COACH OF THE YEAR


Matt Buckner, Farragut (Knoxville)

After suffering the death of an assistant coach prior to the season, Farragut capped an emotional campaign with a AAA state championship, led by Buckner.

FIRST TEAM

P Justus Sheffield(PLAYER OF THE YEAR), Tullahoma, Sr.
The southpaw had a perfect record on the mound, going 10-0 with a 0.34 ERA and striking out 131 batters. The Gatorade National Player of the Year also batted .405 with three home runs.

P Donny Everett, Clarksville, Jr.
Clarksville’s ace went 11-1, striking out 105 and limiting his opponent to less than a run per game.

C Eric Hart, McMinn Central (Englewood), Jr.
Hart was solid behind the plate and threw out more than half (19-36) of the runners who tried to steal on him.

1B Kyle Hubbuch, Wilson Central (Lebanon), Sr.
Wilson Central’s first baseman batted .431 with eight home runs and 43 RBI.

2B Nathan Murrell, Boyd-Buchanan (Chattanooga), Sr.
Murrell (.427 batting average) powered Boyd-Buchanan’s offense with 52 RBI and 53 hits.

SS James Paisley, Cookeville, Sr.
The shortstop hit .504 with 17 doubles, four home runs and 40 RBI and added 10 stolen bases.

3B Drew Huff, Riverdale (Murfreesboro), Jr.
Huff churned out 64 hits (including 14 doubles) and 22 RBI to bat .441 on the season.

OF Bryce Denton, Ravenwood (Brentwood), Jr.
Denton hit for power and average, batting .484 with 10 home runs and a staggering 63 RBI.

OF DeAires Moses, East Nashville, Sr.
The fleet-footed outfielder batted .547, stealing 32 bases and scoring just as many times.

OF Lane Thomas, Bearden (Knoxville), Sr.
Thomas hit .410, slugged 17 home runs and added 40 RBI despite being walked 53 times in 41 games this year.

SECOND TEAM

P Logan Gentry, Dobyns-Bennett (Kingsport), Sr.
P Matt Williams, Oneida, Jr.
C Nico Mascia, Farragut (Knoxville), Jr.
1B Chase Chambers, Farragut (Knoxville), Sr.
2B Tyler Brown, Dyer County (Newbern), Sr.
SS Dale Burdick, Summit (Spring Hill), Sr.
3B Curt Hoppe, Mt. Juliet, Sr.
OF Carter Wiseman, Goodpasture Christian (Madison), Sr.
OF Darien Prewett, Spring Hill (Columbia), Sr.
OF Hunter Tackett, Anderson County (Clinton), Sr.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Jim Moccio(Bayport-Blue Point)
Guided the Phantoms to a 21-6 record and the program's second consecutive Class A state championship.

FIRST TEAM

P Scott Blewett (PLAYER OF THE YEAR), Baker (Baldwinsville), Sr.
Second-round draft pick (Royals) posted a 1.01 ERA with 195 strikeouts in 124⅓ innings.

P Dale Wickham, Victor, Sr.
Went 7-0 with a 0.80 ERA and two saves to help Victor win the Class AA state title.

C Drew Lugbauer,Arlington (LaGrangeville), Sr.
The Blue Jays selected Lugbauer in the 21st round. He has committed to play at Michigan.

1B Tony Romanelli, Beacon, Sr.
Also one of the top pitchers in the state, Romanelli has committed to play for Wake Forest next season.

2B Patrick Dorrian, Kingston, Sr.
The left-handed middle infielder was selected by the Braves in the 12th round.

SS Justin Yurchak,Shenendehowa (Clifton Park), Sr.
Wake Forest commit completed the regular season hitting .527 with a .658 on-base percentage and 19 RBI in 19 games.

3B Wesley Rodriguez,George Washington (New York), Jr.
Rodriguez hit .475 with a .602 on-base percentage. He had 33 RBI and scored 32 runs in 22 games.

OF Lenny Ortiz,Clinton, Sr.
Ortiz hit .408 with nine doubles, 30 RBI and 22 runs scored.

OF Zach Sullivan,Corning-Painted Post East (Corning), Sr.
Batted .500 with six doubles, two triples, three home runs and 37 RBI. Also stole 31 bases.

OF Jack Piekos, Bayport-Blue Point (Bayport), Jr.
Athletic outfielder is also one of the top pitchers in the state. He posted an 11-0 record with a 0.38 ERA and struck out 111 in 73 innings. Piekos went 4-0 with a 0.25 ERA in the postseason.

SECOND TEAM

P Greg Musk, Schalmont (Rotterdam, N.Y.) Sr.
P Giovanni Abreu,George Washington (New York), Sr.
C Kevin Snyder,Elmira, Sr.
1B Brett Wieland, Horseheads, Sr.
2B Nick DiNapoli,Beacon, Sr.
SS Brendan Spagnuolo,Chaminade (Massapequa, N.Y.), Sr.
3B Ryan Stekl,Lancaster, Sr.

OF Nick Wegmann,Vestal, Sr.
OF Jake Casey,Homer, Sr.
OF Ryan MacCarrick,Orchard Park, Sr.

The 2013-14 American Family Insurance ALL-USA State Baseball Teams were selected by USA TODAY High School Sports.

We have already revealed the 2014 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Baseball Team. But now, we’re digging a little deeper. We’ve created American Family Insurance ALL-State teams. Here they are:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho 
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington D.C.
West Virginia
Wisconsin

No teams for IA, MT, SD, WY

The 2013-14 American Family Insurance ALL-USA State Baseball Teams were selected by USA TODAY High School Sports.

