs. The senior had just phenomenal numbers: 123 tackles, 67 solo, 19 for loss, 10 sacks, 11 hurries, defended two passes and caused three fumbles.
Dennis might be the most underrated player on the All-ETBlitz.com team. He finished with 85 tackles, 50 solo, four for loss, a caused fumble that led to a touchdown, and three hurries.
And Shearer was a top defender for the Cards: 53 tackles, 32 solo, 16 for loss, four sacks, two fumble recoveries and a caused fumble.
Defensive backs: Giani Garza, Tatum; Ty Harper, West Rusk; Lemarion Coleman, Henderson; Jase Reasoner, West Rusk.
Harper, a senior, and Reasoner, a junior, made opponents think twice before passing on the Raiders.
Harper had 34 tackles, 22 solo, and Reasoner, 35 tackles, 20 of them solo. Harper had three interceptions, averaging 43 yards a return; defended six passes and had a fumble recovery. Reasoner had two picks, defended five passes and had a fumble recovery, as well.
Garza was a first-team all-district selection for the Eagles.
Punter: Leo Yzaguirre, Kilgore. Leo and teammate Aiden Reyes, who just missed on making this team, both handled kicking and punting duties for the Bulldogs this year, due to injuries.
Yzaguirre punted 27 times for 887 yards, averaging 33 yards a kick.
Kick returner/ punt returner: Trae Davis, Troup.
Kansas State is getting a heck of a receiver in Davis, and also a great returner. He had three returns this season on kickoffs, and averaged 62 yards a return, and he had two punt returns, averaging 41 yards there.
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ALL-ETBLITZ THIRD TEAM
Quarterbacks: Xander Mason, West Rusk; Jackson Ludlow, White Oak.
Mason played a couple of games short of the Raiders’ complete season, due to an injury, but completed 67-of-120 passes (55 percent) for 1,018 yards, averaged 84.8 yards passing a game, 5.6 yards per completion, and had 13 touchdown passes and six interceptions.
He also ran for 356 yards and three touchdowns, and averaged 5.5 yards per carry.
Ludlow completed 92-of-177 passes for 982 yards, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions, and also had a couple of games short of the season with an injury. He ran for 176 yards and two scores on 36 carries, an average of right at 5 yards a carry.
Running backs: Sage Orange, Kilgore; Blaise Horne, Overton; K.J. Yarbrough, Arp; Dillon Sanchez, White Oak.
Orange, who takes the word “speedy” to another level, would likely have had a much bigger year, but was beleaguered by injuries. He still managed to finish his senior year with 330 yards and three touchdowns on 38 carries, averaging 8.7 yards a carry.
Horne also had some injuries, particularly near the end of the season for Overton. But he, too, had a nice senior year: 403 yards and four scores on 53 carries, averaging 7.6 yards a carry.
Arp’s Yarbrough, another senior, ran for 353 yards and seven scores on 57 carries, getting 6.2 yards a carry.
Sanchez was used as an H-back and tight end this season by the Roughnecks. In addition to his blocking, Sanchez scored twice, both of them rushing touchdowns.
Fullback: Craver Green, West Rusk. Not many stats to speak of, but a first-team All-District selection as a blocking back for the Raiders.
Wide receivers: Brayson Woods, Gladewater; Ty Harper, West Rusk; Clayne Simmons, Sabine; Logan Ladwig, White Oak.
Gladewater’s Brayson Woods, just a sophomore, had 22 catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns, and Harper had 331 yards and six touchdowns on 16 catches, averaging 20 yards a catch – the senior also threw in 330 rushing yards and four TDs on the ground, for good measure.
Simmons, for Sabine, had 30 catches for 371 yards and four touchdowns, a good finish to his high school career.
Ladwig, just a sophomore at White Oak, had 24 catches for 219 yards and three scores.
Tight end: Jaxon Schminkey, Arp.
Schminkey falls into the blocking tight-end category, but did have two catches for 69 yards.
Offensive line: Parker Allums, Kilgore; Brayquan Moye, Kilgore; Tray Anthony, West Rusk; Dawson Brooks, Sabine; Rylan Freeman, Tatum.
Again, five more talented O-linemen that could have easily been first or second-team, if we’d had more slots.
Kicker: Christian Rodriquez, Overton.
This special senior, who recently suffered injuries in a car accident just about a week ago, made 37-of-42 extra points and hit the only field goal he kicked (a 24-yarder) this season.
Get well, Christian; all of East Texas is rooting and praying for you.
Defensive line: Joseph Royce, Sabine; Matthew McPherson, Overton; Timothy Gough, Overton; Jordan Ervin, Henderson.
Royce had 49 tackles for Sabine, 16 of them solo, and eight for loss; he had two sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.
McPherson was a first-team All-District offensive lineman for the Mustangs, but was solid on defense, too: 63 tackles, 31 solo, and one for loss; he had a sack, 12 hurries, and a fumble recovery.
His teammate, Timothy Gough, had 42 tackles, 22 solo and four for loss; he had two sacks, 12 hurries, and a caused fumble.
Jordan Ervin of the Lions, a sophomore, had a nice debut. He didn’t have many tackles, but he did have two for loss, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Linebackers: Hunter McCandless, West Rusk; Justin Weir, Overton; Luis Sanchez, West Rusk.
McCandless, just a sophomore, should provide some excitement for the Raiders in upcoming seasons, just like he did in 2023. McCandless had 72 tackles, 35 solo and two for loss, a sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery.
Teammate Luis Sanchez had 104 tackles, 67 solo, five for loss, a sack, a hurry, defended a pass and caused two fumbles in his excellent final season for West Rusk.
Weir was a solid nominee for our newcomer of the year. This freshman had 103 (!) tackles, 62 solo and nine for loss, two sacks and eight hurries, an interception, a fumble recovery and two caused fumbles. And that was his first year on varsity, Overton fans.
Defensive backs: Shane Jasper, Troup; Ty Lovelady, Troup; Isaiah Hawkins, Overton; Nehemiah Woodard, Arp; Tyson McKinney, White Oak.
Jasper is that rare member of the defensive secondary who led his defense in tackles (149, just unreal). An outstanding 92 of them were solo, and he had eight for loss, an interception and three fumble recoveries. And it tells you how deep this team is that he’s not higher on this list! But he’s just a junior. Great year, young man.
Teammate Ty Lovelady had 100 total tackles, 54 of them solo and three for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Hawkins, who was placed on the team earlier as a receiver, finished on defense with 62 tackles, 44 solo, three for loss, three interceptions, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Arp got a great year from Woodard, his senior year: 70 tackles, 58 solo, one for loss, four interceptions, and a fumble recovery.
McKinney, on a young White Oak team, had 22 tackles, all solo, two for loss, and an interception as a sophomore.
Punter: Jackson Ludlow, White Oak.
Ludlow, the sophomore starting quarterback and the son of Roughnecks coach Mike Ludlow, also doubled as the team’s punter. And did well: 21 punts for 707 yards, averaging 33 yards a punt.
Kick returner / punt returner: Isaiah Hawkins, Overton.
Another honor for this fantastic athlete. Hawkins had 11 kick returns for 310 yards this season, averaging 28 yards a return, and also had six punt returns for 111 yards, averaging 18.5 yards a return.