Snyder_TigerFan
01-26-2007, 10:08 AM
2007 Class 3A All-Big Country Football Team
January 26, 2007
Six Class 3A football teams populate the Big Country. Five of those teams had made the playoffs in 2005. The other one, Clyde, reached the postseason in 2006 after a 10-year absence. With recent results like that, it's only natural that our Class 3A All-Big Country team would be jampacked with talented players.
Lance Day / Most Valuable Player
School: Snyder
Position: Quarterback/linebacker/punter/kicker
Class: Junior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Strength: Day's competitiveness allows him to be successful.
2006 highlight: In Snyder's second-round playoff game against Monahans, Day returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7-7 just before halftime. Snyder won 21-7.
Coachspeak: ''He just thrives under pressure. Anytime you punt and kick and start at quarterback and play middle linebacker x85 those things usually don't go together.'' - Snyder coach Chad Rogers
Invent a sport, and Day would probably excel at it. In addition to playing four positions in football, Day starts on the basketball team, he throws a baseball over 90 mph and he once shot in the 70s in golf as an eighth-grader.
In his first full season at quarterback, Day threw for 545 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 586 yards and five more scores, leading the Tigers to the third round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs. He also had 62 tackles, two sacks and five interceptions on defense, not to mention his kicking and punting skills.
Gary Edwards / Offensive Player of the Year
School: Wylie
Position: Quarterback
Class: Senior
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160
Strength: Edwards shredded defenses with the kind of speed that made a defender's seemingly solid angle of pursuit disappear.
2006 highlight: Edwards rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns in Wylie's classic 36-35 playoff victory over Decatur, including an impressive 64-yard scoring dash in the third quarter.
Coachspeak: ''He worked very hard to be a good quarterback that is also a good athlete, and I admire him for that. It would have been easy for him to be just a runner, but he worked very hard on his throwing and passing skills.'' - Wylie coach Hugh Sandifer
Edwards is right there with Snyder's Lance Day in the do-everything category. After excelling in previous years as a receiver, running back, kick returner and defensive back, Edwards moved under center for the first time in 2006. The result was something to see.
Edwards broke the 1,000-yard barrier in both rushing (1,137 yards) and passing (1,379). He ran for 15 touchdowns and threw for 15 more. He was Co-MVP of District 7-3A after leading the Bulldogs to an outright district title. And he did it all despite living with severe hearing loss. Edwards' doctor said his hearing is 70-80 percent below normal, and Edwards wears hearing aids to compensate.
Justin Adames / Defensive Player of the Year
School: Sweetwater
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190
Strength: Adames' innate on-field awareness seemed to always put him in the right spot to either make the tackle or force the opposing ball-carrier toward a teammate.
2006 highlight: Consistency was Adames' strength, making each game highlight-worthy.
Coachspeak: ''I think every group has to have that bell cow, so to speak, and Justin has been that for us on defense, especially this year.'' - Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson
Some lead with words. Others lead by example. Adames did both.
Adames said what needed to be said for the Mustangs, then he backed up his words with 106 tackles and five sacks at middle linebacker on his way to first team all-state status. He also supplied several key blocks as the starting tight end, plus he stepped in at placekicker when starter James Beckwith went down with a knee injury.
Adames' leadership helped Sweetwater go a combined 22-5 with five playoff victories in the past two seasons.
Troy Roberson / Newcomer of the Year
School: Breckenridge
Position: Linebacker/running back
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-1
Weight: 195
Strength: The coaches love Roberson's work habits. He spent so much time in the weight room last summer, he could have had his mail forwarded there.
2006 highlight: Roberson was a force in the Buckaroos' narrow 28-27 non-district victory over Midland Christian, posting a couple of sacks and registering double-digits in tackles.
Coachspeak: ''He does all the little things right. We know he's going to be our stud both ways next year.'' - Breckenridge coach Stan Howard
Sophomores aren't supposed to become the leading tackler on a perennial playoff team in their first full season of varsity action. Roberson is one of the exceptions.
Roberson had five screws inserted into his ankle after suffering an injury late in his freshman season, but he didn't let that slow him down in 2006. He had 137 tackles, two sacks and seven forced fumbles for the Buckaroos, and he also did some damage on offense (he rushed for 63 yards on 14 carries against district champion Wylie).