We have already revealed the 2014 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Baseball Team. But now, we’re digging a little deeper. We’ve created American Family Insurance ALL-State teams. Here they are:

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho 
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington D.C. 
West Virginia
Wisconsin

No teams for IA, MT, SD, WY

Selections were made by Jack Shepard, high school editor of Track and Field News, and coordinated by Fred Baer, founder of Track and Field Writers of America.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Don Norford, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)

Retiring Long Beach Poly (Calif.) coach Don Norford has won 18 California Interscholastic Federation state girls and boys team titles, more than any other coach.

His Poly teams own more national relay records that any other school – and dominated the 2014 season. Long Beach Poly had national-leading times in three of the four regular championship meet relay races, and all won California state titles.

The Long Beach Press Telegram has called the 68-year-old Norford “the most successful high school coach California has ever seen.”

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Trentavis Friday, senior, Cherryville, N.C., 10.00, 100; 20.33 (20.03w), 200

What does Trentavis Friday of Cherryville, N.C., do for an encore after starring in the greatest ever high school sprint show earlier this month?

That stage is set when the headliner of the 2014 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Boys Track and Field team returns to the University of Oregon in Eugene for the IAAF World Junior Championships next week (July 22-27).

During USA Track & Field’s Junior Championships (July 5-6 at Oregon), Friday set a national high school record of 10.00 seconds in the 100 meters and ran the fastest-ever prep 200 meters, 20.03 (although wind over the allowable limit negated that as an official record).

The 100 time for Friday, who is headed to Florida State next season, is the world’s second fastest ever by a teenager.

The previous high school 100 meter record was 10.01 by Jeff Demps of South Lake (Groveland, Fla.) in 2008. The fastest 200 was 20.13 by Roy Martin of Roosevelt (Dallas) nearly two decades ago, in 1985 –  also the American Junior (under age 20) record.

Friday was startled when he saw how fast he was going in the 200.

“It was scary for a second because when we were coming down at the last five meters I saw 19 (on the finish-line clock) so I just went for it,” he said.

The World Junior 200 record is 19.93, set in 2004 by current world-record holder and Olympic champion Usain Bolt of Jamaica.

Friday is entered only in the 200 meters next week. He was disqualified for a false start in the 100 meters finals at the USA championships after setting the record in the prelims. He is eligible for the 4×100-meter relay.

FIRST TEAM

Criteria included rankings on USA Today and Track and Field News national lists, the number of top performances and head-to-head competition during the regular season and in major postseason meets. The selections were made by Jack Shepard, high school editor of Track and Field News, and coordinated by Fred Baer, founder of Track and Field Writers of America.

Athletes are listed alphabetically in each general event area. Races are in meters, unless noted. (Field events are in feet and inches).

w = wind-aided (more than 2.0 meters a second).

i = performed indoors.

Implements and hurdles (H) are high school unless noted: (jr.) junior, (intl.) college/international.   

* = repeat All-USA performer.

Athlete, high school (location), performances

Sprints (100 & 200)

Christian Coleman, senior, Our Lady of Mercy (Fayetteville, Ga.), 10.30, 100 
Trentavis Friday, senior, Cherryville, N.C., 10.00, 100; 20.33 (20.03w), 200
Darryl Haraway, junior, DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.) 10.20, 100
Terry Jernigan, senior, East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.), 10.27, 100
*Kendal Williams, senior, Stanton Prep (Jacksonville, Fla.), 10.27, 100; 20.55, 200

Long Sprints / Middle Distance (400 & 800)

Donovan Brazier, junior, Kenowa Hills (Grand Rapids, Mich.), 1:48.61, 800
Ricky Faure, senior, Rock Springs, Wyo., 1:48.14, 800
Devante Lacy, senior, Klein Oak (Houston), 46.10, 400
Josephus Lyles, sophomore, T.C. Williams (Alexandria, Va.), 46.23, 400
Myles Marshall, junior, Kingwood, Texas, 1:48.43, 800

Distances (1,500, mile, 3,200, 2-mile, steeplechase)

Grant Fisher, junior, Grand Blanc, Mich., 3:46.71, 1500; 4:02.02, mile; 8:51.28, 2-mile
*Blake Haney, senior, Stockdale (Bakersfield, Calif.), 4:04.08, mile; 8:46.80, 3,200
Matthew Maton, junior, Summit (Bend, Ore.) 4:03.23, mile; 8:18.66 3,000
Garrett O'Toole, senior, Middlesex School (Concord, Mass.), 3:45.55, 1500; 4:01.89, mile
Bailey Roth, senior, Coronado (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 5:41.67, 2k steeple; 9:03.92 3k steeple

Hurdles (110, 300, 400)

Robert Grant, senior, Brophy Prep (Phoenix), 36.24, 300H; 51.16, 400H
Isaiah Moore, senior, Hugh M. Cummings (Burlington, N.C.), 13.40, 110H
*Kenny Selmon, senior, Pace Academy (Atlanta), 50.13, 400H
Misana Viltz, senior, Millikan (Long Beach, Calif.), 13.42, 110H

Vertical Jumps (high jump, pole vault)

Paulo Benavides, junior, Franklin (El Paso, Texas), 17-2 3/4, PV
*Randall Cunningham, senior, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 7-2, HJ
*Devin King, senior, Jewel M. Sumner (Kentwood, La.), 17-9 3/4, PV
David Njoku, senior, Cedar Grove, N.J., 7-1, HJ

