Honor Roll: FISD players recognized on 5-5A Division I all-district team

Frisco ISD is one of the most talent-rich school districts in the state.

For proof, look no further than the fact that with 10 high schools, FISD is one of the largest districts in Texas and there is still talent to go around.

That is reflected on the 5-5A Division I all-district team, where each of the six Frisco squads earned their share of honors.

Lone Star shook off a rough start to post a 7-4 record and advanced to the regional semifinals before falling to Highland Park.

The Rangers finished second in 5-5A Division I and were rewarded with 19 selections to the team, including a pair of superlative honors.

Junior quarterback Garret Rangel was voted the offensive player of the year after completing 188-of-272 passes for 2,249 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Senior Josh Click was recognized as the special teams player of the year. Click was one of the most reliable kickers in the state, converting 55 extra points and connecting on 11-of-13 field goals, with a long of 50 yards.

The Lone Star offense had a pair of unanimous selections in sophomore fullback Evan Stein and junior wide receiver Ashton Jeanty.

Stein helped clear the way for the Ranger ground game, while Jeanty had 55 catches for 816 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 383 yards and eight scores.

Senior running back Jaden Nixon made the first team, as he had 139 carries for 766 yards and 15 touchdowns and 29 grabs for 289 yards and five scores.

Senior wide receiver Trace Bruckler hauled in 54 catches for 744 yards and seven touchdowns to earn first-team honors and senior Tolu Sokoya was named to the second team after recording 31 receptions for 278 yards and four scores.

Junior offensive lineman Kyle Lofye was one of the best in the state, grading out at 91 percent with 61 knockdowns and 42 pancakes. Lofye, first-team junior Mike Terry and second-team senior Colton Tibbits helped the Rangers average 388.8 yards and 43.0 points per game.

On the other side of the ball, senior linebacker Alessio Russolillo was a unanimous first-team pick, as he registered 122.5 tackles, including 81 solos, with eight tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 12 quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles.

Russolillo’s partner in the middle, senior Blake Gotcher, also made the first team with 105 tackles, 12 for loss, 9.5 sacks, 12 quarterback hurries and four interceptions.

Junior linebacker Fogo Sokoya and sophomore cornerback Bennett Fryman were also unanimous picks.

Senior safety Brandon Spencer and senior cornerback Noah Bolton were named to the first team, while the second team included senior defensive linemen Davi Ngegwe and Caden Fankhauser and senior linebacker Landon Whitley.

Independence returned to the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons and received 11 all-district nods.

Senior quarterback Braylon Braxton was named to the first team as one of the most dynamic dual-threats in the state. Braxton completed 99-of-180 for 1,639 yards and 21 touchdowns with only four interceptions and rushed 83 times for 789 yards and 12 scores.

One of Braxton’s favorite targets, senior tight end Elijah Arroyo, was a unanimous pick as he had 31 catches for 690 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Senior running back Dwayne Orr (103-798, 9 TDs rushing) and junior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (21-305, 5 TDs) were named to the second team.

First-team senior offensive lineman Tres Madrid and second-team senior Tyler McKinnie helped the Knights average 382.3 yards per game.

Senior linebacker Kendall Williams was a unanimous selection after recording 49 tackles, with six for loss, and three quarterback hurries.

He was joined on the first team by senior end Jaden Wallace, who had 55 tackles, with 16 for loss, five sacks and seven quarterback hurries, and senior safety Brayden West, who registered 64 tackles, three for loss, three interceptions and five pass breakups.

Independence had two more players tabbed to the second team with senior linebacker Murphy Roberts (79 tackles, 9 TFL, 2 sacks) and sophomore cornerback Jaylon Braxton (20 tackles, 2 INTs, 9 PBUs).

Wakeland was the third FISD team to make the Division I playoffs and they had 16 selections.

Sophomore tight end Tripp Riordan was a unanimous pick, as he had seven catches for 80 yards and a touchdown and was also a key cog in the ground game.