Chad Rogers / Coach of the Year
School: Snyder
Years: Six
2006 highlight: The Tigers started 0-3, then rallied to win nine consecutive games and reach the third round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs.
Playerspeak: ''He sat us down in a big room and told us what we had to do to turn our season around after we lost our first three games. We just kind of came out and did what he said.'' - Snyder senior defensive lineman Tyler Driggers
Breaking in a new starting quarterback took patience. Keeping the team going after a season-opening three-game losing streak took persistence and dedication. Rogers displayed all of those qualities. As a result, he's our coach of the year.
While Rogers is a coach that isn't afraid to joke around with his players, he also demands their respect. He stresses integrity. With each passing year, his words carry more weight. Snyder has posted a winning record in all six of Rogers' seasons as head coach, and this fall was the Tigers' third consecutive district title and fifth consecutive postseason appearance.
OFFENSE
Gary Edwards
Quarterback
Wylie
Senior
Passing: 1,379 yards, 15 TDs, 11 INTs
Rushing: 1,137 yards, 15 TDs
Joseph Banyard
Running back
Sweetwater
5-10, 181, Senior
Rushing: 1,245 yards, 21 TDs
Receiving: 88 yards, 3 TD
Will Clay
Running back
Snyder
6-2, 198, Junior
Rushing: 1,123 yards, 10 TDs
Curtis Kevil
Running back
Clyde
5-10, 190, Junior
Rushing: 1,252 yards, 14 TDs
Receiving: 223 yards, 2 TDs
Matt Smith
Wide receiver
Wylie
6-5, 220, Senior
Receiving: 421 yards, 4 TDs
Hunter Yates
Wide receiver
Clyde
6-1, 180, Senior
Receiving: 211 yards, 5 TDs
Nathan Chastain
Offensive line
Clyde
5-7, 200, Senior
Offensive guard graded at 93 percent and cleared the way for RB Kevil.
Brett Strickland
Offensive line
Wylie
5-8, 210 Senior
Unanimous all-district pick graded at 89 percent with 14 pancake blocks and 38 knockdowns.
Clint Moyers
Offensive line
Clyde
6-4, 280, Senior
Graded at 95 percent with 42 pancake blocks.
Adam Salazar
Offensive line
Sweetwater
5-4, 205, Junior
First team all-district center
Clint Taylor
Offensive line
Breckenridge
6-5, 240, Senior
Had 25 pancake blocks and 22 times when he made multiple blocks on the same play.
Lance Day
Kicker
Snyder
6-0, 185, Junior
Connected on 34 of 39 PATs.
DEFENSE
Abe Chiappone
Defensive line
Clyde
6-2, 220, Senior
Stats: 80 tackles (50 solo), 7 TFL, 3 sacks
Tyler Driggers
Defensive line
Snyder
5-10, 205, Senior
Stats: 63 tackles (24 solo), 12 TFL, 7 sacks
Alberto Florez
Defensive line
Snyder
6-0, 215, Senior
Stats: 54 tackles (9 solo), 6 TFL, nine sacks, two blocked punts
Rufus McCann
Defensive line
Sweetwater
5-9, 185, Sophomore
Stats: 51 tackles, 5 sacks, first team all-district at nose guard
Justin Adames
Linebacker
Sweetwater
5-10, 190, Senior
Stats: 106 tackles, 5 sacks, first team all-state
Josh Jennings
Linebacker
Wylie
5-10, 190, Senior
Stats: 137 tackles (78 solo), 13 TFL, 3 INT, 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, Defensive MVP of 7-3A
Eric Martinez
Linebacker
Comanche
6-0, 200, Junior
Stats: 83 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 7-3A
Troy Roberson
Linebacker
Breckenridge
6-1, 195, Sophomore
Stats: 137 tackles (86 solo), 2 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 9 QB hurries, 2 pass breakups, Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 7-3A
Chad Whelies
Defensive back
Wylie
6-2, 165, Senior
Stats: 68 tackles (35 solo), 4 INTs
Ryan Claxon
Defensive back
Snyder
5-9, 170, Senior
Stats: 31 tackles (9 solo), 6 INTs, 1 fumble recovery
Thomas Holsey
Defensive back
Sweetwater
5-8, 149, Junior
Stats: 70 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 INTs
Lance Day
Punter
Snyder
6-0, 185, Junior
Stats: Averaged 38.4 yards per punt
January 26, 2007
Six Class 3A football teams populate the Big Country. Five of those teams had made the playoffs in 2005. The other one, Clyde, reached the postseason in 2006 after a 10-year absence. With recent results like that, it's only natural that our Class 3A All-Big Country team would be jampacked with talented players.