Horizontal Jumps (long jump, triple jump)

KeAndre Bates, senior, Burges (El Paso, Texas), 50-9 1/2, TJ
*Adoree Jackson, senior, Serra (Gardena, Calif.), 25-5 1/4, LJ
*Nate Moore, senior, Castro Valley, Calif., 25-8 3/4, LJ; 50-10 1/4 (53-7w), TJ
Ja'Mari Ward, sophomore, Cahokia, Ill., 24-6 1/2 (25-6 3/4w), LJ; 50-6 1/2. TJ
John Warren, senior, Prince George, Va., 50-6 3/4 (51-3 i), TJ

Throws (shot put, discus, hammer, javelin)

Ben Bonhurst, senior, Smithtown West (Smithtown, N.Y.), 67-3, SP
Kord Ferguson, senior, Ottawa, Kan., 67-10, SP; 210-3, DT; 201-0, DT (jr.)
Daniel Haugh, junior, St. Pius X (Atlanta), 204-1, DT; 188-1, DT (jr), 235-4, HT
John Nizich, senior, Central Catholic (Portland, Ore.), 224-1, JT
Curtis Thompson, senior, Florence Township Memorial, (Florence, N.J.), 224-10, JT

Decathlon (high school & jr. international decathlon)

Harrison Williams, senior, University (Memphis, Tenn.), 7525 HS, 7734 (jr.)

SECOND TEAM

Sprints

Curtis Godin, senior, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 10.36 (10.29w) 100; 20.85, 200
Jaalen Jones, senior, Thompson (Alabaster, Ala.), 10.35, 100

Long Sprints / Middle Distance

Derek Holdsworth, junior, Lafayette (Williamsburg, Va.), 1:48.97, 800
Ricky Morgan, senior, Forest Park (Woodbridge, Va.), 46.71, 400

Distances

Mike Brannigan, junior, Northport, N.Y., 8:53.59, 2-mile
Josh Evans, senior, Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa), 4:04.38, mile

Hurdles

John Lint, senior, Columbus Academy (Gahanna, Ohio), 36.32, 300H; 51.63, 400H
Marquis Morris, senior, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.), 13.68, 110HH

Vertical Jumps

Blaine Listach, junior, Meyer (Waco, Texas), 7-1, HJ
Deakin Volz, junior, Bloomington South, Ind., 17-3, PV

Horizontal Jumps

Joey Souza, junior, Kingsburg, Calif., 24-10 (25-7w), LJ
Karsten Wethington, senior, Logan (Union City, Calif.), 50-7, TJ

Throws

Carlos Davis, junior, Blue Springs, Mo., 212-5, DT
Nick Demaline, senior, Liberty Center, Ohio, 68-10 1/2, SP

Teams coordinated by Fred Baer, founder, Track and Field Writers of America.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Don Norford, Long Beach Poly (Calif.)

Retiring Long Beach Poly (Calif.) coach Don Norford has won 18 California Interscholastic Federation state girls and boys team titles, more than any other coach.

His Poly teams own more national relay records that any other school – and dominated the 2014 season. Long Beach Poly had national-leading times in three of the four regular championship meet relay races, and all won California state titles.

The Long Beach Press Telegram has called the 68-year-old Norford “the most successful high school coach California has ever seen.”

*Don Norford is both the ALL-USA Boys and Girls Coach of the Year

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Kaylin Whitney, sophomore, East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.), 11.10, 100; 22.49, 200

Say goodbye to Marion Jones, Allyson Felix, and Angela Williams — who have dominated the high school record book for most of the last quarter century.

Say hello to Kaylin Whitney, just finishing her sophomore year at East Ridge High in Clermont, Fla. The 16-year-old has catapulted to the top of the high school sprint record lists and leads the 2014 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Girls Track and Field Team.

In June, Whitney had not even posted the best high school times this year.

This month, she became the fastest high school sprinter ever in America and the World Youth (under age 18) record-holder at both 100 and 200 meters.

On consecutive days at the USA Track & Field’s Junior Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., Whitney ran 11.10 seconds for the 100 and 22.49 for the 200, both with legal aiding winds well under the allowable of 2.0 meters per second.

Whitney was surprised with her 200-meter performance on top of her 100 record.

“I think more this one than the 100,” she said, “because my PR before this one was just 22.8. Yeah, it was insane. Sky’s the limit. You can only go up from here … and bringing it out in a few weeks when I come back. … It really helps me get closer to that dream of being on the Olympic team one day.”

She will begin her international dreams next week (July 22-27), however, leading Team USA at the IAAF World Junior Championships on the same University of Oregon track.

The previous 100 records were 10.11 (high school) by Williams of Chino, Calif., in 1998 and 10.13 (world youth) by Chandra Cheeseborough of Ribault (Jacksonville, Fla.), at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials (which also was the high school record until Williams broke it).

The 200 marks were 22.51 (high school) by Felix of Los Angeles Baptist (North Hills, Calif.) in 2003 and 22.58 (world youth) by Jones for Thousand Oaks, Calif., in 1992.

There is one faster 200 mark — 22.11, by Felix — set at high altitude Mexico City in 2004. That time has not been internationally ratified due to the lack of drug testing in conjunction with that meet. 

(Although the 22.11 is the “listed” American Junior record, the IAAF recognizes the 22.18 by Felix as a 19-year-old post high school pro as the World Junior record. Whitney has a few more years to try to straighten that out.)

