2013 WCBI End Zone Postseason Awards Including Team of the Year

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) –  After its success in 2012, the All-End Zone awards have returned to crown the best in high school football here in Mississippi.

The WCBI Sports team of Robby Donoho, Jonathan Flippo, and Tommy Lopez carefully debated and decided over the best players, teams, coaches, and moments of the 2013 high school football season.

Below are the nominees and winners of the End Zone Player, Coach, Team, and Game of the Year.

(Stats and information are provided by the schools and MaxPreps)

2013 End Zone Offensive Player of the Year
AERIS WILLIAMS, WEST POINT

(Mississippi Gridiron)
West Point running back Aeris Williams is the 2013 End Zone Offensive Player of the Year for his performance this season as the Green Wave starting running back.

– Williams had one of the best seasons out of any player in the state of Mississippi this 2013 season. Not only did he average over 185 yards rushing per game, but he also totaled over 20 touchdowns on the season. It wasn’t an easy task for the Mississippi State commit. With defenses keyed on stopping the A-Train and his rushing ability, he still was able to run for an astonishing 1,697 yards on just 265 carries.
NOMINEES
Wyatt Roberts, Louisville
Kenzie Phillips, Oxford
Diamante Pounds, Saltillo
Jack Abraham, Oxford
Quinn Tiggs, Tupelo
Jamarcus Bradley, Choctaw County

2013 End Zone Defensive Player of the Year
JEREMY SANGSTER, LOUISVILLE

(24/7)
Louisville’s Jeremy Sangster is the 2013 End Zone Defensive Player of the Year.

– Sangster was a nominee for the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year, but this season the senior linebacker came up aces. Sangster tallied an extraordinary 146 tackles on the 2013 season, which is ranked 11th in the state by MaxPreps. That number could have been much larger as Sangster sat out most 4th quarters with the Wildcats having already had their outcome decided. His 27 tackles for loss is one of the top stats in the state and his 18 sacks is tied for first on his team.
NOMINEES
Eric Hunt, Noxubee County
James Gilleylen, Tupelo
TC Hatchett, Choctaw County
Kirkland Horton, Water Valley

2013 End Zone Coach of the Year
TRENT HAMMOND, TUPELO

(Daily Journal/Lauren Wood)
Tupelo’s Trent Hammond is the 2013 End Zone Coach of the Year.

– The turnaround made by the Golden Wave in the first season of the Trent Hammond era is nothing short of a miracle. Them blankets hadn’t won more than 10 games in a season since the glory days of the 90′s yet it appears the glory days have returned to Golden Wave Stadium. This season, Hammond turned the Wave into a defensive juggernaut and brought the offense to life as Tupelo defeated South Panola for the first time since 2001 to advance to the 6A State Championship.
NOMINEES
M.C. Miller, Louisville
Johnny Hill, Oxford
Bubba Tacker, Smithville
Eric Robertson, Lafayette
Perry Liles, Calhoun City
Nathan Wright, French Camp
2013 End Zone Game of the Year
CALHOUN CITY AT OKOLONA

(Daily Journal)
Calhoun City’s Lavarious Varnado was one big reason why the Wildcats were able to rally and defeat Okolona in our End Zone Game of the Year for 2013.

– Was there ANYONE who thought the game WASN’T over when Rod Jones caught a crazy 4th and 22 touchdown pass from Jacolbi Heard? The Chieftains had momentum, the lead, and the clock on their side with just over 1 minute left.  That was until Calhoun City had their own crazy pass to win when Chakel Gates hooked up with Travone Petty for the game-winning touchdown with 33 seconds remaining. In the only way possible, the game ended when Okolona muffed the ensuing kickoff and Calhoun City recovered, giving the Wildcats the win AND the Region 4-2A Title in the process. This game had everything: a wild ending, two tremendous teams, and division title implications. Game of the Year? You betcha.

2013 End Zone Team of the Year
LOUISVILLE WILDCATS

(Clarion-Ledger)
MC Miller and the Louisville Wildcats are the 2013 End Zone Team of the Year for their extraordinary 16-0 season and 3A State Championship.

– It’s not too often where a team finishes a perfect season winning 16 games. It also doesn’t come around too often where a team wins the first 15 by double digits and wins the last by stopping a 2 point conversion with one minute remaining. Simply put: the Louisville Wildcats were the team of destiny in 2013. 30 seniors in all led the way for a squad that was dominant in every sense of the word. M.C. Miller’s Wildcats faced adversity on Saturday in Jackson but they would not let one game ruin a season of perfection. Louisville withstood a late charge from Hazlehurst to bring home the school’s eighth State Championship. No team in Louisville history has won 16 games in a season, which makes the 2013 Wildcats one team to remember.

