Raider Rewards: Sunnyvale hauls in honors on all-district football team

This was an odd season in a variety of respects due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were also unusual things happening on the field, where Sunnyvale, which had lost a total of two games in the previous two seasons, was staring at a 0-3 record less than a month into the season.

While things have not gotten back to normal in the world, the Raiders did right the ship where they could control it, turning their season around to make the playoffs for the seventh straight year and advancing to the Class 4A Division II Region 2 semifinals before falling to state runner-up Gilmer.

Those accomplishments were acknowledged on the 6-4A Division II all-district team, where Sunnyvale earned three superlative awards and 24 spots on the list.

Junior quarterback Max McAda was tabbed offensive most valuable player. McAda completed 79-of-140 passes for 1,417 yards and 14 touchdowns, rushed 94 times for 540 yards and eight scores and also caught 13 passes for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns. McAda could have just as easily earned a defensive award, as he recorded 104 tackles, with eight for loss, and also served as the team’s punter.

Senior Jake Taylor was voted as the defensive most valuable player. Taylor registered 133 tackles, including 16 for loss, with a pair of interceptions and three forced fumbles. Like McAda, Taylor was a two-way standout, as he also threw for 245 yards and a pair of scores and rushed for nine touchdowns.

Senior Noah McDill was selected as the co-all-purpose player of the year. McDill was one of the top wide receivers in the state, hauling in 53 receptions for 1,032 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was also a key part of the secondary, where he posted three interceptions to go along with 19 tackles, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

Sunnyvale landed 11 players on the first team, with four on offense.

That group included senior running back Obi Arinze, who led the team in rushing with 99 carries for 781 yards and eight touchdowns.

Junior wide receiver Joey Bruszer was a big-play threat on the outside with 24 catches for 424 yards and four scores, while senior offensive lineman Damon Bryant and sophomore offensive lineman Ja’lon Gillaspie helped the Raiders average 352.5 yards per game.

On the other side of the ball, Sunnyvale had six first-team players on defense.

Junior defensive tackle Diyan Pun plugged up the middle with 60 tackles with three for loss, one sack and a forced fumble, while junior end Brent Winfree recorded 41 tackles, with five for loss, and a pair of sacks.

In the middle, senior inside linebacker Alex Luna made 57 stops, with three for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles and outside linebacker Hudson Smith recorded 55 tackles, including five for loss, an interception and two fumble recoveries.

Senior cornerback Brenden Gomez led the team with five interceptions and seven pass breakups and junior safety Landry Laird had 55 tackles, two for loss, and also picked off a pass.

Junior kicker Jake Pecina was also a first-team selection, as he was nearly automatic, converting 8-of-9 field goals, with a long of 48 yards, and 47-of-48 extra points.

Sunnyvale also placed 10 more players on the second team,

Three of the four second-team offensive selections were also part of the first-team defense.

Luna was a key part of the backfield, rushing 45 times for 244 yards and two touchdowns and also catching 10 passes for 145 yards and a pair of scores.

As a wide receiver, Laird had 12 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and Winfree, a tight end, and senior lineman DeWayne Levy helped the Raiders average 34.0 points per game.

Arinze is another two-time pick, also making the second team at defensive end, where he had 25 tackles, three for loss, and an interception, as was Bruszer at safety, where he had 11 tackles and a pick.

Also making the second-team defense were junior tackle Christian Key (26 tackles, 2 TFL), senior end Gage Andrews (26 tackles, 5 TFL, sack), junior inside linebacker Zac Bartis (54 tackles, 3 TFL forced fumble), and sophomore outside linebacker Jackson Ivy (33 tackles, 2 TFL, sack).

