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2A HONORS: Stars’ breakthrough season leads to postseason haul

Agassi Prep’s turnaround football season resulted in the program’s first winning campaign at the 11-man level and a berth in the Class 2A state semifinals.

It also produced a bevy of postseason awards.

The Stars (7-3) were rewarded for their breakthrough season when coaches recently voted on league honors. Senior running back DeVonn Porter was named Player of the Year, junior nose guard/offensive guard Adrian Huling took Lineman of the Year, and Colt Goodman shared Coach of the Year honors with Needles’ Steve Price.

“It’s especially satisfying because they come from your peers,” Goodman said of the awards. “We work real hard, and I love to see the fact that the (coaches) I have respect for and coach with appreciate how the program has improved.”

The Stars endured a 1-7 campaign in their first year in 2A in 2008 before improving to 3-5 in 2009. They finally reached state title contention in Porter’s senior season.

Porter rushed for 1,125 yards and 18 touchdowns, averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Goodman said Porter always had talent, but improved as a senior with his “vision and understanding of how to follow blockers.”

“He’s improved tenfold as a north-and-south runner,” Goodman said. “It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

The 6-foot-4-inch, 310-pound Huling was a force on both sides of the ball, and Goodman said he was at times nearly unblockable as a defensive lineman.

“He’s an athletic lineman, not just a body carrying space,” Goodman said. “He played to the whistle, but he would always go to the next level. That’s something coaches appreciate.”

Offensive Player of the Year went to Needles fullback Daric Courtwright, who led the Mustangs to three triple-overtime wins and the regular-season league title. The senior ran for seven touchdowns in a 63-62 triple-overtime win over Mountain View on Oct. 15.

White Pine middle linebacker Clay Mauro was named Defensive Player of the Year. The junior had 79 tackles and 8.5 sacks to help the Bobcats finish 3-6 after a combined 4-31 record in the four previous years.

Class 2A All-Southern League
First Team Offense
QB–Garrett Gosse, The Meadows. RB–Jacob Duldulao, Mountain View; Austin Baldwin, Needles; Tank Carter, Agassi Prep. WR–Justyn Anderson, Mountain View; Austin Brown, The Meadows; Cody Moreno, Calvary Chapel. TE–Jake Johnson, White Pine. OL–Brad Lewis, Needles; Taylor Williams, Mountain View; Steven Shigley, Calvary Chapel; Chris Hibbs, White Pine; Reno Al-Dabbagh, The Meadows. K–Fred Rodriguez, White Pine.
First Team Defense
DL–Henry Santos, Mountain View; Brad Lewis, Needles; Hibbs, White Pine; Shigley, Calvary Chapel. LB–Joshua Killam, Mountain View; Courtwright, Needles; Carter, Agassi Prep; Cody Taylor, Calvary Chapel. DB–Anderson, Mountain View; Brown, The Meadows; Moreno, Calvary Chapel; Johnson, White Pine; Terrell Kemp, Agassi Prep. P–Taylor, Calvary Chapel.
Player of the Year–DeVonn Porter, Agassi Prep.
Offensive Player of the Year–Daric Courtwright, Needles.
Defensive Player of the Year–Clay Mauro, White Pine.
Lineman of the Year–Adrian Huling, Agassi Prep.
co-Coaches of the Year–Steve Price, Needles; Colt Goodman, Agassi Prep.
Second Team Offense
QB–T.J. Engel, Mountain View. RB–Taylor Price, Lincoln County; Tyler Watts, White Pine; Bryce Dotson, Lincoln County; Ethan Krause, Needles. WR–LeShaun Sims, Agassi Prep; Levi Valdez, White Pine; Max Newman, The Meadows. TE–Alec Lloyd, Lincoln County. OL–Jamal Holmes, Agassi Prep; Colby Holt, Lincoln County; Yanive Etiel, The Meadows; Jacob Ashby, White Pine; Nick Proa, Needles. K–John Ochoa, Needles.
Second Team Defense
DL–Holmes, Agassi Prep; Williams, Mountain View; Brian Kirchesh, Lincoln County; Anthony Gord, The Meadows. LB–Jacob Henze, White Pine; Torrey Mayes, The Meadows; Derreon Whitesides, Agassi Prep; Dotson, Lincoln County. DB–Sims, Agassi Prep; Trevor Van Kempen, Mountain View; Cole McClain, Lincoln County; Valdez, White Pine. P–Gosse, The Meadows.
 
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