Denton Record-Chronicle
2017 All-Area Football Team OFFENSE
Offensive Player of the Year
Most Valuable player
DEFENSE
First team
Kaedric Cobbs
Guyer, RB, So. Cobbs transferred from Melissa last spring and seamlessly continued Guyer’s run of success as one of the top rushing teams in Class 6A. The sophomore phenom rushed for 1,362 yards and 25 touchdowns. He had eight multitouchdown games and averaged more than seven yards per carry. Cobbs was also named the District 6-6A offensive newcomer of the year and will clearly be a huge factor in what the Wildcats do on offense moving forward.
CJ Jackson Sanger, QB, Sr. Jackson has been under center for the Indians since the last game of his freshman year. He led Sanger to the playoffs every time and capped his career with 1,151 passing yards and nine touchdowns. He also rushed for 781 yards and eight scores on a whopping 141 carries.
Emani Bailey Ryan, RB, So. For a guy who played running back in a pass-first offense, Bailey didn’t fare too bad in his first varsity season. The sophomore rushed for 1,244 yards and 15 touchdowns while showing great hands out of the backfield and solid blocking ability. He caught eight balls for 52 yards.
Defensive player of the year
First team
Spencer Neumann Aubrey, RB, Sr. Neumann stepped up when star do-it-all threat Gatlin Grisso was injured. He finished the year with 1,043 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging more than six yards per carry. Neumann was also a key piece to the Aubrey defense, finishing with 112 tackles, including 13 for loss.
Arian Bhat Guyer, DL, Sr. Bhat continues to garner more attention on the recruiting trail as National Signing Day approaches. He closed out his senior year with 40.5 tackles, eight for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He took pressure off Wildcat linebackers and was a leader for an inexperienced unit.
Rondarius McGarr Ryan, DL, Sr. McGarr moved to Ryan this offseason and hit his stride as a defensive end for the Raiders. The senior was everywhere on the field while recording 82 tackles, 19 for loss. He added seven sacks, one interception, three fumble recoveries and one recovered fumble.
Israel Isuman-Hundley Liberty Christian, DL, Jr. Hundley may be the most highly sought-after defender in the area in 2019. He already has offers from Baylor and Oklahoma State. He capped his junior year with 56 tackles, three sacks, and 39 hurries. Hundley was a second-team all-district selection.
Chase Petter
Argyle, DE/LB, Jr. Petter was a lock to win this award given the fact that he was also named the defensive player of the year in Class 4A by The Associated Press. It’s not difficult to figure out why, either. Petter, who is just a junior, set a new singleseason sack record at Argyle with 15. He finished with 112 tackles, with 25 of those coming behind the line of scrimmage. He added five forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
Newcomer of the year
Co-Quarterback of the year
Don Williams Argyle, RB, Sr. Williams burst onto the scene as a junior and didn’t let up in his final season with the Eagles. Williams racked up 1,561 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns while also being a consistent receiver out of the backfield with 139 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Noah Lang Argyle, RB, Jr. Noah Lang transferred from Abilene Wylie and became a solid 1-2 punch in the Eagles’ running game with senior Don Williams. Lang rushed for 887 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2017 while averaging 10 yards per carry. He’ll be relied on even more in 2018.
Tauskie Dove Ryan, WR, Sr. Dove and fellow pass-catching phenom Gabriel Douglas have been difficult to defend over the last three seasons. The Raiders’ receiver caught 58 balls in 2017 for 939 yards and 14 touchdowns. Dove was a consistent receiver on deep routes down the sideline.
DL Roberson Lake Dallas, DL, Jr. Roberson was an anchor on a revitalized defensive front at Lake Dallas. The junior tallied 67 tackles, five sacks, one interception, one fumble recovery and five forced fumbles. He’ll be a welcome returner next year as the Falcons look to stay in the playoff hunt.
Kosi Eldridge Ryan, LB, Sr. Eldridge was a defensive back before he was asked to switch to linebacker in 2017. He made the most of the move while leading the Raiders with 183 tackles, 13 for loss, four sacks, one interception, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and a blocked kick.
Dylan Bourey Guyer, LB, Sr. Bourey was a key cog in the second level of the Guyer defense. He led the team with 81 tackles and six sacks while adding 10 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hurries. Bourey sparked the Wildcats defense in a bounce-back win over Plano East.
Landry Kinne
Ryan Depperschmidt
Lake Dallas, QB, Jr. Depperschmidt had a breakout year for a Falcons team that was desperately trying to make it back to the postseason after a one-year hiatus. In his first year as the full-time starter, Depperschmidt threw for 2,392 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was elusive as well, rushing for 507 yards and 17 scores. That performance allowed Lake Dallas to make the playoffs and win its first round playoff game.
Co-Quarterback of the year
Jamarion Robertson Ryan, WR, Jr. With defenses focused on Gabriel Douglas and Tauskie Dove, Robertson often made everyone pay for leaving him in single coverage. The Raiders’ junior receiver was second on the team with 1,010 receiving yards on 43 receptions and caught 10 touchdown passes.
