In our recent haste to project all the fun we expect to have on the gamefields and ballcourts in 2011, we almost forgot one important order of business from 2010: announcing our St. Louis American Small Schools All-American Football Team.
Our one-of-a-kind small schools all-star football team is selected from metro area players & coaches who played in Missouri Classes 1-4 and Illinois Classes 1A-5A.
This season, the area’s top-rated small school team, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, dominated the selections, with eight players named to the team. Among those eight players we picked, one of our favorites was senior TE/DE Marcus Taylor, the area’s best receiving TE, who also led the area with 21 sacks, and the only player we chose on both offense and defense this year.
Another MRH player we loved watching this year was QB Kahlid Hagens. Before a surprise case of appendicitis ended his season right before the state quarterfinals, Hagens might have been having the best season of any player in the area.
The 6’1″, 160-pound 10th-grader was leading the area’s #1-ranked small school team to its best season ever. His 1,937 pass yards and 24 TD passes had him on pace to break all kinds of school and area records, making him an easy choice as our 2010 Sophomore of the Year.
Another MRH award winner this year is head coach Brandon Gregory, who we chose as a landslide winner for Small Schools Coach of the Year. Gregory earned the honor after leading Maplewood to a 14-1 record and its first ever trip to the Show-Me Bowl.
Our choice for 2010 Small Schools Freshman of the Year is the dominating OL/DL from Imagine Prep DeMon Taylor. The 6’4″, 290-pound ninth grader was a significant performer on both sides of the ball for the Bears this year, and many expect him to be a key factor in the development of Imagine’s football program in 2011 and beyond.
The two prized awards, the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors, went to two of the area’s most dominant small school players. On offense, we chose the brilliant WR/KR from John Burroughs, Grant Wallace, after he led the area in receptions with 81, while compiling 1,141 yards and 24 TDs.
We chose Jennings’ near unblockable DL Reggie Webb as the Defensive Player of the Year. This season, Webb’s been selected to almost every all-star team he’s eligible for, and most every one has chosen him as its top defensive player.
And why not, after the 6’1″, 190-pound junior led all area DL with 109 total tackles and finished second in the area with 20 QB sacks.
Here is the rest of the 2010 St. Louis American All-American Football Team:
Offense
QB-Kahlid Hagens, Soph.–Maplewood–Our 2010 Sophomore of the Year, Hagens was just brilliant under center for MRH this season. Should he make a successful recovery from appendicitis, which ended his season, Hagens is expected to be one of the area’s top returning players in 2011.
RB-Terron Dale, Sr.–Maplewood–The workhorse rushing leader for the Blue Devils, Dale’s 1,178 rushing yards & 23 TDs ranked among the area’s best and was a key reason for MRH’s run to the state championship game.
RB-John Edwards, Sr.–Cardinal Ritter–Edwards ended his brilliant career at Ritter by rushing for 1,471 yards & 23 TDs, claiming his second straight Archdiocesan Athletic Association rushing & scoring titles.
RB-Mivon Green, Sr.–Northwest Academy–Quite possibly the most electric RB in the area this season, Green had a splendid season for the 9-2 Hornets. His 1,840 rushing yards were the most for any small school back, while his 18 TDs were tops in the PHL this season.
WR-Tony King, Sr.–Maplewood–King was the primary deep threat for MRH’s top-ranked pass attack this season. He finished the year with 35 catches for 709 yards & seven TDs and teamed with fellow senior Cortez Cooper to give the Blue Devils one of the area’s best receiving tandems.
WR-Paul McRoberts, Jr.–Soldan–A brilliant performer who’s averaging 18 points a game for Soldan’s top-ranked basketball team this season, McRoberts led the PHL in receiving in 2010 with 34 catches for 618 yards & nine TDs.
WR-Grant Wallace, Sr.–John Burroughs–Our 2010 Offensive Player of the Year, Wallace did it all for the 14-1 Bombers this season. His receiving totals of 81 catches for 1,141 yards & 24 TDs all ranked amongst the area’s best. But he was also a brilliant kick returner, where he led the area with nearly 800 return yards, which included three kickoff return TDs & two punt return TDs.
TE-Marcus Taylor, Sr.–Maplewood–Taylor led all area TEs in receiving yards & TDs, and unofficially led the entire state with 21 QB sacks.
OL-Melvin Collins, Soph.–Cahokia–A first-year starter for the Comanches, Collins was a force on the O-line this season. Cahokia just missed making the playoffs in 2010, but with the 6′, 250-pound Collins leading the way, the Comanches expect to compete for a playoff slot next season.
OL-Rene Faulk, Sr.–Roosevelt–The best lineman in the PHL for the second straight year, Faulk was the driving force behind Roosevelt’s offense, which led the PHL in scoring at 33.0 points a game.
OL-Vinton Harris, Sr.–Althoff–The best lineman in the South Seven Conference in 2010, Harris was selected first-team all-conference on both offense and defense.