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2013 All-End Zone First Team (Player of the Year is not included)
QB – Wyatt Roberts, Louisville
RB – Kenzie Phillips, Oxford
RB – Diamante Pounds, Saltillo
WR – Desmond Goss, Louisville
WR – Marcus Green, North Pontotoc
OL – Ethan Orr, Itawamba AHS
OL – Paxton Sims, Choctaw County
OL – Eli Johnson, Lafayette
OL – Montez Hairston, Water Valley
OL – Ron Milledge, Tupelo
ATH – Jamarcus Bradley, Choctaw County
K  – Reed Bigham, Tupelo

DL – Chop Stewart, Columbus
DL – Jalon Sangster, Louisville
DL – Jeffery Simmons, Noxubee County
DL – Taboris Lee, Choctaw County
LB – James Gilleylen, Tupelo
LB – Eric Hunt, Noxubee County
LB – Marcus Robinson, Tupelo
DB – TC Hatchett, Choctaw County
DB – Brieton Sykes, Calhoun City
DB – Nick Shields, Louisville
DB – Kirkland Horton, Water Valley
P – Cody Mills, Oxford

2013 All-End Zone Second Team
QB – Jack Abraham, Oxford
RB – Quinn Tiggs, Tupelo
RB – DK Buford, Lafayette
RB – Roger Thomas, West Point
WR – Levert Jernigan, Nettleton
WR – Dontea Jones, Louisville
OL – Trevara Miller, Noxapater
OL – Tyler Floyd, Booneville
OL – Tamarcus Williams, Noxubee County
OL – Anderson Gund, Louisville
OL – Kenyana Heard, North Pontotoc
ATH – Donta Armstrong, Bruce
ATH – Duke Upshaw, Baldwyn
K  – Sam Gould, French Camp

DL – Anthony Gund, Louisville
DL – Corey Brown, Columbus
DL – Ladarius Gallion, West Point
DL – Darrius Liggins, Oxford
DL – Malik Slaughter, Louisville
LB – Taylor Johnston, Starkville
LB – Nathan Smith, Houston
LB – Channing Hughes, Louisville
LB – Marbrecio Crump, Baldwyn
DB – AJ Rye, Saltillo
DB – Dvanta Randle, West Point
DB – Antraveon Jamison, Noxubee County
DB – Otis Wilson, Tupelo
P – Michael Godley, Starkville

2013 All-End Zone Third Team
QB – Jesse Hosket, French Camp
RB – Demarcus Brooks, Louisville
RB – Lamontae Salley, Eupora
RB – Zeus Rogers, Booneville
RB/WR – Justin Robertson, Noxapater
WR – Sammie Burroughs, Aberdeen
WR – Chris Blackmon, Falkner
WR – Nick Burns, Mantachie
OL – Cortez Johnson, French Camp
OL – Tyler Hickman, Louisville
OL – Lee Mitchell, Water Valley
OL – Shaquille Shinault, Baldwyn
OL – Tristan Hopkins, Ripley
ATH – Jay Johnson, Bruce
ATH – Quinshay Heard, Hamilton
K  – Eathen Rainey, New Albany

DL – Malik Bell, Starkville
DL – Dakendrick Gooch, Water Valley
DL – Jelen Hadley, Saltillo
DL – Tripp Janssen, Starkville Academy
DL – Terrance Smith, Aberdeen
LB – Tamoris Draine, Eupora
LB – CJ McLaughlin, North Pontotoc
LB – Shaq Wright, Calhoun City
LB – Aleck Hobson, Ripley
DB – Andrew Lambert, Booneville
DB – Iverson Ivy, Tupelo
DB – KJ Lee, Water Valley
DB – Brooks Shannon, North Pontotoc
P – Dalton Hudspeth, Louisville

2013 All-End Zone Honorable Mention
Quarterback
Dalton James, Ripley
Trey Jolly, North Pontotoc
Dakota Cruber, Nettleton
Corbin Scott, Baldwyn
Trey Pittman, Eupora
Drew Lann, Smithville
Josh Williams, Aberdeen
Brady Davis, New Hope
Dustin Carrell, Mantachie

Running Back
Tyler Hood, Smithville
Tyrell Price, Lafayette
Christian Johnson, Ripley
Michael Erving, French Camp
Dequin Babbit, Okolona
Blake Spruill, East Union
Jeremy Wilkes, North Pontotoc
Lavarious Varnado, Calhoun City
Hunter Anderson, Heritage Academy
JT Herring, New Site
Jeramie Lawrence, Falkner
Hagan Box, French Camp

Wide Receiver
Joey Walden, Oxford
Raphael Leonard, Starkville
Corson Gunn, Eupora
Neil Knight, Smithville
Ethan Holmes, Oxford
Isaiah Howard, Ripley
Logan Bell, Heritage Academy
Victor Deloach, New Hope

Athlete
Armanti Linton, Walnut
Jacolbi Heard, Okolona
Deangelo Liggins, East Webster
Jamarlo Smith, Nanih Waiya
Luke Alexander, Belmont
Channing Tapley, Hebron Christian
Jessie Bryant, Noxubee County
Ben Marchbanks, Caledonia

Defense
Armontie Price, Baldwyn
Colten Bramlett, Pontotoc
Steele Liles, Calhoun City
Pat Gardner, Bruce
Ashton Wedel, Tupelo
Ben McCutchen, Booneville
Daniel Hughes, French Camp
James Walter, Ripley
TT Person, Starkville
Chris Rucker, Mooreville