Wes McCollum Argyle, WR, Sr. Wes McCollum transferred from Coppell and became an instant success at Argyle. The senior averaged a staggering 22.6 yards per catch while racking up 857 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in an otherwise crowded and versatile wide receiver group.
John Lanz Guyer, OL, Sr. It’s difficult to find a player more dominant than John Lanz. Regarded as one of Guyer’s all-time greats, Lanz, a TCU signee, finished his career without allowing a sack. He graded out at 90 percent and was an honorable mention all-state selection.
Spencer Sanders Ryan, QB, Sr. What do you give a guy who can seemingly do whatever he wants on the football field? The quick answer is you give him the ball -- a lot. Secondly, you sit back and watch him collect practically every postseason honor there is to earn. Ryan has had arguably a once-in-a-generation type player at quarterback in Spencer Sanders for the last four seasons. The senior and Oklahoma State signee threw for 3,845 yards and 54 touchdowns in 2017 while adding 1,380 rushing yards and 16 more scores. Those numbers alone put him over 14,000 career yards, helped him earn the state’s AP player of the year award and made him an easy pick to repeat as the Denton Record-Chronicle’s All-Area MVP. Despite two season-ending knee injuries, Sanders managed to start 52 games while going 46-6 and guiding Ryan to back-to-back Class 5A Division I state semifinal game appearances. Three of those six career losses were to Class 6A state champion Allen (2015) and 5A champion Highland Park (2016 and 2017).
Co-Coach of the year
Gage Campbell Argyle, LB, Sr. Campbell did not waste any time proving how dominant he could be at middle linebacker for a team that is used to having a leader at that position. Campbell finished with 106 tackles, 20 going for loss, with three fumble recoveries, eight sacks and two interceptions.
Ahmad Terry Ryan, LB, So. Terry stepped in at a linebacker spot that has become critical to Ryan’s scheme. The sophomore finished with 101 tackles, 11 for loss, with two sacks and three fumble recoveries as Ryan proved to be one of the top defensive units in Class 5A.
Anthony Tony-Itoyah Denton, DB, Sr. Itoyah was all over the field for Denton in 2017. The senior defensive back led the team in tackles with 129 while adding a pretty salty stat line that included four tackles for loss, one interception, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
De’Ray Darthard Guyer, DB, Sr. It’s not easy to step into the shoes of a secondary that boasted two Division I signees in 2016. But Darthard made it all look easy in 2017 while leading Guyer with four interceptions. He also had two defensive touchdowns while racking up 40 tackles.
Tra Smith Ryan, DB, So. Smith may not have been the biggest guy on the field, but he was perhaps the fastest and delivered hits like a 250-pound linebacker. The sophomore was one of Ryan’s leading tacklers with 102. He added four interceptions and one fumble recovery. He’ll be a key face moving forward.
Hayden Clearman Argyle, DB, Jr. Clearman was a starting defensive back for Argyle before he moved to quarterback late in the year when Jon Copeland was injured. The junior finished with 71 tackles, and two forced fumbles on defense. His play at QB helped lift Argyle into the third round before losing to Stephenville.
Denton, QB, So. With the Denton Broncos needing a new leader under center, Kinne burst onto the scene in his sophomore season while establishing himself as a dual threat in the Broncos’ backfield. He passed for 1,308 yards, rushed for 241 and accounted for 14 total touchdowns. Though the Broncos struggled and Kinne’s season abruptly ended with a knee injury, he was clearly a bright spot for a young team on the rise.
wide receiver of the year
Dave Henigan
Head Coach, Ryan
Jon Copeland
Argyle, QB, Sr. Had it not been for a season-ending knee injury late in the regular season, there’s no telling where Copeland would have finished in what was clearly one of the more impressive seasons from a quarterback in the Denton area. In his first and only season with Argyle after transferring from Liberty Christian, Copeland passed for 1,975 yards and 25 touchdowns. He only threw four interceptions and also rushed for 284 yards and four more scores.
Preston Coyle Argyle, OL, Sr. Coyle was the only guy for Argyle with experience in the trenches coming into 2017. The senior road grader only allowed three sacks on the season while piling up 42 knockdowns in an offense that was incredibly balanced. He graded out at 88 percent.
Josh Nicholson Guyer, OL, Sr. While John Lanz was the star for the Wildcats in the trenches, Nicholson proved to be an important edge setter. He never graded out less than 90 percent and was a firstteam all-district selection. He also caught three passes for 42 yards as a tight end.
Dave Henigan has certainly made his mark with a Ryan program that is already rich in tradition. Over the last three seasons, Henigan and his coaching staff guided the Raiders to a staggering 41-3 record while spending time in the state’s top two classifications (Class 6A and Class 5A). That run includes three straight 10-0 regular seasons - a first for Ryan - and back-to-back appearances in the Class 5A Division I state semifinals. Ryan,14-1, went further in the playoffs than any Denton-area team over the last two seasons, and Henigan expects his program to be a force moving forward.