Not since USATF Hall of Fame member Cheeseborough, nearly four decades ago, has one athlete headed both sprint lists. And Cheeseborough’s 22.76 record at 200 meters in 1975 came with the advantage of Mexico City’s mile-high altitude, running for Team USA at the Pan American Games. Her best marks were not set the same year, let alone at the same meet.

Jones was the previous fastest high school sophomore, running 11.17 and 22.76 for Rio Mesa (Oxnard, Calif.) in 1991, before transferring to Thousand Oaks – and then 11.14 and 22.58 for 16-year-old age records. The latter mark, at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials, remained the official world youth (under 18) record until this month.

FIRST TEAM

Teams coordinated by Fred Baer, founder, Track and Field Writers of America. Girls selections by Mike Kennedy, high school editor of Track and Field News.

Criteria included rankings on USA Today and Track and Field News national lists, the number of top performances and head-to-head competition during the regular season and in major postseason meets. The selections were made by Mike Kennedy, high school editor of Track and Field News, and coordinated by Fred Baer, founder of Track and Field Writers of America.

Athletes are listed alphabetically in each general event area. Races in meters unless noted. (Field events in feet and inches).

w = wind-aided (more than 2.0 meters a second).

i = performed indoors. All other marks are with outdoor specifications.

Implements and hurdles (H) are high school unless noted: (yth.) world youth, (jr.) junior, (intl.) college/international.

* = repeat All-USA performer.

Athlete, high school (location), performances

Sprints (100 & 200)

Teahna Daniels, junior, The First Academy (Orlando, Fla.), 11.31, 100; 23.68, 200
Candace Hill, freshman, Rockdale County (Conyers, Ga.), 11.44 (11.34w), 100; 23.12, 200
*Ariana Washington, senior, Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), 1l 22, 100; 22.96. 200
Kaylin Whitney, sophomore, East Ridge (Clermont, Fla.), 11.10, 100; 22.49, 200

Long Sprints / Middle Distances (400, 800)

*Olivia Baker, senior, Columbia (Maplewood, N.J.), 52.46. 400; 2:06.01, 800
*Elise Cranny, senior, Niwot, Colo., 2:04.81, 800; 4:10.95, 1,500; 10:17.48, 3,200
*Alexa Efraimson, junior, Camas, Wash., 2:03.26, 800; 4:07.05, 1,500; 4:33.29, 1,600; 4:32.15i, mile; 9:55.92, 3,200
Kaelin Roberts, freshman, Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), 52.52, 400
Raevyn Rogers, senior, The Kinkaid School (Houston), 54.51, 400; 2:04.40, 800

Distances (1,500, 1,600, mile, 3K, 3,200, 2-mile, 5K)

Hannah DeBalsi, sophomore, Staples (Westport, Conn.), 9:55.05, 2-mile
Sarah Feeny, senior, Ogden, Utah, 4:39.42, mile; 10:13.86, 3,200
Stephanie Jenks, sophomore, Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa), 4:42.68, mile; 9:24.67, 3,000; 10:06.54, 2-mile
Bethan Knights, senior, Northwood, (Irvine, Calif.), 4:42.29, 1,600; 9:18.1, 3,000; 9:53.34, 2-mile
Amelia Paladino, senior, University (Morgantown, W.V.), 10:00.42, 3,200

Hurdles (100, 300, 400)

Tiana Bonds, senior, Centennial (Las Vegas), 13.50, 100H; 40.90, 300H
Reonna Collier, freshman, Piedmont Hills (San Jose, Calif.), 40.90, 300H; 58.55, 400H
Alexis Duncan, sophomore, DeSoto, Texas, 13.33, 100H
*Dior Hall, senior, George Washington (Denver), 13.00, 100H
Sydney McLaughlin, freshman, Union Catholic (Scotch Plains, N.J.), 13.34, 100H; 55.63, 400H

Vertical Jumps (high jump, pole vault)

*Vashti Cunningham, sophomore, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 6-3, HJ
Bonnie Draxler, senior, Wrightstown, Wis., 13-11 1/4, PV
*Desiree Freier, senior, Northwest (Justin, Texas), 14-3 1/4 (14-6i), PV
Kaitlyn Merritt, junior, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) 13-9, PV
Lexi Weeks, junior, Cabot, Ark., 14-0, PV

Horizontal Jumps (long jump, triple jump)

*Courtney Corrin, sophomore, Harvard-Westlake (Studio City, Calif.), 20-8 1/4, LJ
Margaux Jones, junior, Redlands, Calif., 20-5 1/2 (20-9w), LJ
*Keturah Orji, senior, Mount Oliver (Flanders, N.J.), 20-11 3/4, LJ; 44-1 1/2 (44-9w), TJ
Chyna Ries, senior, East (Denver), 20-10 3/4 (21-4w), LJ

Throws (shot put, discus, hammer, javelin)

*Ashlie Blake, senior, Liberty (Henderson, Nev.), 53-10 3/4i, SP; 166-1, DT
Raven Saunders, senior, Burke (Charleston, S.C.), 56-8 1/4 (56-7 1/4i), SP
*Stamatia Scarvalis, senior, Dos Pueblos (Goleta, Calif.), 53-9 1/4, SP; 172-7 DT
Haley Teel, senior, Gregory-Portland (Portland, Texas), 51-6 1/2, SP

Heptathlon

Shaina Burns, senior, South (Lakeville, Minn.), 5,363
Ashlee Moore, senior, Hamilton (Chandler, Aziz.), 5,418

