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2010 All-Collin County Football Team
From Staff Reports
Player of the Year (Jay Ajayi, Liberty)
Andrew May, amay@acnpapers.com
A balky ankle – and his own dominance – was the only thing that remotely slowed down Frisco Liberty senior running back Jay Ajayi this season.
“Whenever I get the ball, I try to make it a big play every time,” Ajayi said. “I like to be explosive. I pride myself on not being tackled by just one guy.”
In leading the Redhawks to an undefeated regular season, the District 9-4A title and the third round of the playoffs for the second year in a row, Ajayi (6-0, 205), an AP second-team all-state selection, averaged 185 yards per game and 9.9 yards per carry. His signature moment came on a spectacular 65-yard scoring scamper just before halftime against Frisco Centennial, a highlight-reel run that propelled him to a season-high 292 rushing yards and five touchdowns on just 18 carries.
“He is like watching a quarter horse in the middle of a field of mules,” said Marty Secord, Frisco Wakeland head coach. “He is the whole package as a back and you can tell he has done the work to be a great one.”
Offensive Player of the Year (Jonathan Williams, Allen)
Kevin Hageland, khageland@acnpapers.com
Allen junior running back Jonathan Williams made people take notice this season.
Williams already had the ability, but by packing on some extra muscle and staying healthy, the 6-foot, 195-pound tailback showed he could run in between the tackles, go to the outside, break big runs and pile up the yards in the process.
“The biggest thing for Jonathan this year was staying healthy,” said Tom Westerberg, Allen head coach. “I think some people might have thought he was small and they didn’t realize how strong he is. This is a big 195-pound guy with great vision that can run anywhere.”
Williams amassed 2,073 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns on 249 carries in 2010. That total included 10 straight games in which Williams ran for at least 100 yards.
“Those are pretty impressive totals,” Westerberg said. “Especially considering we usually run a four-wide spread and try to stay balanced on offense.”
Williams aided the pursuit of balance by keeping defenders in the box while also spreading them out with his ability to be cut loose and catch the ball out of the backfield. Williams had 17 receptions and a touchdown this year while averaging more than 10 yards per catch.
“This season he gave us that threat we didn’t have last year,” Westerberg said, “because anytime Jonathan touches the ball he can take it the distance.”
Williams was a unanimous first team all-district running back in 8-5A and now he has all-Collin County Offensive Player of the Year to add to his resume.
Defensive player of the year (Bud Spears, Allen)
Kevin Hageland, khageland@acnpapers.com
As the lone defensive player who saw significant playing time during Allen’s Class 5A State Championship run to return in 2010, much was expected of senior linebacker Bud Spears.
And he delivered.
Spears was tops on the Eagles this season in total tackles, unassisted tackles and assisted tackles with tallies of 105, 67 and 38. He also led the team in forced fumbles with five and tied for the top mark in interceptions with three.
And for those reasons, Spears has been selected as the all-Collin County Defensive Player of the Year.
But the secret to Spears’ success goes beyond the field.
“I think the biggest thing with [Spears] is all the work he puts in,” said Tom Westerberg, Allen head coach. “He is always at early-morning lifting, trying to get bigger and trying to get better.”
That approach appears to have worked as the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder was named an Allen team captain for this season and eventually the Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 8-5A after registering four tackles for loss, two sacks and one recovered fumble.
When a key moment of the game occurred, Spears always seemed to be near the ball.
“He has been like that since he started playing here,” Westerberg said of Spears’ clutch capabilities. “And hopefully some of our younger players will learn from that because we won’t have him to lean on next season.”
Spears may be graduating, but Westerberg expects his impact to show in the development of players like sophomore linebacker Nick Cobb and junior linebacker Chris Hudson.
Coach of the year (Galen Zimmerman, Liberty)
Andrew May, amay@acnpapers.com
When Galen Zimmerman was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach at Liberty to replace Joe McBride prior to the 2009 season, he was taking over an embryonic program that had gone 4-6 in its first varsity season.
Under Zimmerman’s tutelage, the Redhawks were immediately transformed into the top team in Frisco ISD almost over night.
As the fourth seed out of District 9-4A last season, Liberty stormed three rounds deep in the playoffs in improbable fashion, using a gutsy call by Zimmerman to beat Lincoln, 43-42, in a double overtime thriller.
“I felt like this is what I was supposed to do,” Zimmerman said of coaching.
A year later, the underdog role has vanished after the Redhawks barreled through a perfect regular season to earn their first district championship. On the way to a 12-1 overall record and another appearance in the regional quarterfinals, Liberty averaged 45 points per game and held the opposition to fewer than 14.
Zimmerman, who has also coached at Lewisville, Hebron and Noblesville, is 19-7 overall at Liberty and has placed six players on the AP all-state team in two seasons.
