The All-American large-school football team
Of the St. Louis American
This week, we introduce to you the members of the St. Louis “All”-American high school football team in the large school division. Large schools constitute the Class 5-6 in Missouri and Classes 5A-8A in Illinois. We will feature the small school team next week. Here are brief capsules on the large school team.
Marcus Harris (Kirkwood): Talented junior quarterback who threw for 2,384 yards and 19 touchdowns in his first varsity season for the Class 6 state semifinalists. He was third in the area I passing yardage in first in the area in passer rating.
E.J. Jones (Edwardsville): The St. Louis American Offensive Player of the Year. The senior transfer from Ohio rushed for 1,524 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also had 415 yards in receptions for a total of 1,939 yards from scrimmage. He was also a top defensive back in leading the Tigers to a 12-1 record and a berth the IHSA Class 7A semifinals.
Thomas Merriweather (Hazelwood East): Talented junior who rushed for 1,421 yards and scored 25 touchdowns in leading the Spartans to the Suburban North Conference title. Merriweather will be one of the area’s top recruits next year.
Jaious Singleton (East St. Louis): Concluded a stellar three-year career at East Side by rushing for 1,682 yards and 18 touchdowns. Singleton led the Flyers to the second round of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs. He finished his career with 4,514 yards rushing and 54 touchdowns.
Jeremy Maclin (Kirkwood): Big-play wide receiver who had 41 receptions for 1,042 yards and 17 touchdowns. Maclin averaged more than 26 yards per catch. He committed to the University of Missouri last week.
Jerrell McDaniel (East St. Louis): Junior wide receiver who had 42 receptions for 1,046 yards and 20 touchdowns. Combined with junior quarterback Derrick Johnson to form one of the area’s top passing combinations. Both will be back next year as top recruits.
Wesley Kemp (DeSmet): The St. Louis American Sophomore of the Year, Kemp burst on the scene as a sophomore to catch 46 passes for 1,062 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6’4” 200-pound Kemp set a new Class 6 state championship game record with 11 receptions for 246 yards against Hazelwood Central.
Keith Williams (McCluer North): The 6’7” 310-pound senior tackle was the anchor of McCluer North’s line play throughout his career. Williams was one of the leaders of the Stars, who advanced to the Class 5 state championship game the past two years.
Reo Taylor (Eureka): Outstanding senior offensive lineman at 6’0” and 270-pounds. One of the main reasons why the Tigers maintained their status as one of the top power running teams in the state of Missouri. He is also one of the top prep wrestlers in the state.
Ronnell Simpson (Hazelwood West): The linchpin of the Wildcats’ dominating offensive ground game that nearly produced three 1,000-yard rushers. The 6’2” 280-pound senior was an All-Suburban North selection as an offensive and defensive lineman.
Jared Walker (Gateway Tech): A hulking offensive lineman at 6’3” and 325 pounds who earned All-Public High League honors. Helped pave the way for tailback Sterling Hardin’s 1,605-yard rushing season, which led the league.
Niko Mafuli (SLUH): An All-Metro Conference offensive lineman, the 6’3” 290-pound junior helped open holes for top running back Stephen Simmons and the offensive exploits of quarterback Paul Chaney.
Ronnie Thomas (Cahokia): Big-play performer for the Comanches as a punt and kick return specialists. The speedy Thomas averaged nearly 50 yards per kickoff return and led the area in punt return yardage for the IHSA Class 5A state semifinalists.
Darrell Robertson (Roosevelt): The 5’7” senior tailback led Roosevelt to a share of the PHL title and a district tournament with his all-around excellence as a tailback, receiver and kick return. He had 1,271 yards from scrimmage as a senior.
Willie Dyson (Kirkwood): A tremendous defensive end who helped lead the Pioneers to the Class 6 semifinals. As a senior, the 6’3” 230-pound Dyson had 87 tackles, seven sacks and 16 tackles for losses. Dyson committed to Minnesota.
Edward Jackson (Cahokia): The 6’4” 215-pound defensive end led the Comanches to their first-ever berth in the IHSA state semifinals. He was the leader of a stingy Comanche defense with 13 sacks this season. He had a total of 24 sacks in the past two years.
Jerry Brown (Vashon): The 6’4” 260-pound Brown was the dominant defensive end in the Public High League. As a senior, Brown had 65 solo tackles, (97 total) and a team-high 13 sacks, despite seeing double and triple-team blocking for much of the season. He had 25 sacks in the past two seasons.
Keenan Mace (Beaumont): An All-PHL pick at defensive tackle who had 100 tackles (65 solos) with 12 sacks and four fumble recoveries. Mace accomplished all of this despite missing three games during his junior season.
Adrian Clayborn (Webster Groves): The St. Louis American Defensive Player of the Year. The 6’3” 240-pound senior is a First Team selection at linebacker and tight end. The hard-hitting Clayborn had 71 solo tackles, three sacks and several bone-jarring hits to lead the Statesmen to the Class 5 state semifinals. He also had 23 receptions for 418 yards and six touchdowns. Clayborn committed to Iowa last week.
Devin King (DeSmet): The St. Louis American Freshman of the Year, King made an impressive prep debut as the middle linebacker for the Class 6 state champions. The 5’11” 190-pound King led DeSmet with 109 tackles, eight sacks and one interception.