That rushing attack was led by first-team junior Jared White, had had 170 carries for 1,158 yards and 16 touchdowns, with a long run of 98, as well as 30 receptions for 405 yards and four scores.

Senior wide receiver Jack Mayer also made the first team with 14 catches for 331 yards and five touchdowns.

First-team junior offensive lineman Jack Jones and second-team seniors Tyler Brooks and Ryan Tabor and junior Cade Myer helped the Wolverines average 351.4 yards and 30.1 points per game.

Junior defensive tackle Carson McMillin made 22 tackles, with one for loss and six quarterback hurries to earn first-team honors.

He was joined by junior safety Davion Woolen, who had 32 tackles with three interceptions and six pass breakups, as well as junior punter Nolan Krinsky.

Wakeland’s second-team picks were junior fullback Alex Shirley (15-94, TD), senior wide receiver Chase Wainwright (12-147), senior defensive end Preston Snead (46 tackles, 13 TFL, 3 sacks, 16 pressures), senior linebacker Dalton Veres (92 tackles, 17 TFL, 6 sacks, 17 pressures), senior linebacker Will Hornback (60 tackles, 10 TFL) and senior cornerback Johnny Kousa (4 INTs, 6 PBUs).

Reedy narrowly missed out on the playoffs, but still posted a winning overall record.

The Lions had 11 selections, headlined by senior Zion Washington, who was tabbed utility player of the year. Washington rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns, caught 21 passes for 260 yards, and on the other side of the ball, made 43 tackles, with four for loss, an interception, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

Senior Jaylen Fuksa pulled off the rare feat of being a unanimous pick on both offense and defense.

Fuksa had 22 catches for 461 yards and five touchdowns to get the nod at wide receiver, and also had 32 tackles, two interceptions and 11 pass breakups from his cornerback spot.

Junior quarterback A.J. Padgett made the first team, as he completed 159-of-249 for 2,211 yards and 20 touchdowns, adding 366 yards and six scores on the ground.

Reedy landed three other players on the first-team defense. Senior end Brooks Griffith had 34 tackles, with 10 for loss, nine sacks, four quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles.

Senior linebacker Michael Swope made 59 stops, five for loss, with a sack and two pressures, and senior safety Ryan Jones had 48 tackles, an interception and 11 pass breakups.

On the second team, the Lions were represented by senior fullback Walker Humphreys (6-87, TD), senior offensive lineman Ian Strickler, senior linebacker Ryan Akeroyd (27 tackles, 3 TFL, INT) and senior cornerback Cam Hardy (13 tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PBUs).

Centennial had eight players recognized, headlined by freshman running back Harry Stewart, III, who claimed offensive newcomer of the year honors. Stewart made an immediate impact, rushing 72 times for 838 yards and seven touchdowns, with three 100-yard games.

One reason for Stewart’s success was senior offensive lineman Logan Radmore, a unanimous pick who graded out at 92 percent with 47 pancake blocks.

Senior wide receiver Paxson Fletcher made the first team with 48 catches for 575 yards and seven touchdowns, as did senior kicker Nick Brown, who hit 4-of-6 field goals and 39-of-42 extra points.

Titans senior quarterback Grayson Dayries (146-of-246, 1,465 yards, 14 TDs; 80-386, 9 TDs rush) and senior safety Max Dodson (99 tackles, 4 PBU) made the second team and senior Jackson Marshall was a two-time second-team pick at running back (131-645, 11 TDs rush, 34-230, 4 TDs rec.) and linebacker (20 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sack).

Rounding out the FISD representation, Heritage picked up six selections, with three on the first-team offense.

Junior running back Shawn Wara had 153 carries for 896 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with 39 catches for 545 yards and four scores.

Sophomore wide receiver Bryce Gilchrist had 41 receptions for 522 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for two scores, and senior lineman Dillon Rock paved the way for the offense to average 414.0 yards per game.