OL-Patrick Pinnell, Sr.–Maplewood–The fifth MRH player we chose on offense, Pinnell’s blocking skills were a key reason why the Blue Devils averaged 40.9 points a game this season.
OL-Herschel Prater, Sr.–McCluer South-Berkeley–The 2010 Suburban East Conference Lineman of the Year, Prater was the leader of a rebuilding MSB offense, which averaged 22 points a game this season.
Defense
DL-Marquise Bostic, Jr.–Northwest Academy–A two-time All-American team member, Bostic was the leader of one of the area’s most dominant units in 2010. The Hornets pass rush posted an unofficial state-best 64 QB sacks this season, with Bostic ranking second on the team with 16. Senior Christian Gregory was the actual leader with 17.
DL-Joshua Temple, Sr.–Cardinal Ritter–A three-time All-American team member, Temple was nearly unblockable for the Lions this season, notching 72 total tackles and five QB sacks for a defense that yielded just 8.8 points a game.
DL-Reggie Webb, Jr.–Jennings–Our pick for Defensive Player of the Year, Webb might’ve had the best season for any area D-lineman since Sheldon Richardson graduated. Webb had 109 total tackles, a whopping total for a D-lineman, along with 20 QB sacks, and an untold number of QB hits and pressures.
LB-DuShawn Blakely, Sr.–McCluer South-Berkeley–One of the most underrated players in the area, yet clearly the best LB in the Suburban East this season, Blakely ranked third in that league with 107 total tackles.
LB-Austyn Ford, Sr.–Maplewood–Ford was one of the area’s best two-way players this season. On offense, he rushed for 650 yards & scored 15 TDs. But we chose the 6′, 185-pound fireball for our defense, after he posted 104 tackles, four QB sacks, six fumble recoveries, and seven INTs.
LB-Markiki Hicks, Sr.–Cardinal Ritter–The 2009 Small Schools Defensive Player of the Year, and another three-time All-American team member, HIcks led Ritter’s defense with 130 tackles, three QB sacks, and two INTs.
LB-Tyrone Robinson, Sr.–Northwest Academy–One of the primary benefactors of NWA’s brilliant D-line play was this 5’10”, 190-pound dynamo LB. With his front four clogging everything up upfront, Robinson was able to roam free to make plays. And boy did he ever, with 125 tackles, eight QB sacks, and seven fumble recoveries.
DB-Fletcher Coates, Sr.–Ladue–The vocal, fiery leader of Ladue’s defense this season, Coates led all Suburban East DBs with 91 tackles and ranked second in the league with six INTs.
DB-Nick Coulter, Sr.–Maplewood–At times the best player on the field, despite all his other all-star teammates, Coulter filled the stat sheet almost every week for the Blue Devils. We liked Coulter best as a DB, where he posted 77 tackles, two QB sacks, three fumble recoveries, and two INTs. He also was a top-notch kick returner, with two KOR TDs this season.
DB-George Hinkle III, Sr.–Pacific–We don’t usually look this far south to find players for our team, but Mr. Hinkle III might be the best player in the metro area you’ve never heard of. As a QB for the Indians in 2010, he was an almost unstoppable force, passing for 1,158 yards & 10 TDs and rushing for 892 yards & another seven TDs. But we liked him best at DB, where he was one of the area’s best shutdown corners, with two INTs and an area-best for DBs 97 tackles.
DB-Damon Howell, Jr.–Jennings–An all-Suburban East and all-State performer for Jennings, Howell led all area small school DBs with seven INTs. The 5’11”, 175-pounder was also a prime performer with the ball in his hands in 2010, posting nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards as a RB/WR/KR for the Warriors.
Specialists
K-Reginald Curry, Sr.–Roosevelt–Most pundits agree Curry’s got a promising future as a small college DL, if he so chooses to play at the next level. But we like 6’1″, 244-pounder as our kicker after he hit 17 PATs this season. And who could forget Curry’s overtime playoff game-winner, possibly the biggest FG in Roosevelt school history, against rival Gateway Tech.
P-Anthony Boyd, Sr.–Jennings–Most Jennings fans remember Boyd this season for his work as the team’s starting QB, where he led the very young Warriors to a surprise playoff berth and an even bigger surprise playoff win over Borgia. But we liked him best as a punter, where he second in the Suburban East with a 37.2 yards per punt average.
PR-Dominique Brown, Sr.–Ladue–One of the area’s most dangerous return men overall, Brown led the Suburban East in both punt & kickoff returns this past season. On kickoffs, Brown averaged 45.3 yards per return, and on punts, he averaged 18.5 yards per return, with a combined three kick returns for TDs.
ATH-Kortland Webb, Sr.–Ladue–If not for Ladue’s surprise upset loss to Warrenton in the state playoffs, Webb might’ve been in consideration for our Player of the Year award. His numbers were incredible, 1,511 pass yards & 17 TDs, along with 935 rush yards & another 19 TDs. Even still, the 5’11”, 165-pounder led the Rams to an 11-2 season and was an easy choice for Suburban East Offensive Player of the Year.