“This is really a program honor; my staff does a great job of preparing the kids and the players have done an incredible job this year of being coachable and staying humble and hungry,” Zimmerman said. “We are very fortunate to have had such an incredible year.”
Assistant coach of the year (Billy Thompson, Lovejoy)
Kevin Hageland, khageland@acnpapers.com
When Lovejoy head football coach Jim Bob Puckett was unable to be on the sidelines in Week 8 because of a medical issue, he knew defensive coordinator Billy Thompson was the man to lead the Leopards against Frisco Lone Star.
The ensuing 66-0 win proved he made the right choice.
“Coach Thompson has such great attention to detail and he is one of the guys I really lean on,” Puckett said. “I was very confident leaving him and the rest of our great coaching staff in charge when I was out; they have a critical eye for detail, a passion for these kids and a passion for winning.”
That is why Thompson has received the Billy Whitman Award for best assistant coach in Collin County this season.
Thompson has been on the Lovejoy staff since the beginning.
“Coach Thompson is very knowledgeable about how I want things,” Puckett said. “When I’m gone, at district or state meetings, I feel good knowing he is the voice in my absence.”
That’s a big part of the reason Thompson has been promoted to assistant head coach.
That and his defense’s dominant performance in 2010.
Lovejoy posted five shutouts this season, including a statement-making 17-0 victory over Celina in the second round of the playoffs, and gave up only 12.7 points per game.
“Our defense hangs its hat on preparation and pressure,” Puckett said. “And maybe our yards allowed were up a bit this season, but the only number that matters to me is points and we gave up [among] the least in the Metroplex.”
Utility player of the year (Travis Tarver II, McKinney)
Andrew Snyder, asnyder@acnpapers.com
Anywhere McKinney needed him, Travis Tarver II made an impact.
He led the team in rushing yards with 105 carries for 900 yards and eight touchdowns, stepping in for last season’s leading rush, Damion Willis, who was injured most of the season.
In his best performance, Tarver II rushed for 320 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries in a 42-35 McKinney win over Rockwall.
The following week the Lions would face intra-city rival McKinney North, and Tarver II was the main concern for Bulldogs head coach Mike Fecci.
“[He’s] just out of his mind right now,” he said. “He's just running like a man possessed.”
Rushing was just Tarver’s most prominent role.
He was also first-year quarterback Robert Somborn’s favorite receiver, ending the year with 17 catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns, and a returner on special teams who took a kick back 88 yards for a touchdown in a win over Rockwall-Heath. In that same game, Tarver II also scored on a 58-yard reception.
Alongside his various offensive duties, Tarver displayed the true attributes of a utility player by seeing time at linebacker in key defensive situations.
On a young team in transition under a new head coach, Tarver was a constant.
“Tarver had a great year; a really, really good year,” said Jeff Smith, McKinney head coach. “Wherever we put him, he did a great job.”
First Team Offense
Jonovan Griffin, QB, McKinney Boyd
Griffin, an Oklahoma State commit and true dual-threat, rushed for 1,017 yards and 15 touchdowns on 135 carries and completed 104-of-171 passes for 1,418 yards and 12 touchdowns with just four interceptions in his final season with Boyd to lead the team to its first district title and take the program record in all-purpose yards.
Griffin, who was named District 10-5A MVP, was once again the biggest thing about Boyd.
Jay Ajayi, RB, Liberty
The District 9-4A MVP wasted little time establishing himself as one of the state’s best backs in 2010.
Ajayi scored 10 touchdowns in his first two games of the season despite sitting out the second half of both. He wound up setting school records for touchdowns and rushing yards, supplying 40 percent of a Liberty offense that was fourth in the Metroplex for Class 4A at 430 yards per game.
Jonathan Williams, RB, Allen
Older brother Jeremiah Williams won a Class 5A State Championship with Allen in 2008 and the younger Williams appears determined to match that goal.
Williams was a unanimous first team all-district selection in 8-5A this season for good reason as he paced the Eagles in rushing yards and touchdowns while displaying his ability to run both inside and out.
That quality already has college scouts clamoring for a chance at Allen’s latest backfield standout.
James Driskell, WR, McKinney Boyd
The top receiver in school history by a wide margin with double the catches and yards as the next nearest player, Driskell made up the bulk of Boyd's receiving yards this season with 68 catches for 1,040 yards and six touchdowns.
Driskell also contributed on special teams as the Broncos main returner, where he added two more scores on a kickoff and punt return. An integral part to the team’s first district title.
Gabe Dunlap, WR, Plano East
Emerging as one of the area’s most potent receiving threats, the 5-foot-11 Dunlap picked up right where he left off during his senior year with the Panthers.