Mike Nielsen Ryan, OL, Sr. Nielsen led a stout offensive line that paved the way for star quarterback Spencer Sanders and gave Ryan’s offense a credible run game. Nielsen, an all-state honorable mention, graded out at 92 percent with four sacks allowed, 26 pancakes and 12 knockdowns.
C0-Coach of the year
Second team Pos. Player School QB Luke Stillwell Guyer QB Greyson Thompson Braswell RB Xylohn Posey Denton RB Dameon Moser Sanger RB Pablo Vera Aubrey WR Billy Bowman Jr. Ryan WR Isaiah Wofford Denton WR Brandon Engel Lake Dallas WR Cale Nanny Argyle WR Jaeden Johnson Braswell OL Caleb Gill Guyer OL Justice Langston Ryan OL Hayden Brockenbush Lake Dallas OL Jarom Larman Aubrey
Class Sr. So. So. Sr. Sr. Fr. Jr. So. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr.
Notable 820 passing yards and six TDs; 838 rushing yards and six scores. 1,305 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. 605 rushing yards on 107 carries with six TDs; 44 receiving yards. 610 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns; 271 receiving and three scores. 807 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns despite missing four games. 358 receiving yards and four TDs; 58 rushing yards. 31 receptions for 537 receiving yards and four touchdowns. 951 receiving yards and eight TDs. 688 receiving yards, nine TDs and a 14.6 yards per catch average. 448 receiving yards and four touchdowns; 123 rushing and four scores. Never graded out below 92 percent as right tackle in Guyer’s run game. Graded out at 93 percent with two sacks allowed and 28 pancake blocks. Graded out at 91 percent with eight pancake blocks. Graded out at 93.5 percent with 41 pancakes and zero sacks allowed.
Photos by Jefferee Woo of the Denton Record-Chronicle and DRC/DMN file photos
Head Coach, Aubrey
Luis Cantu Ryan, K, Sr. Cantu didn’t have to deliver many big kicks for the highoctane Raiders this season, but the ones he did make were straight and true. The senior was a perfect 100 percent on field goals and 90 percent on PATs. He racked up 101 total points for Ryan, which finished 14-1.
Ryan, WR, Sr. Any quarterback in the Denton area would salivate at the thought of having Douglas as a pass-catching weapon, and for good reason. The senior and Texas Tech commit has consistently dominated defenders over the last three seasons while making highlight-reel catches at every turn. He finished his final season with 1,366 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns on 90 receptions. Douglas was also a second team all-state selection.
Second team
Keith Ivy
What Keith Ivy has done at Aubrey over the last two seasons is remarkable, but 2017 may have been his best coaching performance yet. The fourth-year coach took the Chaparrals to the second round of the Class 4A Division II playoffs despite losing two Football Bowl Subdivision studs, Gatlin Grisso (Washington State) and Jordan Redfearn (UNT), early in the season. The team faced a myriad of injuries as the season progressed, but the Chaps’ only regular-season losses were to Whitesboro, Melissa and Celina. All three of those opponents advanced at least to the third round of the playoffs.
Gabriel Douglas
Grant Sawyer Liberty Christian, DB, Sr. Sawyer lined up all over the field for the Wildcats as both a safety and linebacker. He shined as a safety, recording 97 tackles, two forced fumbles and three interceptions while leading one of the top defensive units in all of TAPPS. He also earned TAPPS all-state honorable mention.
Pos. Player School DL Grant Mahon Guyer DL Zalen Long Lake Dallas DL Austin McCallion Aubrey DL Larenzo Tystad Krum LB Brock Anderson Ponder LB Tre Turner Guyer LB Kade Johnson Liberty Christian LB Isaac Broades Denton LB Connor Payton Liberty Christian DB Blake Ramsey Argyle DB Elijah Thibodeaux Denton DB Kason Howell Liberty Christian DB Jordan Rucker Ryan DB Carson Kennedy Ryan
Class Notable So. 43.5 tackles, 5.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks. 6-6A defensive newcomer. Sr. 38 tackles, four for loss, with one sack. Jr. 60 tackles, 10 for loss, with eight sacks. Sr. 50 tackles, 18 for loss, with 11 sacks and two forced fumbles. Sr. 88 tackles, 20 for loss, with 7 sacks, one blocked punt and one INT. Sr. 56 tackles, 11 for loss, and seven QB hurries. Sr. 28 solo tackles, eight for loss, and 4.5 sacks while recovering four fumbles. So. 41 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5 QB pressures, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery. Jr. 58 tackles, 3.5 for loss and four INTs. Jr. 32 tackles, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, five INTs. Jr. 87 tackles (55 solo), 12 pass breakups, one fumble recovery, four INTs. Sr. 60 tackles and two INTs. TAPPS all-state honorable mention. Sr. 40 tackles, three for loss, seven pass breakups. Sr. 83 tackles, seven for loss, two INTs, 2 fumble recoveries.
Team selected by the Denton Record-Chronicle’s sports staff in consultation with area coaches