Fairfield leads the way with six all-GTNS selections

This year?s All-Golden Triangle News Service football team is about numbers. The players selected put up some amazing numbers ? yards, touchdowns and wins.

The coach led his team to five wins and the school?s first winning season since 1996. The team?s three running backs piled up an eye-popping 4,247 yards and 48 touchdowns. The defense made 845 tackles and came away with 33 turnovers. The quarterback threw for 1,212 yards and 10 scores, and the team?s three receivers caught 16 touchdown passes.

This year?s all-GTNS Coach of the Year is rookie head coach Darren Hill of Cardinal. Hill picked up his whistle less than two weeks before the first game of the season and set out to change the climate of Comet football. This season was a good start, as he led Cardinal to its best start since 1985 with four wins in his first four tries. The Comets, which went 1-8 last season, finished 5-4 for the team?s first winning season since 1996, and also advanced to the postseason for the first time in school history.

Mid-Prairie?s Tanner Miller, who was edged by Mount Pleasant?s Jordan Cotton for the captain spot last year, was selected as the all-GTNS team captain this fall. The senior tailback followed last year?s 2,000-yard campaign with 1,846 yards and 23 touchdowns this year, even with opposing defenses keying on him game in and game out.

Joining Miller in the all-GTNS backfield are running backs Michael Hammes and Tad Morrow.

In his first year as a starter in the Fairfield backfield, Hammes may be the biggest reason for the Trojans? return to the postseason. The junior piled up 1,216 yards on the ground and darted through holes created by his big offensive line for seven 100-yard games this fall.

Morrow, a four-year starter in the WACO backfield, had his best year yet, rushing for 1,185 yards and 14 touchdowns as he helped lead the Warriors to a 9-3 record, an undefeated Class A District 5 championship and a spot in the state quarterfinals. For his efforts, Morrow was selected as the district?s Offensive Player of the Year.

For the second-straight year, a Mount Pleasant quarterback is taking snaps in the all-GTNS backfield. Last year, Blake Heitmeier was the team?s quarterback. This year, it?s Cody Vaughn, who won a three-way battle over the summer to become the Panthers? starting quarterback, and then went on to emerge as one of the better passers in Class 3A District 5. Vaughn completed 99 of his 149 pass attempts for 1,212 yards and 10 touchdowns this fall, and his quarterback rating of 148.9 was the highest in the district of any passer with more than 100 attempts. Vaughn also gave the Mount Pleasant rushing attack a boost with 486 yards and seven scores on 99 carries.

Wide receivers Henry Krieger-Coble and Josh Hyde and tight end Kaleb Duwa will give Vaughn some targets.

Before suffering a season-ending high ankle sprain against Clear Creek-Amana, Mount Pleasant?s Krieger-Coble was Vaughn?s favorite target. And even though his season was cut short, the junior wideout still had 34 catches for 491 yards and six touchdowns in just five games.

Hyde provided a big threat for Fairfield on the outside, and was a big help in keeping the Trojan offense as diverse as possible. Hyde emerged as a go-to receiver for quarterback Jordan Leazer, and led Fairfield in receptions (23), yards (409) and touchdowns (5) on the year.

Mid-Prairie didn?t throw the ball much this year, but when they did, the ball seemed to be headed toward Duwa. He provided a big target for Mid-Prairie quarterback Mark Aldeman, and led the Golden Hawks in receptions (16), yards (279) and touchdowns (5).

The all-GTNS offensive line is a group of five guys who pancaked defenders all season long.

Coming in at 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, Fairfield tackle Michael Smithburg may be the best representative of a Trojan offensive line that caused opposing defenses fits all season. Smithburg held down the left side of the line that cleared the way for all-GTNS running back Michael Hammes and a Trojan running game that rolled up 1,856 yards on the season.

Washington senior Drew Dickerson had started on the Demon offensive line as a sophomore and a junior, but emerged as a force this fall. When the Demons needed to run for a first down, they ran behind their left guard, and that?s why Dickerson was selected as Washington?s Offensive MVP this season.

Columbus senior Steve Lizzaraga helped open up cracks in opposing defenses, which were stacked against the Wildcats? run-first offense. Behind Lizzaraga, Columbus senior tailback Jared Eichelberger ran for 1,605 yards and 14 touchdowns this season.

Senior Austin Adam was one of several big Pekin linemen who led the charge on an explosive Panther offense. Adam blocked his way to first team all-district honors for a Panther team that averaged more than 35 points per game in the highly competitive Class 1A District 5. Behind Adam, the Panthers totaled a staggering 2,865 yards on the ground as a team.

While gathering a district-leading 119 tackles from his linebacker position, Cardinal offensive guard Austin O?Brien also paid his dues in the trenches for the resurgent Comet team. O?Brien paved the way for running back Jake Scherer and the rest of the Cardinal rushing attack that piled up 12 touchdowns en route to a substate appearance.