The Coyotes’ second-team honorees are junior quarterback Easton Swetnam (157-of-257, 2,303 yards, 24 TDs, 81-278, 2 TDs rush), junior wide receiver Carsten Brewer (43-877, 14 TDs) and senior defensive tackle A.C. Collins (43 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 PBUs).

District and Class 5A Division I state champion Denton Ryan captured the lion’s share of the superlative honors.

Senior wide receiver/defensive end Ja’Tavion Sanders, senior wide receiver/defensive back Billy Bowman, Jr. and senior quarterback Seth Henigan were named co-most valuable players, senior defensive back Ty Marsh was voted defensive most valuable player, sophomore linebacker Anthony Hill, Jr., was tabbed defensive newcomer of the year and head coach Dave Henigan and his assistants were honored as the staff of the year after leading the Raiders to a perfect 15-0 season and the state crown.

5-5A Division I Football All-District Team

Co-Most Valuable Players

*Billy Bowman, Jr.        WR/DB/RB/KR    Denton Ryan

*Seth Henigan      Sr.     QB    Denton Ryan

*Ja’tavion Sanders        Sr.     WR/DE       Denton Ryan

Offensive Most Valuable Player

*Garret Rangel     Jr.      QB    Lone Star

Defensive Most Valuable Player

Ty Marsh    Sr.     DB    Denton Ryan

Offensive Newcomer of the Year

Harry Stewart, III Fr.     RB    Centennial

Defensive Newcomer of the Year

Anthony Hill, Jr.  So.    LB     Denton Ryan

Special Teams Player of the Year

Josh Click   Sr.     K/P    Lone Star

Utility Player of the Year

Zion Washington  Sr.     WR/DB/Ath.        Reedy

Staff of the Year

Dave Henigan                          Denton Ryan

First Team Offense

Braylon Braxton  Sr.     QB    Independence

A.J. Padgett          Jr.      QB    Reedy

*Coco Brown       So.    RB    Denton

Jaden Nixon         Sr.     RB    Lone Star

Ke’ori Hicks         Sr.     RB    Denton Ryan

Jared White Jr.      RB    Wakeland

Shawn Wara        Jr.      RB    Heritage

*Elijah Arroyo     Sr.     TE     Independence

*Tripp Riordan    So.    TE     Wakeland

*Evan Stein          So.    FB     Lone Star

Robert Veasley     Jr.      FB     The Colony

Michael Davis      Jr.      FB     Denton Ryan

*Ashton Jeanty    WR   Jr.      Lone Star

*Shafiq Taylor     WR   Jr.      The Colony

*Jaylen Fuksa      WR   Sr.     Reedy

Keagan Cunningham     Sr.     WR   Denton Ryan

Jordyn Bailey       So.    WR   Denton Ryan

Bryce Gilchrist     So.    WR   Heritage

Trace Bruckler     Sr.     WR   Lone Star

Paxson Fletcher    Sr.     WR   Centennial

Jack Mayer Sr.     WR   Wakeland

*Kolt De La Torre         So.    OL     Denton Ryan

*Logan Radmore  Sr.     OL     Centennial

*Chris Sanchez     Sr.     OL     The Colony

*Riley Hampton   Sr.     OL     Denton Ryan

Kyle Lofye  Jr.      OL     Lone Star

Henry Appleton   Jr.      OL     Denton Ryan

Mike Terry Jr.      OL     Lone Star

Jack Jones  Jr.      OL     Wakeland

Matt Garcia          Sr.     OL     Denton

Dillon Rock          Sr.     OL     Heritage

Tres Madrid         Sr.     OL     Independence

Nick Brown          Sr.     K       Centennial

First Team Defense

*Mason Davis      Jr.      DT    Denton Ryan