Lance Day / Most Valuable Player
School: Snyder
Position: Quarterback/linebacker/punter/kicker
Class: Junior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Strength: Day's competitiveness allows him to be successful.
2006 highlight: In Snyder's second-round playoff game against Monahans, Day returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7-7 just before halftime. Snyder won 21-7.
Coachspeak: ''He just thrives under pressure. Anytime you punt and kick and start at quarterback and play middle linebacker x85 those things usually don't go together.'' - Snyder coach Chad Rogers
Invent a sport, and Day would probably excel at it. In addition to playing four positions in football, Day starts on the basketball team, he throws a baseball over 90 mph and he once shot in the 70s in golf as an eighth-grader.
In his first full season at quarterback, Day threw for 545 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 586 yards and five more scores, leading the Tigers to the third round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs. He also had 62 tackles, two sacks and five interceptions on defense, not to mention his kicking and punting skills.
Gary Edwards / Offensive Player of the Year
School: Wylie
Position: Quarterback
Class: Senior
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160
Strength: Edwards shredded defenses with the kind of speed that made a defender's seemingly solid angle of pursuit disappear.
2006 highlight: Edwards rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns in Wylie's classic 36-35 playoff victory over Decatur, including an impressive 64-yard scoring dash in the third quarter.
Coachspeak: ''He worked very hard to be a good quarterback that is also a good athlete, and I admire him for that. It would have been easy for him to be just a runner, but he worked very hard on his throwing and passing skills.'' - Wylie coach Hugh Sandifer
Edwards is right there with Snyder's Lance Day in the do-everything category. After excelling in previous years as a receiver, running back, kick returner and defensive back, Edwards moved under center for the first time in 2006. The result was something to see.
Edwards broke the 1,000-yard barrier in both rushing (1,137 yards) and passing (1,379). He ran for 15 touchdowns and threw for 15 more. He was Co-MVP of District 7-3A after leading the Bulldogs to an outright district title. And he did it all despite living with severe hearing loss. Edwards' doctor said his hearing is 70-80 percent below normal, and Edwards wears hearing aids to compensate.
Justin Adames / Defensive Player of the Year
School: Sweetwater
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190
Strength: Adames' innate on-field awareness seemed to always put him in the right spot to either make the tackle or force the opposing ball-carrier toward a teammate.
2006 highlight: Consistency was Adames' strength, making each game highlight-worthy.
Coachspeak: ''I think every group has to have that bell cow, so to speak, and Justin has been that for us on defense, especially this year.'' - Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson
Some lead with words. Others lead by example. Adames did both.
Adames said what needed to be said for the Mustangs, then he backed up his words with 106 tackles and five sacks at middle linebacker on his way to first team all-state status. He also supplied several key blocks as the starting tight end, plus he stepped in at placekicker when starter James Beckwith went down with a knee injury.
Adames' leadership helped Sweetwater go a combined 22-5 with five playoff victories in the past two seasons.
Troy Roberson / Newcomer of the Year
School: Breckenridge
Position: Linebacker/running back
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-1
Weight: 195
Strength: The coaches love Roberson's work habits. He spent so much time in the weight room last summer, he could have had his mail forwarded there.
2006 highlight: Roberson was a force in the Buckaroos' narrow 28-27 non-district victory over Midland Christian, posting a couple of sacks and registering double-digits in tackles.
Coachspeak: ''He does all the little things right. We know he's going to be our stud both ways next year.'' - Breckenridge coach Stan Howard
Sophomores aren't supposed to become the leading tackler on a perennial playoff team in their first full season of varsity action. Roberson is one of the exceptions.
Roberson had five screws inserted into his ankle after suffering an injury late in his freshman season, but he didn't let that slow him down in 2006. He had 137 tackles, two sacks and seven forced fumbles for the Buckaroos, and he also did some damage on offense (he rushed for 63 yards on 14 carries against district champion Wylie).
Chad Rogers / Coach of the Year
School: Snyder
Years: Six
2006 highlight: The Tigers started 0-3, then rallied to win nine consecutive games and reach the third round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs.