SECOND TEAM

Sprints

Diamond Spaulding, junior, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), 11.61 (11.51w), 100; 23.36 (23.00w), 200
Ky Westbrook, senior, Chandler, Ariz., 11.43, 100

Long Sprints / Middle Distances

Zola Golden, junior, Arlington (Lagrangeville, N.Y.), 52.82, 400
Rose Christen, senior, Central Kitsap, (Silverdale, Wash.), 2:05.64, 800

Distances

Allie Ostrander, junior, Kenai Central (Kenai, Alaska), 10:03.66; 3,200
Katie Rainsberger, sophomore, Air Academy (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 4:41.07, mile

Hurdles

Ashley Miller, sophomore, Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.), 13.38, 100H
Jasmine Quinn, senior, Fort Dorchester (Charleston, S.C.), 13.37 (13.33w), 100H

Vertical Jumps

Kaitlyn Merritt, junior, Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), 13-9, PV
Kally Long, Wimberley, Texas, 13-6, PV

Horizontal Jumps

Tiffany Flynn, senior, Miller Grove (Atlanta), 41-11, TJ
Bria Matthews, junior, Forest Park, Ga., 42-1, TJ

Throws

Tairyn Montgomery, sophomore, Redondo Union (Redondo Beach, Calif.), 163-1, JT
Haley Showalter, junior, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), 193-4, HT

Trenton Thompson, far left, had 83 tackles and 12 sacks last season as a junior defensive tackle at Westover (Albany, Ga.). Photo by WXIA-TV

Leading into the announcement of the American Family Insurance ALL-USA preseason football team later this month, we’re profiling some of the likely candidates for that team. Today’s candidate is Westover (Albany, Ga.) senior defensive tackle Trenton Thompson.

Trenton Thompson has been big ever since he was little.

The Westover (Albany, Ga.) defensive tackle was 10 pounds and 3 ounces when he was born. When he played youth football, he was a defensive player’s nightmare, as a running back that outweighed most players by nearly 50 pounds. He started as a freshman defensive tackle at Westover.

“Coming from the eighth grade, the middle school coaches had already bragged on him,” Westover coach Octavia Jones said. “His ninth-grade year, we threw him into the fire and he was trying to find his way. By his sophomore year, that’s when we really realized he was something special.”

When Thompson first came to Westover, he was athletic but a little soft. Before long, he had improved his bench press from 130 pounds to 200, then 385 pounds.

“I would get with my conditioning coach after practice and do different lifts,” Thompson said. “I also took a weightlifting class, did the bench, the incline and squats. As I began to see progress, I worked extra hard.”

As he added size and strength, he didn’t lose the agility that made him a pee wee football running back. Against Jonesboro last season, an offensive lineman tried to take out his legs and Thompson merely leap-frogged over him to make the tackle.

“I need to work on my footwork more, but I am athletic,” Thompson said. “I can still dunk, so I can jump.”

“I think the reason he’s able to move so well at his size now is he played skill positions when he was younger,” Jones said. “His body outgrew the skill positions, but he still has the agility from back then.”

Thompson ties up two to three offensive players on nearly every series, allowing his teammates to make tackles.

“I know teams are going to double- and triple-team me, but I know others players on our team will make plays if they do,” Thompson said. “I think we can go 10-0 this year because we have a lot of good defensive players back.”

Coaches in the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference have definitely noticed Thompson’s improvement. Alabama’s Nick Saban, Georgia’s Mark Richt, Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson, and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney have all made the pilgrimage to Albany to see Thompson. The volume of recruiting mail he gets is too much for his mailbox, so the local carrier just leaves a sack on his porch.

“Our defensive line coach, Jeff Hunter, has NFL experience,”: Jones said. “He has done a great job of preparing Trenton for double- and triple-teams. Once he gets to the next level, he’ll be even more explosive, especially as his technique improves.”

Super stats: Thompson was often double- and triple-teamed, yet had 83 total tackles with 12 sacks, helping lead his team to a 9-3 record. He is 6-3 and 300 pounds and runs a 5.0 40-yard dash.

Rankings: No. 1 defensive tackle by ESPN, Rivals, and Tom Lemming and No. 2 defensive tackle by 247Sports  and Scout.

On film: He’s extremely explosive for someone who is 6-3 and 300 pounds, bulldozing his way into the backfield before opponents can set up their play.

Likely lean: He is set to announce as early as this month and has long been a Georgia fan. But, he is being actively pursued by everybody in the SEC and ACC.

Others take: “He’s not only a run-stuffer. He has elite feet for a 300-pound guy to put pressure on the quarterback. He’s a complete defensive tackle, not just a two-down tackle. Nothing gets past him. He occupies two or three blockers, even if he doesn’t make the play.” – recruiting analyst Tom Lemming

St. John Bosco’s Josh Rosen (3) during the 2013 CIF Open Bowl Championship. AP Photo/Ringo H.W.

Leading into the announcement of the American Family Insurance ALL-USA preseason football team later this month, we’re profiling some of the likely candidates for that team. Today’s candidate is St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) senior quarterback Josh Rosen.

Josh Rosen has a simple technique for dealing with the pressure of playing for the No. 2-ranked high school football team in the country.

“You win, that’s how you deal with pressure,” Rosen said. “There’s really not that much pressure. If you can’t deal with it, we don’t want you on the team. Playing for a team like ours isn’t that big a deal. It might mean a few more media interview distractions and you get a 100 percent of every team’s effort that you play, but it’s not like we play any bad teams.”