Jay Sheppard       Sr.     DT    Denton Ryan

Carson McMillin  Jr.      DT    Wakeland

Michael Gee         Jr.      DE    Denton Ryan

Jaden Wallace      Sr.     DE    Independence

Brooks Griffith    Sr.     DE    Reedy

*Alessio Russolillo        Sr.     ILB    Lone Star

*Kyle Taylor        Sr.     ILB    The Colony

Blake Gotcher      Sr.     ILB    Lone Star

Michael Swope     Sr.     ILB    Reedy

D.J. Arkansas      Sr.     ILB    Denton Ryan

Stephen McCollum        Sr.     ILB    The Colony

*Kendall Williams         Sr.     OLB  Independence

*Fogo Sokoya      Jr.      OLB  Lone Star

Khylon Whitehurst        Jr.      OLB  The Colony

Brayden West      Sr.     S       Independence

Brandon Spencer Sr.     S       Lone Star

Ryan Jones Sr.     S       Reedy

Garyreon Robinson       Jr.      S       Denton Ryan

Davion Woolen    Jr.      S       Wakeland

*Austin Jordan     Jr.      CB    Denton Ryan

*Jaylen Fuksa      Sr.     CB    Reedy

*Shafiq Taylor     Jr.      CB    The Colony

*Bennett Fryman So.    CB    Lone Star

Terrell Coleman, Jr.       Sr.     CB    Denton

Noah Bolton        Sr.     CB    Lone Star

Nolan Krinsky     Jr.      P       Wakeland

Second Team Offense

Easton Swetnam  Jr.      QB    Heritage

Grayson Dayries  Sr.     QB    Centennial

Jackson Marshall Sr.     RB    Centennial

Dwayne Orr         Sr.     RB    Independence

John Said    Fr.     TE     The Colony

Alex Shirley         Jr.      FB     Wakeland

Walker Humphreys       Sr.     FB     Reedy

Cris Wallace         Sr.     WR   Denton

Benji Nelson         Sr.     WR   The Colony

Carsten Brewer    Jr.      WR   Heritage

Jordyn Tyson       Jr.      WR   Independence

Tolu Sokoya        Sr.     WR   Lone Star

Chase Wainwright         Sr.     WR   Wakeland

Ian Strickler         Sr.     OL     Reedy

Tyler Brooks        Sr.     OL     Wakeland

Cade Myer  Jr.      OL     Wakeland

Daniel Daub         Sr.     OL     Denton Ryan

Bryan Aguilar      Jr.      OL     Denton Ryan

Ashton Davis       Sr.     OL     Denton

Tyler McKinnie    Sr.     OL     Independence

Colton Tibbits      Sr.     OL     Lone Star

Ryan Tabor          Sr.     OL     Wakeland

William Wallis     So.    OL     The Colony

Kevin Albarran    Sr.     K       The Colony

Second Team Defense

Bear Alexander    Jr.      DT    Denton Ryan

A.C. Collins         Sr.     DT    Heritage

Davi Ngegwe        Sr.     DT    Lone Star

Caden Fankhauser         Sr.     DE    Lone Star

Colby Cox  Jr.      DE    The Colony

Mar’Quice Hill     So.    DE    Denton Ryan

Preston Snead      Sr.     DE    Wakeland

Jackson Marshall Sr.     ILB    Centennial

Murphy Roberts  Sr.     ILB    Independence

Dalton Veres        Sr.     ILB    Wakeland

Max Marshall       Sr.     ILB    Denton Ryan

Will Hornback      Sr.     OLB  Wakeland

Landon Whitley   Sr.     OLB  Lone Star

Ryan Akeroyd      Sr.     OLB  Reedy

Max Dodson        Sr.     S       Centennial

Lawrence Smith   Sr.     S       The Colony

Amir Fera   Sr.     S       Denton

Johnny Kousa      Sr.     CB    Wakeland

Cam Hardy Sr.     CB    Reedy

Jaylon Braxton    So.    CB    Independence

Kevin Albarran    Sr.     P       The Colony