Fairfield senior Jake Dunbar?s selection as the squad?s kicker marks the second straight year he?s booted the football for the all-GTNS team. Last year, he was the team?s punter. He had another outstanding year at punter, with a 37.5-yard average, but he also brought his leg to the kicking game and made the most out of limited opportunities. Dunbar made two of three field goals, including a key kick in Fairfield?s 10-0 win at Washington that made it a two-score game, and also converted 21 of 26 extra point attempts this season.

Ball-hawking safeties lead defense

Don?t even think about trying to run the football against the All-GTNS defensive line. Not gonna happen. These four guys totaled 348 tackles, including 63 for loss, this season.

Seniors Sam Brookhart and Michael Overhulser were part of a WACO defensive line that stuffed the run and allowed just one 100-yard rusher this season. Brookhart, a 6-foot-3, 211-pound nose guard, led all Warrior linemen with 94 tackles, and he also made 20 stops for loss. Overhulser, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound defensive end, made a team-leading 25 tackles for loss and 90 total tackles.

Matt Hotek?s play in the trenches for Fairfield solidified smash mouth football as the Trojans? calling card, particularly on the defensive side. Hotek led Fairfield with 65 tackles from his tackle position, including 18 for loss. The junior was the ring-leader of a unit that allowed just 13 points per game.

Senior Jordon Hervey was one of the few bright spots for a Van Buren team that left the win column empty in 2009. Hervey was a mainstay on the Warrior defense, coming up with a team-high 99 tackles on his way to first team all-district recognition.

If ball carriers could get past WACO?s dominant defensive line, they were met by hard-hitting junior linebacker Spencer Shepherd, who led the Warriors with 100 tackles.

Highland senior Dakoda Flory was selected as the Class A District 5 Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Huskies with 126 tackles, including 16 for loss. He also intercepted a pair of passes for an opportunistic Highland defense that forced with 32 turnovers this season.

Washington head coach Jason Ganoe called senior Jordan Vittetoe ?the hybrid.? He could play whatever position Ganoe put him at, and on defense, that was a mix of linebacker and safety. But wherever he played, the hard-hitting senior made offensive players pay for coming near him. Washington?s team MVP made a team-leading 78 tackles this season, and he also recovered two fumbles.

The all-GTNS team?s four defensive backs made opposing quarterbacks pay for throwing their way, coming up with 19 interceptions.

Washington junior Landon Coker picked off six passes this season to lead Class 3A District 5. He also returned one for a touchdown in game at Keokuk. Coker was also the Demons? leading receiver, with 19 catches for 271 yards and two scores.

As part of a nasty Fairfield defense, safety Cody Moran quickly emerged as the Trojans? biggest playmaker. The senior intercepted five passes through 10 games and ended up fifth on the team in tackles as well as handling punt return duties with one kick taken back for a touchdown.

After intercepting seven passes last fall to earn an all-GTNS nod, WACO senior Bryce Shelman is back on the team this season. The Warriors? sturdy defensive line and linebackers often forced teams to throw the football, and when they did, Shelman was there. He picked off five passes this year to earn another selection to the all-GTNS squad.

Mid-Prairie junior Michael Aldeman leads the all-GTNS ball-hawking defense. Aldeman recovered five fumbles and returned two for touchdowns, including a 78-yard touchdown return that gave the Golden Hawks the lead for good in a 21-19 season-opening win over Williamsburg. He also intercepted three passes, returning one for a score. On top of all of that, Aldeman made a team-leading 98 tackles.

Highland senior Cody Boyd led all area punters with a 39.4 yard-per-boot average, and was selected as the Class A District 5 Punter of the Year.

Mount Pleasant junior Darian Cotton and Washington sophomore Parker Turner occupy the all-GTNS team?s two utility spots.

Cotton was the definition of a utility player for the Panthers this season. Cotton was the team leader and fourth-best rusher in the district with 643 yards and seven touchdowns on 131 carries. He was also one of the biggest kick return threats in the district, with two touchdowns and 253 return yards despite the fact that teams only kicked to him nine times this season. Cotton was also one of the Panthers? top defenders. He made 57 tackles, recovered two fumbles and intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown.

Turner may not have any eye-popping numbers, but the sophomore did spark the Demons to a pair of wins this season. Washington trailed visiting Oskaloosa 14-0 at halftime, but Turner returned the opening kick of the second half to the Oskaloosa 48-yard line. Two plays later, the Demons scored. Then, after Washington forced a punt, Turner returned the kick 70 yards for the game-tying score. Washington never trailed again, and went on to win 34-20. Then, three weeks later, Turner, who had only attempted two extra point kicks all season long, made a high, fluttering 30-yard field goal with 1:02 remaining to lift the Demons to a 21-20 Homecoming victory over rival Mount Pleasant.