Growing up, Rosen was a nationally ranked tennis player. While a shoulder injury forced him to take a break from tennis and led him back into football, his time between the lines helped prepare him to be one of the top quarterback recruits in the country.

“Playing tennis helped me try to get over plays,” Rosen said. “In a match, you go through hundreds of disappointments. You have to have a short-term memory to survive. Plus, in football, everyone praises my footwork. When I was playing tennis and everyone was 5-foot-6 and 120 pounds (Rosen is 6-4 and 190, but was around 5-11 then)  and I was clunking it around out there in size-14 shoes, everyone criticized my footwork.”

Rosen has attended high-profile camps this summer such as the ESPN RISE Elite 11 and Nike’s The Opening, but is realistic about what he can get out of them.

“Everything is overexposed at those,” Rosen said. “I don’t think anyone at those camps intends to get anything out of it besides friendships, free stuff and an experience. There’s not much you can coach a kid in three days.”

He does give plenty of credit to Braves offensive coordinator Chad Johnson, who has helped him master the Braves’ simple yet deceptively complicated zone-read spread.

“I can call him and text him at any time,” Rosen said. “He’s like a second father. Everything that I know about football is attributed to him. His control of our offense is crazy. His goal is to give me every speck of knowledge he has.”

Though Rosen says playing quarterback is more a mental than physical exercise, he also says people, particularly some quarterback coaches, complicate what it means to be a good quarterback. He has been working with quarterback coach Armin Youngblood since he was in the eighth grade.

“My training with him is not a technical thing and it has been doing pretty well so far, so I don’t want to change anything,” Rosen said.

“He’s a very intelligent young man,” Youngblood said. “It can be intimidating to other players. He’s really different; he’s kind of like a coach in that he understands personnel. He’ll go through a receiver line on a drill and be able to understand where those guys are on a talent level.”

Rosen said he tries to keep his fitness routine simple.

“When I work out, I lift with the linebackers and running backs. There’s really not that much too it. The problem with football (training), is there are so many little things you can do. People are inventing new exercises you can do. I take a much simpler approach to the sport. Some people over-complicate the regimen. Most of the extra exercises I do are to make sure I look good at the beach.”

Super stats: Last season, as a junior, he threw for 3,200 yards and 39 touchdowns and ran for 416 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the Braves to the state Open Bowl Championship. .

Rankings: No. 1 quarterback by Rivals, Scout, Tom Lemming and No. 2 by 247Sports and ESPN.

On film: He’s very accurate and throws a good deep ball. He gets rid of the ball quickly once he goes through his progressions. His footwork is solid, except when he rushes his throw and throws off his back foot. Most of the time, he does a good job of stepping up in the pocket to make his throw.

Strong lean: He committed to UCLA in March.

Others’ take: “He has arm strength, poise, he’s smart and has natural instincts. He had great production on a great team and everybody they go up against is a good team. He has good feet, but he’s not a runner. I see him more as a pro style quarterback.” — recruiting analyst Tom Lemming

Damien Harris rushed for 46 touchdowns last season for Madison Southern (Berea, Ky.).

Leading into the announcement of the American Family Insurance ALL-USA preseason football team later this month, we’re profiling some of the likely candidates for that team. Today’s candidate is Madison Southern (Berea, Ky.) senior running back Damien Harris.

Damien Harris wasn’t born when Bo Jackson last ran the ball for the Oakland Raiders, but the classic shot of Jackson, in football pads, with a baseball bat across his wide shoulders, adorns Harris’ Twitter wall.

“He loves the game,” Madison Southern coach Jon Clark said. “He understands the game pretty well. In the old days, a featured running back is what made a football team. Now, it’s the featured quarterback. But Damien has some of the ability of the featured running backs of old. He has watched a lot of film and knows Bo Jackson’s running style and Earl Campbell’s running style.”

At 5-11 and 210 pounds, Harris has the ability to overpower a lot of tacklers. With 4.5 speed, he can also run around them. Those abilities and his field vision are what sets him apart, Clark said.

“Obviously, you have great size and power with a unique combination of speed,” Clark said. “You’re going to find a back who is faster but they’re all 170 pounds. He has incredible vision. He finds creases I don’t even find until I see the film later.”

Harris has run for 5,257 yards and 90  touchdowns in high school career, numbers that are hard to ignore, even coming from Berea, population 14,000.

“It’s a complete package with him of size, speed, and vision,” said 247Sports national football analyst JC Shurburtt. “That’s what makes a good running back. My prediction now is he’s going to Ohio State. The most coveted back among the Big 10 programs is from the state of Kentucky. I guess that’s ironic with Kentucky now recruiting Ohio. The big boys are trying to take the No. 1 player from them, but Kentucky’s Mark Stoops has closed well.”

After running out of the power-I last season, Madison Southern will use the spread this season. That may mean fewer carries for Harris, but not necessarily fewer opportunities to cause damage.

“In college, you have a system you recruit players for,” Clark said. “In high school, you have to mold your system to our talent. His sophomore year, we were not that good, so we ran the triple option to be an equalizer. Last year, to use him better, we were a power-I team. This year, our quarterback is a lot better, so we’re going to the spread. Damien will be running a lot more inside-outside. We have a lot more weapons around him. He’s also a great receiver and in the past, we didn’t have the ability to use that, but now we do.”

Super stats: Last season, as a junior, he ran for 2,621 yards and 42 touchdowns.

