http://www.reportern...-of-class-in-2aEastland QB is at top of class in 2A.
"PLAYER OF THE YEAR..
Trent Brittain
School: Eastland
Position: QB
Class: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 175
Strength: It might be unfair to point out one strength in Brittain's game and label it as his biggest selling point. In other words, the teen has too many strengths to narrow the field completely. Aside from being an accurate passer with a strong arm, Brittain was highly mobile, poised and proved to be a big-time performer in the clutch. We're not talking about a product of the Eastland offensive system here.
2010 Highlight: Was at his absolute best during a 51-22 win over Littlefield area round of the playoffs, hitting 19 of 24 passes for 410 yards and two scores. He also rushed 12 times for 122 yards and two more scores, giving him a direct hand in 632 yards and four scores.
Coachspeak: "We had a fun, productive year, and with Trent being a three-year varsity kid who was struggling because of an injury, it was great to see him bounce back from the year he had," Eastland coach Brian Hulett said. "He's got a good arm, he can run, he makes good decisions and he was a leader on the field for us."
Why he's here: Brittain hit 139 of 214 regular season passes for 2,714 yards and 38 touchdowns against only six interceptions while helping the Mavericks to a 10-0 record. He also rushed 65 times for 622 yards and 10 more scores. Eastland eventually finished the year at 12-1.
OFFENSIVE MVP
Hayden Lewis
School: Cisco
Position: Running back
Class: Senior
Height: 5-8
Weight: 170
Strength: Heart and desire were the hallmarks of this player, who despite being smallish in stature, emerged as one of the most athletic small-school backs in the area in 2011. If Cisco needed a tough yard, it was usually Lewis who would get it.
2010 Highlight: Rushed for 180 yards on 21 carries in Cisco's 36-35 loss to Refugio in the Class-2A DII state championship game. This included scoring runs of 2 and 22 yards.
Coachspeak: "He's got an athletic mindset and everything comes very natural to him," Coach Brent West said. "But he's an overachiever in the physical area. Being only 5-8 and 170 pounds without great sprinter speed, you almost have to have that athletic mindset, plus being an overachiever who plays with a big heart."
Why he's here: Produced big numbers despite splitting time in the backfield with Mason Reed. Lewis only carried the football 92 times in the regular season, but produced 1,110 yards and 20 touchdowns in the process. His averages were staggering — 12.07 yards per carry and a touchdown every 4.6 times he was given the football.
DEFENSIVE MVP
Shelton Zarate
School: Coleman
Position: Linebacker
Class: Junior
Height: 5-11
Weight: 215
Strength: Fundamentally sound, Zarate has a firm grasp of both how to get to the ball carrier quickly, but also how to consistently him down once he gets there. Not the fastest linebacker in the Big Country, but certainly one of the most reliable.
2010 Highlight: Spearheaded a dominating defensive effort in a 27-0 win over Early on Sept. 9, collecting 12 tackles, four of which were behind the line of scrimmage. Zarate also interceptioned off a pass while helping Coleman earn a shutout.
Coachspeak: "We actually thought about moving him to defensive line, because of his size," Coleman coach Brad Ballard said. "But he worked extremely hard over the summer, lost a little bit of weight, and it really paid dividends. ... He takes very good angles when he goes to make tackles and he does a great job of wrapping them up when he gets there. When he gets a hand on you, you're not going to get away."
Why he's here: Always around the football, Zarate took part in more than 120 tackles during the regular season, but was particularly harmful once he got near the football. Aside from posting four sacks on the year, Zarate interceptioned off two passes, forced to fumbles and recovered two others.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR..
J.T. Newton
School: Bangs
Position: Quarterback
Class: Sophomore
Height: 5-11
Weight: 160
Strength: Confidence. Anyone who watches Newton play quickly realizes that this is a player who believes in his own ability. And with two years of eligibility remaining, there's no telling how much further that ability will develop.