6-4A Division II Football All-District Team

Most Valuable Player

Tyler Townley      Sr.     Caddo Mills

Offensive Most Valuable Player

Max McAda         Jr.      Sunnyvale

Defensive Most Valuable Player

Jake Taylor Sr.     Sunnyvale

Lineman Most Valuable Player

Jacob Hall   Jr.      Caddo Mills

Co-Newcomers of the Year

Ja’Donavan Williams    Jr.      Quinlan Ford

Hunter Carter       Jr.      Caddo Mills

Co-All Purpose Players of the Year

Noah McDill        Sr.     Sunnyvale

Cayden Davis       Sr.     Caddo Mills

Coaching Staff of the Year

Caddo Mills

First Team Offense

Paul Testa   Sr.     QB    Nevada Community

Eli Chambers       Sr.     QB    Quinlan Ford

Rowdy Rowan     Jr.      RB    Quinlan Ford

Obi Arinze  Sr.     RB    Sunnyvale

Konner Pounds    Sr.     RB    Caddo Mills

Kaiden Roden      Jr.      HB    Quinlan Ford

Ty Simpkins        Sr.     WR   Nevada Community

Joey Bruszer        Jr.      WR   Sunnyvale

Seth Resnick        Sr.     WR   Wills Point

Gavyn Beane        Sr.     WR   Caddo Mills

Colt Cooper         Sr.     TE     Quinlan Ford

Braden Wilson     Sr.     OL     Wills Point

Dylan Sides          Sr.     OL     Caddo Mills

Stevie Hopper      So.    OL     Nevada Community

Adrian Alaniz       Sr.     OL     Quinlan Ford

Damon Bryant     Sr.     OL     Sunnyvale

Eber Padilla          Jr.      OL     Farmersville

Noe Rodriguez     Sr.     OL     Nevada Community

Ja’lon Gillaspie    So.    OL     Sunnyvale

First Team Defense

Jackson Younger  So.    DT    Nevada Community

Gerson Flores       Sr.     DT    Nevada Community

Diyan Pun  Jr.      DT    Sunnyvale

Isaiah Santos        So.    DT    Wills Point

Sean Newark        Sr.     DT    Caddo Mills

Brent Winfree       Jr.      DE    Sunnyvale

Bryan Jones         Sr.     DE    Caddo Mills

Samuel Bustillos  Sr.     DE    Caddo Mills

Sean Outlaw         Sr.     DE    Nevada Community

Aaron Hardman   Sr.     ILB    Wills Point

Hayden Reiff        Jr.      ILB    Caddo Mills

Colt Cooper         Sr.     ILB    Quinlan Ford

Alex Luna   Sr.     ILB    Sunnyvale

Jace Daniel Jr.      OLB  Wills Point

Angus Aldridge    Sr.     OLB  Caddo Mills

Kaiden Roden      Jr.      OLB  Quinlan Ford

Hudson Smith      Sr.     OLB  Sunnyvale

Brenden Gomez    Sr.     CB    Sunnyvale

Jason Thomason  Jr.      CB    Caddo Mills

Jonathan Norris   Jr.      CB    Nevada Community

John Howie Sr.     CB    Caddo Mills

Landry Laird        Jr.      S       Sunnyvale

Quinton Hall        So.    S       Nevada Community

Oscar Flores                  Jr.      S       Farmersville

Brandol Hernandez        So.    S       Nevada Community

First Team Special Teams

Paul Testa   Sr.     P       Nevada Community

Jonah Rupe Jr.      K       Caddo Mills

Jake Pecina Jr.      K       Sunnyvale

Second Team Offense

E.J. Chairez          Jr.      QB    Farmersville

Jonathan Norris   Jr.      RB    Nevada Community

Braden Lair Sr.     RB    Farmersville

Alex Luna   Sr.     RB    Sunnyvale

Morgan Leibacher          Sr.     RB    Nevada Community

Travis Zingaro     Sr.     HB    Farmersville

Aidan Gray Jr.      WR   Farmersville

Landry Laird        Jr.      WR   Sunnyvale

Andrew Patterson          Sr.     WR   Wills Point

Timothy Carroll   So.    WR   Wills Point

Jett Saldivar         Jr.      WR   Caddo Mills

Jake Tumey          Sr.     WR   Caddo Mills

Sean Outlaw         Sr.     TE     Nevada Community

Brent Winfree       Jr.      TE     Sunnyvale

T.J. Holland         Sr.     OL     Wills Point

Jackson Jacobs     Sr.     OL     Caddo Mills

Noah Hammonds Sr.     OL     Caddo Mills

Josh Queneau       Jr.      OL     Nevada Community

Gerson Flores       Sr.     OL     Nevada Community

Brandon James    Jr.      OL     Quinlan Ford

DeWayne Levy     Sr.     OL     Sunnyvale

Cogan Grabowski          Sr.     OL     Farmersville

Second Team Defense

Cyrus Adair         Jr.      DT    Quinlan Ford

Christian Key       Jr.      DT    Sunnyvale

Adrian Resendez  Jr.      DT    Caddo Mills

Noe Rodriguez     Sr.     DT    Nevada Community

Obi Arinze  Sr.     DE    Sunnyvale

Yahir Amaro        Sr.     DE    Wills Point

Gage Andrews      Sr.     DE    Sunnyvale

Manny Bustillos   Sr.     DE    Caddo Mills

Colton Westbrook         Sr.     ILB    Nevada Community

Kolton Purkins     Sr.     ILB    Nevada Community

Zac Bartis   Jr.      ILB    Sunnyvale

Braydon Brewer   Sr.     ILB    Caddo Mills

Noah Allen So.    OLB  Nevada Community

Hayden Tanner    So.    OLB  Nevada Community

Randy Johnson    Sr.     OLB  Farmersville

Jackson Ivy So.    OLB  Sunnyvale

Anthony Friedrichs        Sr.     CB    Quinlan Ford

Savion Neal          Sr.     CB    Caddo Mills

Scotty Aaron        Sr.     CB    Nevada Community

Tre Brewer Jr.      CB    Farmersville

Donovan Edwards         Sr.     S       Wills Point

Konner Pounds    Sr.     S       Caddo Mills

Rowdy Rowan     Jr.      S       Quinlan Ford

Joey Bruszer        Jr.      S       Sunnyvale

Second Team Special Teams

Lalo Arteaga        Sr.     P       Farmersville

Jack Winford        Jr.      K       Nevada Community