Rankings: No. 1 2015 high school running back by Rivals, Scout and ESPN and No. 2 by 247Sports.

On film: At 5-11 and 210, he is capable of running over or past most defenders. Makes good choices on his cuts and follows his blockers well.

Undecided: He initially committed to Michigan in July of 2013 but backed out of that decision in January. Last week, he said that Alabama, Florida, Kentucky Ohio State and Texas A&M are in his final five.

Others’ take: “It’s a complete package with him: size; speed; and vision. A lot of times running back production is relative. Being from Kentucky, you might look at him with a bit of skepticism, but when he goes to combines, everything checks out. He runs a 4.4 or 4.5. You know his production is not a reflection simply of his competitive level.” – 247Sports recruiting analyst JC Shurburtt.

Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) cornerback Kevin Toliver II has said he plans to sign with LSU.

Leading into the announcement of the American Family Insurance ALL-USA preseason football team later this month, we’re profiling some of the likely candidates for that team. Today’s candidate is Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) senior cornerback Kevin Toliver II.

Kevin Toliver is a yes-sir, no-sir type of player, according to his coaches, but he concedes he’s not always so cordial to opposing receivers.

“I like to get in the receiver’s and the quarterback’s heads,” Toliver said. “I do that by being physical and talking a bit.”

At 6-2 and 190, Toliver enjoys contact, a love for the physical side of football he developed when he was playing youth football for the Sweetwater Athletic Association in Jacksonville.

“When he was little, he would play tight end, running back and linebacker,” said Sweetwater Pee Wee Hawks coach Anthony Drayton. “He was definitely a hitter in Pee Wee. Back then, he was just a regular-sized kid who always gave it 100 percent.”

Toliver’s father, also named Kevin, also coached at Sweetwater and said he noticed his son’s athletic talents before he was in grade school.

“I knew he was an athlete at five years old,” he said. “We put him in T-ball and Biddy Basketball and Flag Football. I saw him run one time and looked at my wife and said, ‘You know what, I think we have an athlete on our hands.’ Football was his favorite sport.”

Though most experts say his future is in the defensive backfield, he plays quarterback and cornerback at Trinity Christian.

“I just like to help my team,” he said. “I was the best fit for quarterback. I have to stay in shape to play both ways, so I never stop working out. I work every day and after football season, I didn’t take a break.”

Trinity coach Verlon Dominey said Toliver is very coachable, regardless of what position he’s playing.

“Most great athletes, a lot of times, don’t listen well,” Dorminey said. “They’ve always been ahead of everybody else, so they like doing it their way. This kid listens to what you tell him and applies it. He’s a great lockdown corner and we play some pretty good talent.”

Toliver has said he plans to sign with Louisiana State. His parents are from New Orleans and his second cousin, Terrence Toliver, played wide receiver for the Tigers. It also doesn’t hurt that LSU has produced several great defensive backs in recent years, such as Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu and Morris Claiborne.

MORE: ALL-USA preseason watch on Madison Southern running back Damien Harris

“Those are all reasons why I chose LSU, but also the relationship I had with the coaches, beginning with the first time I stepped on the campus,” Toliver said.

Stats: Not eye-popping, because teams generally don’t throw his way. He had 36 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions. Led team to 3A state title. He played quarterback last season when starter Jaquez Riles went out with a knee injury and threw for 273 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 502 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught two touchdown passes.

Recruiting rankings: Listed as the No. 1 cornerback in the 2015 class by ESPN, the No. 2 by Rivals, 247Sports and No. 3 by Scout.

On video: Very aggressive, very physical, both as a shutdown corner and against the run. He uses his size (6-2, 190) and speed to dominate most receivers. As a quarterback, he’s more likely to run than pass, but at the next level, he won’t be a quarterback.

Another take: “I have a coached couple of kids who played college ball. I think he has the most talent of anybody I’ve coached and that includes D.J. Gillins, who is a quarterback at Wisconsin this year.” – Sweetwater Pee Wee coach Anthony Drayton.

COACH OF THE YEAR 

Chris McCardle, Oak Grove
McCardle led Oak Grove to the Class 6A state championship, the 10th baseball title in school history.

FIRST TEAM

OF Clay Casey, (PLAYER OF THE YEAR), DeSoto Central (Southaven), 6-2, Sr.
Casey hit 14 home runs and knocked in 47 runs while hitting .464.

P Will Stokes, West Lauderdale (Collinsville), 5-10, Sr.
Stokes finished 9-1 with a 0.70 ERA. He had 106 strikeouts.

P Justin Steele, George County (Lucedale), 6-1, Sr.
Steele, drafted in the fifth round by the Cubs, tossed two no-hitters and had a 0.98 ERA.

C Blake Anderson, West Lauderdale (Collinsville), 6-3, Sr.
Anderson hit .438 with eight home runs and 40 RBI, helping West Lauderdale to the 4A state title.

1B Bobby Bradley, Harrison Central (Gulfport), 6-1, Sr.
Bradley hit .340 with six home runs and walked 29 times.

2B Austin Riley, DeSoto Central (Southaven), 6-3, Jr.
Riley hit .465 with nine home runs.

SS Ti’Quan Forbes, Columbia, 6-3, Sr.
Forbes batted .427 with three home runs and 27 RBI. He was selected in the second round by the Rangers.

3B Daniel Keating, Gulfport, 6-3, Sr.
Keating hit .370 and scored 31 runs in 31 games.

OF Rudy Martin, Lewisburg (Olive Branch), 5-7, Sr.
Martin hit .385 and stole 35 bases while leading Patriots to a 21-8 season.