Hauling in everything from screens to deep balls and crossing routs, Dunlap was the lynchpin of the East offense in 2010, recording 1,098 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns; good for eighth in the Metroplex.
Dunlap’s versatility was also on display in the backfield, adding 285 rushing yards to his resume.
Cameron Brown, WR, Liberty
When senior teammate Jay Ajayi wasn’t blow-torching defenses on the ground, Brown was searing them through the air.
The Minnesota commitment was at his best in the red zone, using his 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame to muscle past press coverage and leap over smaller defenders. Brown hauled in 13 of Liberty’s 20 passing touchdowns and rolled up a season total of 718 receiving yards on 44 grabs.
Jacob Brendel, C, Plano East
Pressuring East junior quarterback Corey Wesley proved a lofty task for any opposing defensive line this season and a large part of that was due to the presence of Brendel up front.
Defensive tackles and nose guards alike were forced a tough road to hoe opposite the UCLA commit, whose senior campaign included 95 pancakes and 53 finishes. Perhaps even more staggering is the fact that Brendel didn’t give up a sack all season, with Wesley pressured only three times from center.
Brad McNulty, OG, Allen
When McNulty committed to Missouri, it was easy to understand why the Tigers wanted the three-time all-district selection.
The 6-foot-3, 305-pound right guard was the anchor on another stout Allen offensive line and already appears to have the frame needed to compete at the collegiate level. Whether it was putting up a pancake block or creating a running lane, McNulty continually stayed on his feet in 2010 while opponents did not.
Jordan Roos, OG, Celina
Roos was as big a reason as any – literally – that Celina went undefeated in the regular season for the ninth time since 1999.
At 6-foot-5, 300 pounds, the reigning Class 3A State Shot Put Champion paved the way for the team’s collection of running backs to churn out more than 3,500 yards and 50 touchdowns. Roos was subsequently named District 10-3A’s Lineman of the Year and to the AP’s all-state team.
Walter Rampy, OT, Plano East
Few football players at Plano East raised their stock in 2010 like Rampy, who was nothing short of a brick wall at left tackle.
Dealt a nightmarish slate of District 8-5A edge rushers throughout the season, Rampy stood firm in not surrendering a single sack while only allowing six quarterback pressures. The positives far outweighed those six pressures though, as Rampy bulldozed defensive fronts to the tune of 103 pancakes and 61 finishes.
Seth Tweedie, OT, Lovejoy
Though Tweedie turned up on Lovejoy’s defensive line from time to time, it was on the offensive line where he shined.
The Leopards lost a great deal of bulk in the trenches heading into the 2010 season, but Tweedie provided a steady presence as a returner. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound tackle was rewarded for his efforts as Lovejoy completed the season at 11-2 and Tweedie was named first team all-district in 11-3A.
First Team Defense
Marcquel Sheppard, DE, McKinney North
Sheppard tallied 40 tackles, six tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 17 quarterback pressures, caused three fumbles and recovered one on his way to being named District 10-4A Defensive Player of the Year.
Sheppard also threw blocks for North running back Devin Smith on offense and sometimes ran the ball himself in short-yardage situations, finishing the season with three touchdowns and 72 yards on 16 carries.
Nate O’Connor, DT, Lovejoy
O’Connor was the only unanimous first team all-district defensive tackle selection in 11-3A.
And for good reason.
The 6-foot-2, 270-pound junior is a legitimate Division I prospect who had eight tackles for loss in 2010 as well as three and a half sacks, five quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. In addition to the numbers, O’Connor served as a veteran presence on a line that didn’t possess much experience.
Taylor May, DT, Plano Senior
Netting honorable mention in District 8-5A’s all-district list during his junior year, May turned more than a few heads during his senior campaign.
A two-year starter up front for the Wildcats, May managed 83 tackles this season alongside 27 quarterback pressures. Those pressures were upped a notch on several occasions, with May tallying five sacks on the year.
May’s performance was put in perspective recently, with the defensive tackle tabbed for honorable mention on the Class 5A all-state team.
Jamal Palmer, DE, McKinney Boyd
Part of the best defense Boyd has ever had, Palmer was a main reason the Broncos were able to stand up to the rushing attack thrown at them week after week by District 10-5A opponents.
The junior defensive end piled up numbers in any category within reach. He recorded 84 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, three fumble recoveries, five pass break-ups and sacks, a blocked kick and a defensive touchdown.
Bud Spears, LB, Allen
Spears, whose given first name is Melvin, is a multi-sport athlete at Allen, but he consistently saved his best for the football field.
Spears is fast enough to drop back and excel in coverage, as evidenced by his three interceptions, but also possess the physicality to rush the passer, barrel into the backfield or battle with the boys in the trenches, shown by his team-high in total tackles and forced fumbles.
