Needles’ Russell, Lincoln County’s Tibbitts head 2A Southern League football honorees

One year after being named Class 1A Southern League Defensive Player of the Year, Mountain View linebacker Billy Paddack has won the award again.

Just at a higher level.

Paddack, a senior middle linebacker for the Saints, was named 2A Southern League Defensive Player of the Year when all-league selections were unveiled this week.

“The coaches confirmed during the meeting he was the one player on our team they had to scheme against,” Mountain View coach Ray LeBoeuf said of Paddack.

Paddack, who also plays offensive tackle, had 122 tackles and three sacks heading into a 2A state semifinal game Saturday for Mountain View.

Co-Player of the Year honors were shared by seniors Darra Russell (Needles) and Trent Tibbitts (Lincoln County).

Though statistics were unavailable at press time, Russell starred at running back, receiver, cornerback and return specialist in helping the Mustangs finish 7-3.

Tibbitts, a running back/defensive back, led a 7-4 season for the Lynx by rushing for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The Meadows senior running back Pat Kenny took Offensive Player of the Year for rushing for 1,023 yards and 16 TDs heading into the Mustangs’ state semifinal game Saturday.

Lineman of the Year went to Lincoln County 6-foot-7-inch, 270-pound senior left tackle/defensive tackle Cody Burgess, who is drawing recruiting interest from several Football Bowl Subdivision programs.

The Meadows’ Frank DeSantis and Lincoln County’s Rich Ottley shared Coach of the Year.

The all-league first-team offense consisted of: The Meadows freshman quarterback Gerard Martinez; Needles senior running back Stevie Kidd; Mountain View junior running back Alex Watson; Agassi Prep sophomore running back DeVonn Porter; White Pine junior receiver Michael Johnson; The Meadows sophomore receiver Austin Brown; The Meadows junior receiver Nate Gord; Lincoln County senior tight end Lee Reifsnyder; Paddack; Calvary Chapel senior offensive lineman Matt Kinzer; The Meadows senior offensive lineman Dylan Parr; Lincoln County senior offensive lineman Neil Smith; and Lincoln County senior offensive lineman Max Barclay.

Comprising the all-league first-team defense were: The Meadows junior defensive lineman Dylan Lee; Needles senior defensive lineman Jeremiah Reyes; Mountain View senior defensive lineman Dylan Martin; Lincoln County junior defensive lineman Jake Burgess; Kinzer; Kenny; Barclay; Needles senior linebacker Geoffrey Hittle; Kidd; Lincoln County junior defensive back Zach Campbell; and Brown.

The first-team specialists were The Meadows junior kicker Lee and Needles senior punter/return specialist Kidd.