2010 Highlight: Despite throwing three early interceptions in a 28-19 loss at Cisco on Sept. 16, Newton demonstrated an uncommon level of poise for a sophomore, eventually finishing with 251 yards passing for two scores and 73 yards rushing. All of this, coming on the road against a team that nearly won the Division II state championship.
Coachspeak: "He plays better under pressure," Bangs coach Chuck Lipsey said. "That's a good characteristic to have. A lot of people get nervous, but he plays better when he gets in pressure situations. ... The kids respond to him, but he also had good people around him and to do what he did, he had to have a good offensive line and receivers and he'd be the first one to tell you that."
Why he's here: Aside from hitting 203 of 330 throws for 2,335 yards and 19 touchdowns, Newton also proved highly mobile, rushing for 401 yards and 11 scores on 168 carries.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Brent West
School: Cisco
Strength: With a 117-29 overall record since his arrival at Cisco in 2001, along with four trips to state championship games, West has the Lobo players trusting every word he says. He also has the reputation of being a talented game planner, with a knack for finding ways to get the opposition blocked.
2010 highlight: Facing defending state champion Idalou in the Region I quarterfinals, West's club dominated the Wildcats in a 27-14 win at Colorado City. The Loboes pounded out 251 yards rushing against what was considered by many to be the best Class-2A defense in the state — outscoring Idalou 20-7 in the second half.
Playerspeak: "He's led us extremely well," senior defensive lineman Jacob Avery said. "The work and the hours he puts into it with getting us scouting reports really paid off. ... He's the best. It's not that he's constantly yelling, because we all have a good time. But in those situations when he needs to get after us, that's when he steps up."
Why he's here: A fourth trip to a state championship game in less than a decade is a good place to start. West's Loboes finished the season at 14-1, falling to Refugio, 36-35 in the Division II title game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Along the way, Cisco took the District 4 Division II title and defeated four straight playoff opponents in Sanford-Fritch (61-28), Idalou (27-14), Holliday (34-0) and Corsicana Mildred (35-28).
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE..
Trent Brittain
Quarterback
Eastland
6-2, 175, senior
Stats: Completed 139 of 214 passes for 2,714 yards, 38 TDs against only 6 interceptions and also had 85 carries for 622 yards and 10 TDs.
Hayden Lewis
Running back
Cisco
5-7, 170, senior
Stats: Ran for 1,110 yards on 92 carries and 20 TDs.
Frankie Harris
Running back
Merkel
5-10, 200, senior
Stats: Had 126 carries for 1,446 yards and 23 TDs, while making six catches for 78 yards and one TD.
Caleb Hullum
Receiver
Eastland
5-9, 175, senior
Stats: Had 53 receptions for 1,366 yards and 22 TDs, 10 carries for 122 yards and two TDs, and he also had 15 punt returns for 288 yards.
Lane Carter
Receiver
Ballinger;
6-2,160, senior
Stats: 75 receptions for 876 yards and six TDs.
Braden Williams
Receiver
Bangs
5-10, 155, senior
Stats: Had 68 catches for 864 yards and seven TDs.
Reed Scroggins
Lineman
Cisco
6-2, 270, senior
Stats: Graded at 85 percent with 70 knockdowns.
Duncan Addy
Lineman
Eastland
5-11, 245, senior
Stats: Top offensive lineman on a team that averaged 484 yards and 48 points a game. Gave up one sack in 214 passing attempts.
Logan Lewis
Lineman
Cisco
5-10, 240, senior
Stats: 58 knockdowns; graded 80 percent.
Wayne Worsham
Lineman
Coleman
6-1, 230, senior
Stats: 124 knockdowns, graded at 92 percent.
Tyler Williamson
Lineman
Jim Ned
6-2, 240, senior
Stats: 14 pancakes, graded at 92 percent.
Mason Reed
Utility
Cisco
6-1, 185, sophomore
Stats: Rushed for 884 yards on 83 carries, 16 TDs and had one punt return for TD.