Keller Adams, LB, Celina
Celina’s defense was supposed to take a major hit after graduating tackle machine Caleb Lavey. That was before Adams stepped in and became a ballhawk of his own.
District 10-3A’s Defensive MVP anchored a Bobcat defensive unit that allowed less than 80 rushing yards per game. Behind the AP honorable mention all-state linebacker, Celina pitched two shutouts and yielded just 34 points total in district play.
Thaddeus LaGrone, LB, Allen
This junior outside linebacker missed a bit of time due to injury, but made every moment he was on the field for Allen count.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder was second on the team in total and unassisted tackles with 87 and 60, respectively. He also led the Eagles in tackles for loss with nine while notching five sacks and tying for the team lead in interceptions with three.
LaGrone is a big part of a strong Allen class returning in 2011.
Blake Westback, CB, Lovejoy
Westback is not the prototypically-sized defensive back.
In fact, at a generously listed 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, he is far from it.
But what Westback lacks in size, he makes up for with smarts and natural ability. Westback was named the Co-Defensive MVP for District 11-3A after a season in which he had 39 tackles, five tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, six interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Michael Streight, CB, McKinney Boyd
The senior defensive back racked up 47 tackles, six pass breakups, two blocked kicks and four interceptions this season as part of a Boyd secondary that focused the action forward and kept opposing teams hesitant to pass.
Half of Streight’s interceptions came in a single game, a 31-14 win over Garland Naaman Forest, where he also managed to put points on the board by returning the second pick 35 yards for a touchdown.
Lyndell Johnson, S, Plano East
Despite having the early stages of his senior season cut short by injury, the varsity staple and defensive anchor responded amicably in rounding out his time at East.
Committed to play for Oklahoma State, Johnson’s high school swan song included a team-best 58 tackles alongside two interceptions, one forced fumble and a pair of pass breakups.
Amid mere statistics, Johnson’s presence in the defensive backfield was matched by his leadership as the glue of a defense that battled a rash of injuries.
Collin Brence, S, Plano Senior
A three-year starter for the Plano Senior defense, it could be argued that Brence saved his best for last.
As the Wildcats rounded into one of the area’s most formidable defenses, Brence helped spark that charge in totaling 112 tackles – five for loss – alongside five interceptions and nine pass breakups.
Brence was also honored with a spot on the Class 5A all-state defensive first team.
First Team Special Teams
Eddie Puskarich, K, Lovejoy
As a junior, Puskarich was named the district’s Special Teams Player of the Year.
Just like he has been every season since he was a freshman.
Puskarich was a unanimous pick this year in 11-3A as the boy with the bright yellow shoes kicked the ball between the bright yellow posts with power and precision.
Puskarich may have the opportunity to play in Europe as a senior, but there is little doubt the Leopards would love him to stick around.
Derek Deiter, P, Frisco
On a team that punted nearly four times per game, Deiter was a valuable weapon in the Frisco arsenal.
Deiter registered a net average of 35 yards per punt and booted the ball 39 times for 1,355 yards on a team that made its way back into the playoff discussion.
Deiter consistently and reliably pinned opponents deep in their own territory, stopping 14 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Oliver Pierce, K/P Returner, Allen
Despite being a sophomore, Pierce emerged as Allen’s top option for returning kicks. And Pierce did well in that role.
But that was only the beginning of what he brought to the table.
Pierce, the District 8-5A Offensive Sophomore of the Year, also ran the ball for 169 yards and a touchdown, caught 33 passes for 400 yards and five touchdowns, completed all three of his pass attempts and recorded two sacks and a forced fumble as a defensive end.
Second Team Offense
Tyler Kirkindoll, QB, Wakeland
Blake Martin, RB, Lovejoy
Daniel Mendoza, RB, Celina
Jonathan Lee, WR, Allen
Mark Stewart, WR, Centennial
Hayden Marsh, WR, Lovejoy
Taylor Lasecki, C, Frisco
Lee Skinner, OG, Plano
Aaron Bailey, OG, Wakeland
Ryan Clark, OT, Liberty
Justin Wotring, OT, Allen
Second Team Defense
Chase Applebee, DL, Centennial
Kenyea Alexander, DL, North
Darius Hood, DL, East
Nathan Broussard, DL, West
Kyle Zimmerman, LB, Boyd
Bryce Cottrell, LB, West
Michael Snowden, LB, McKinney
Blair Burns, CB, Plano
Zack Bilderback, CB, Celina
Jersean Walder, S, Allen
Deante Moore, S, North
Second Team Special Teams
Chris Moore, K, Plano
Ian McCarthy, P, Wakeland
Gabe Dunlap, KR/PR, East
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