Oscar Mafuli (Hazelwood Central): Active senior linebacker at 6’2” and 225 pounds who was one of the Hawks’ leaders with 106 tackles (69 solos) and five sacks. Helped the Hawks reach the Class 6 state title game.
Eric Snipes (Alton): A 6’2” 250-pound senior linebacker who covered a lot of ground for the Redbirds’ playoff team. Led Alton with 82 solo tackles (143 total) with three sacks and seven tackles for losses.
Munir Prince (DeSmet): An outstanding two-way performer at defensive back and tailback, Prince was one of the leaders of DeSmet’s drive to the state championship. He finished with 53 tackles and one interception on defense and 1,305 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns on offense. Prince is headed to Notre Dame.
Justin Stewart (O’Fallon): One of the top defensive backs in the area, the 6’1” 185-pound Stewart was always around the ball for the Panthers. He registered 125 tackles on defense. He moved to quarterback on offense and led the Panthers to yet another playoff berth. He is headed to Northern Illinois.
LaMark Brown (Hazelwood West): A physical performer on both sides of the ball at 6’3” and 215 pounds. Brown had 55 tackles and three interceptions from his safety position. As a tailback, Brown punished defenses for 1,249 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns. He will be one of the top recruting targets in the area next season.
Kenny Sims (Hazelwood Central): An All-Suburban North Conference cornerback who was a stalwart in the Hawks secondary. He had 53 tackles and two interceptions. His interception return for a touchdown helped stake the Hawks to an early advantage in their Class 6 state semifinal victory at Kirkwood.
Curtis Brown (Roosevelt): When he wasn’t leading Roosevelt to the state playoffs as a quarterback, Brown was also averaging better than 41 yards per kick as the Rough Riders’ starting punter.
Eddie Calvin (Rockwood Summit): All-around talented who excelled as a wide receiver, defensive back and kick return specialist. Calvin scored 10 touchdowns on offense and had three interceptions and three sacks on defense.
St. Louis “All”-American Football Team
(Large Schools)
First Team
Offense
QB- Marcus Harris (Kirkwood), Jr.
RB- E.J. Jones (Edwardsville), Sr.
RB- Thomas Merriweather (Hazelwood East), Jr.
RB- Jaious Singleton (East St. Louis), Sr.
WR- Jeremy Maclin (Kirkwood), Sr.
WR- Jerrell McDaniel (East St. Louis), Jr.
WR- Wesley Kemp (DeSmet), Soph.
TE- Adrian Clayborn (Webster Groves), Sr.
OL- Keith Williams (McCluer North), Sr.
OL- Reo Taylor (Eureka), Sr.
OL- Ronnell Simpson (Hazelwood West), Sr.
OL- Jared Walker (Gateway Tech), Sr.
OL- Niko Mafuli (SLUH), Jr.
KR- Ronnie Thomas (Cahokia), Sr.
AP- Darrell Robertson (Roosevelt), Sr.
Defense
DL- Willie Dyson (Kirkwood), Sr.
DL- Ed Jackson (Cahokia), Sr.
DL- Jerry Brown (Vashon), Sr.
DL- Keenan Mace (Beaumontt), Jr.
LB- Adrian Clayborn (Webster Groves), Sr.
LB- Devin King (DeSmet), Fr.
LB- Eric Snipes (Alton), Sr.
LB- Oscar Mafuli (Hazelwood Central), Sr.
DB- Munir Prince (DeSmet), Sr.
DB- Justin Stewart (O’Fallon), Sr.
DB- LaMark Brown (Hazelwood West), Jr.
DB- Kenny Sims (Hazelwood Central), Sr.
P- Curtis Brown (Roosevelt), Sr.
Ath- Eddie Calvin (Summit), Sr.
Second Team
Offense
QB- Derrick Johnson (East St. Louis), Jr.
RB- Jocelyn Jones (Kirkwood), Sr.
RB- Stephen Simmons (SLUH), Sr.
RB- Kelvin Austin (Hazelwood Central), Sr.
WR- Gerald Fulton (Hazelwood East), Sr.
WR- Norris Johnson (McCluer North), Sr.
WR- Travis Mitchell (Parkway Central), Sr.
TE- Chris Owens (Hazelwood Central), Jr.
OL- Tarren Collins (Kirkwood), Sr.
OL- David Young (Edwardsville), Soph.
OL- Bruce Beal (Vianney), Sr.
OL- Ryan Wilson (Hazelwood East), Sr.
OL- Kenneth Phiffer (East St. Louis), Sr.
AP- Sterling Hardin (Gateway Tech), Sr.
KR- Eddie Calvin (Summit), Sr.
Defense
DL- Jamal Graham (Gateway Tech), Soph.
DL- William Coward (Hazelwood East), Sr.
DL- Aaron Bryant (Hazelwood Central), Sr.
DL- Andre Devine (Cahokia), Jr.
LB- Robert Swopshire (Webster Groves), Sr.
LB- James Moore (McCluer North), Soph.
LB- William Royston (Parkway South), Sr.
LB- Justin Johnson (Hazelwood Central), Sr.
DB- Quartize Jackson (McCluer North), Jr.
DB- Gary Harden (Roosevelt), Sr.
DB- Derrion Buchanan (Gateway Tech), Sr.
DB- Trae Blount (Hazelwood East), Sr.
Ath- Cartez Parker (Lafayette), Sr.