Derek Gainey
Place-kicker
Colorado City
5-7, 165, senior
Stats: Hit 33 of 37 extra points and was 8 of 10 on field goals.
DEFENSE
Jacob Avery
Defensive line
Cisco
6-0, 240, senior
Stats: 57 tackles, one fumble recovery, two forced fumbles and two sacks.
J.D. Scott
Defensive line
Eastland
5-9, 190, senior
Stats: 34 solo tackles, 79 assisted stops, 22 tackles for loss, two sacks, 10 QB hurries, four caused fumbles and three recovered fumbles.
Jonathan Reynolds
Defensive line
Breckenridge
5-11, 180, senior
Stats: 43 solo tackles, 14 assisted stops, six QB sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 10 QB hurries, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery.
Montel McKinley
Defensive line
Clyde
6-5, 190, junior
Stats: 41 solo tackles, 44 assists, 10 TFL, seven sacks, 19 QB hurries, six pass deflections, three recovered fumbles and two forced fumbles.
Shelton Zarate
Linebacker
Coleman
5-11, 215, junior
Stats: 124 total tackles, four sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two fumbles caused and two fumble recoveries.
Phillip Gosnell
Linebacker
Eastland
5-11, 220, senior
Stats: 44 solo tackles, 88 assisted stops, 19 tackles for loss, one sack, four QB Hurries, one interception returned for 70 yard TD, one caused fumble, one fumble recovery.
Mason Reed
Linebacker
Cisco
6-1, 185, sophomore
Stats: 88 tackles, including five for losses, one interception, five forced fumbles, one sack and one TD.
Ryan Kuehler
Defensive back
Coleman
6-1, 175, senior
Stats: 68 total tackles, two tackles for loss, five interceptions, one fumble caused and 10 pass breakups.
Skyler O'Donald
Defensive back
Clyde
6-0, 180, senior
Stats: 84 solo tackles, 43 assists, seven tackles for loss, one interception and three sacks.
Zane Webster
Defensive back
Jim Ned
6-0, 180, senior
Stats: 75 solo tackles, 43 assisted tackles, two interceptions, one fumble recovery.
Baylor Mullins
Defensive back
Merkel
5-8, 150, junior.
Stats: 27 solo and 36 assisted tackles, four interceptions (one returned for TD), four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries.
Justin Coker
Utility
Coahoma
5-8, 160, Sr.
Stats: Had 194 carries for 1270 yards, 11 TDs and two catches for 85 yards, one TD.
Clay O'Dell
Punter
Jim Ned
6-1, 200, senior
Stats: 37 punts for 41.73 average, including 17 punts inside the 20.
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Derek Gainey
Quarterback
Colorado City
5-7, 165, senior
Stats: Completed 157 for 247 passes for 2,240 yards and 20 TDs, 13 interceptions, while rushing for 528 yards and 11 TDs.
Bryce Devore
Running back
Hawley
5-9, 155, senior
Stats: Ran for 1,163 yards, 12 TDs to go with six catches for 142 yards and one TD.
Justin Coker
Running back
Coahoma
5-8, 160, senior
Stats: Had 194 carries for 1,270 yards and 11 TDs and two catches for 85 yards and one TD.
Zane Webster
Receiver
Jim Ned
6-0, 180, senior
Stats: 48 catches for 805 yards, eight TDs.
Tyler Lorenz
Receiver
Colorado City
6-1, 185, senior.
Stats: Had 47 catches for 711 yards and seven TDs.
Dominique Segura
Receiver
Eastland
5-7, 140, senior
Stats: Had 27 catches for 541 yards and four TDs (missed four games due to injury).
Ryan Rivera
Offensive line
Colorado City
6-1, 225, senior
Stats: 26 cut blocks, 27 pancakes and no sacks allowed.
Jacob Echavarria
Offensive line
Coahoma
6-2, 235, senior
Stats: 77 knockdowns. Was the anchor on a line which helped produce seven games with more than 300 yards rushing.