Playerspeak: ''He sat us down in a big room and told us what we had to do to turn our season around after we lost our first three games. We just kind of came out and did what he said.'' - Snyder senior defensive lineman Tyler Driggers
Breaking in a new starting quarterback took patience. Keeping the team going after a season-opening three-game losing streak took persistence and dedication. Rogers displayed all of those qualities. As a result, he's our coach of the year.
While Rogers is a coach that isn't afraid to joke around with his players, he also demands their respect. He stresses integrity. With each passing year, his words carry more weight. Snyder has posted a winning record in all six of Rogers' seasons as head coach, and this fall was the Tigers' third consecutive district title and fifth consecutive postseason appearance.
OFFENSE
Gary Edwards
Quarterback
Wylie
Senior
Passing: 1,379 yards, 15 TDs, 11 INTs
Rushing: 1,137 yards, 15 TDs
Joseph Banyard
Running back
Sweetwater
5-10, 181, Senior
Rushing: 1,245 yards, 21 TDs
Receiving: 88 yards, 3 TD
Will Clay
Running back
Snyder
6-2, 198, Junior
Rushing: 1,123 yards, 10 TDs
Curtis Kevil
Running back
Clyde
5-10, 190, Junior
Rushing: 1,252 yards, 14 TDs
Receiving: 223 yards, 2 TDs
Matt Smith
Wide receiver
Wylie
6-5, 220, Senior
Receiving: 421 yards, 4 TDs
Hunter Yates
Wide receiver
Clyde
6-1, 180, Senior
Receiving: 211 yards, 5 TDs
Nathan Chastain
Offensive line
Clyde
5-7, 200, Senior
Offensive guard graded at 93 percent and cleared the way for RB Kevil.
Brett Strickland
Offensive line
Wylie
5-8, 210 Senior
Unanimous all-district pick graded at 89 percent with 14 pancake blocks and 38 knockdowns.
Clint Moyers
Offensive line
Clyde
6-4, 280, Senior
Graded at 95 percent with 42 pancake blocks.
Adam Salazar
Offensive line
Sweetwater
5-4, 205, Junior
First team all-district center
Clint Taylor
Offensive line
Breckenridge
6-5, 240, Senior
Had 25 pancake blocks and 22 times when he made multiple blocks on the same play.
Lance Day
Kicker
Snyder
6-0, 185, Junior
Connected on 34 of 39 PATs.
DEFENSE
Abe Chiappone
Defensive line
Clyde
6-2, 220, Senior
Stats: 80 tackles (50 solo), 7 TFL, 3 sacks
Tyler Driggers
Defensive line
Snyder
5-10, 205, Senior
Stats: 63 tackles (24 solo), 12 TFL, 7 sacks
Alberto Florez
Defensive line
Snyder
6-0, 215, Senior
Stats: 54 tackles (9 solo), 6 TFL, nine sacks, two blocked punts
Rufus McCann
Defensive line
Sweetwater
5-9, 185, Sophomore
Stats: 51 tackles, 5 sacks, first team all-district at nose guard
Justin Adames
Linebacker
Sweetwater
5-10, 190, Senior
Stats: 106 tackles, 5 sacks, first team all-state
Josh Jennings
Linebacker
Wylie
5-10, 190, Senior
Stats: 137 tackles (78 solo), 13 TFL, 3 INT, 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, Defensive MVP of 7-3A
Eric Martinez
Linebacker
Comanche
6-0, 200, Junior
Stats: 83 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 7-3A
Troy Roberson
Linebacker
Breckenridge
6-1, 195, Sophomore
Stats: 137 tackles (86 solo), 2 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 9 QB hurries, 2 pass breakups, Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 7-3A
Chad Whelies
Defensive back
Wylie
6-2, 165, Senior
Stats: 68 tackles (35 solo), 4 INTs
Ryan Claxon
Defensive back
Snyder
5-9, 170, Senior
Stats: 31 tackles (9 solo), 6 INTs, 1 fumble recovery
Thomas Holsey
Defensive back
Sweetwater
5-8, 149, Junior
Stats: 70 tackles, 5 sacks, 4 INTs
Lance Day
Punter
Snyder
6-0, 185, Junior
Stats: Averaged 38.4 yards per punt