Anthony Rivera
Offensive line
Colorado City
6-0, 220, senior
Stats: 47 cut blocks, 13 pancakes and no sacks allowed.
K.J. McFadden
Offensive line
Merkel
5-11, 240, senior
Stats: Leader of line that averaged 391 yards offense per game.
Jake Johnson
Offensive line
Colorado City
6-0, 210, junior
Stats: 33 cut blocks, seven pancakes, no sacks allowed in 2011.
Julio Delgado
Place-kicker
Eastland
5-9, 200, senior
Stats: 49 of 52 on extra points, 2 of 6 on field goals, 70 kickoffs and 30 touchbacks.
DEFENSE
Marco Molina
Defensive Line
Coahoma
5-10, 180, senior
Stats: 68 Tackles, eight sacks and three forced fumbles.
Jacob Beckwith
Defensive Line
Bangs
6-0, 200, senior
Stats: seven solo tackles, 59 assist, 15 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 13 QB hurries and two fumble recoveries.
Michael Newberry
Defensive Line
Merkel
6-2, 220, senior
Stats: seven solo and 30 assisted tackles, two sacks, two blocked punts and one fumble recovery.
K.J. McFadden
Defensive line
Merkel
5-11, 240, senior
Stats: 14 solo tackles, 49 assisted tackles, three tackles for loss, one pass breakup and four forced fumbles.
Scotty Roberson
Linebacker
Breckenridge
6-0, 220, senior
Stats: 56 solo tackles, 29 assist, 2.5 QB sacks, eight tackles for loss, eight QB hurries, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Hayden Lewis
Linebacker
Cisco
5-7, 170, senior
Stats: 86 tackles, one tackle for loss, one fumble recovery, one INT, one sack and two pass breakups.
Jake Johnson
Linebacker
Colorado City
6-0, 210, junior
Stats: 60 tackles, including six for loss, 59 assists, two QB pressures, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and two deflected passes.
Vicente Gonzalez
Defensive back
Bangs;
6-2, 160, senior
Stats: 27 solo tackles, 16 assist, one tackle for loss, nine pass breakups, four interceptions.
Colton Kent
Defensive back
Cisco
5-7, 150, sophomore
Stats: 57 tackles, one interception, six fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup.
Tanner Ruiz
Defensive back
Coahoma;
5-9, 150, junior
Stats: 76 Tackles, one interception.
Caige Miller
Defensive back
Coahoma
5-7, 145, sophomore
Stats: 67 Tackles, one sack, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
Baylor Mullins
Punter
Merkel
5-8, 150, junior
Stats: six punts for a 49.8 average, including five inside 20-yard line.
HONORABLE MENTION
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Chris Keesee, Ballinger; Anthony Thomas, Coleman; Colten Gayle, Cisco; JT Newton, Bangs; Baylor Mullins, Merkel; Pedro Ramirez, Breckenridge; Tanner Ruiz, Coahoma.
Running back — Scotty Roberson, Breckenridge; Aaron Acevedo, Coahoma.
Receivers/Tight ends — Pat Bohannan, Merkel; Kelby Jordan, Merkel; Caige Miller, Coahoma; Jake Sefcik, Clyde; Montel McKinley, Clyde.
Offensive line — Ryan Stoker, Breckenridge; Peyton Rodriquez, Coahoma.
Place-kicker — Baylor Mullins, Merkel; Jairus Slagle, Clyde.
DEFENSE
Linebackers — Devon Hoelscher, Ballinger; Taylor Roberts, Bangs; Miles Bradley, Eastland; Joseph Reed, Merkel; Tyler McDemott, Merkel; Justin Coker, Coahoma; Devin Martinez, Clyde; Alex Hernandez, Colorado City.
Secondary — Kelby Jordan, Merkel; Blair Vick, Breckenridge; Aaron Acevedo, Coahoma; Jake Sefcik, Clyde.
Punter — Derik Gainey, Colorado City."