OF Kirk McCarty,Oak Grove (Hattiesburg), 6-0, Sr.
McCarty had a .543 on-base percentage and helped his team to the Class 6A title.

SECOND TEAM

P Taylor Stafford,New Hope (Columbus), 5-9, Sr.
P Konnor Pilkington, East Central (Moss Point), Jr.
C Bobby Bradley,Harrison Central (Gulfport), 6-2, Sr.
1B Taylor Braley,Oak Grove (Hattiesburg), 6-0, Sr.
2B Jamell Newson, Magnolia Heights (Senatobia), 5-9, Sr.
SS Will Golsan, New Hope (Columbus), 6-0, Sr.
3B Gage Teer, Brandon, 6-1, Sr.
OF Peyton Joe, Ridgeland, 5-8, Jr.
OF Kyle Smith,Petal, 5-11, Sr.
OF Jake Mangum,Jackson Prep, 5-11, Sr.

COACH OF THE YEAR

John Carver (Dover)
Named the NHIAA Division I Coach of the Year after guiding Dover to a first-place finish during the regular season and the No. 1 seed for the Division I tournament.

FIRST TEAM

P Rob Del Signore(PLAYER OF THE YEAR), Londonderry, Sr.
Del Signore, New Hampshire’s Gatorade Player of the Year, went 6-2 with a 0.44 ERA. He struck out 117 and walked 18 in 64 innings.

P Cam LaFleur, Hollis Brookline (Hollis), Sr.
LaFleur went 5-1 with a 0.33 ERA. He struck out 96 and walked seven in 43 innings.

C Mickey Gasper, Merrimack, Sr.
One of the best defensive catchers in the state, Gasper also had a .326 batting average, a .537 on-base percentage and seven stolen bases.

1B Alex Parenteau,Keene, Sr.
Finished his senior season with a .404 batting average, a .528 on-base percentage and a .702 slugging percentage.

2B Christian Bourgea,Campbell (Litchfield), Sr.
Bourgea hit .537 with five home runs and 25 RBI. Can play either middle-infield position.

SS Ben Bengtson,Concord, Sr.
Hit .526 with a .630 on-base percentage, and stole 12 bases on 18 games. Will play college baseball at the University of Hartford.

3B Tyler Perron,Goffstown, Sr.
Hit .357 with two home runs and 30 RBI in 22 games.

OF Nick Angelini,Bedford, Jr.
Hit .385 with 29 hits (10 for extra bases) in 21 games. Angelini was also the team’s closer.

OF Ryan McKenna,St. Thomas Aquinas (Dover), Jr.
Hit .551 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in 17 games. Accepted a scholarship from Division I Liberty as a sophomore.

OF Tanner Putnam, Goffstown, Jr.
Batted .315 with 14 RBI and scored 28 runs in 22 games to help Goffstown win the Division II title. Also stole 10 bases and went 7-1 on the mound.

SECOND TEAM

P Ivan Clough,ConVal (Peterborough), Sr.
P Chris Gerossie, Pinkerton Academy (Derry), Sr.
C Nate Rossi,Pinkerton Academy (Derry), Sr.
1B Anthony Lupi,Dover, Sr.
2B Brett Evangelista, Londonderry, Sr.
SS Brendan Carter, Merrimack, Jr.
3B Josh Gagne, Spaulding (Rochester), Jr.
OF Carmen Giampetruzzi,Trinity (Manchester), Sr.
OF Tyler Brown, Alvirne (Hudson), Sr.
OF Collin Sullivan, Plymouth Regional, Sr.

COACH OF THE YEAR


Gary MacDonald, Mill River (Clarendon)
MacDonald led Mill River to a 17-3 record and the Division II state crown. It was the program's first state championship.

FIRST TEAM

P Alex Chapman (PLAYER OF THE YEAR); BFA-Fairfax, Jr.
Chapman led the Bullets to a 19-0 record and the Division III state championship. He went 8-0 with 89 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched without allowing an earned run. At the plate, he hit .453 with a .592 on-base percentage.

P Ryan Connor, BFA-St. Albans, Sr. 

Coaches voted Connor the Metro League Player of the Year.

C Andrew Graciano, St. Johnsbury, Jr.


Voted to the first-team Metro League, Graziano hit three home runs. 

1B Will Hesslink, Rice Memorial (South Burlington), So.

Hesslink hit .411 and went 8-0 on mound for Division I champion Rice Memorial. He was a first-team Metro League All-Star.

2B Dougie Avellino, Woodstock, Sr.

Also a basketball standout, Avellino finished as the school's all-time leader in hits.

SS Rayne Supple,Champlain Valley (Hinesburg), Jr. 

Supple was named the Gatorade Player of the Year. The Wake Forest commit hit .383 with 22 RBI.

3B Nick Berno, BFA-St. Albans, Sr.

Berno hit .466 and stole 19 bases as his team won the Metro League championship. He was named a first-team Metro League All-Star. 

OF Deegan Poland,Champlain Valley (Hinesburg), Jr.

Poland averaged .429 with 25 stolen bases. He was a first-team Metro League All-Star.

OF Sean Shephardson, Poultney, Sr.

Shepherdson hit .621 with five home runs while leading his team to the Division III title game. He was named a Marble Valley League All-Star. 

OF John Gibson, Blue Mountain (Floyd), Jr.

Gibson hit .477 with 25 stolen bases while leading his team to the Division IV state championship.

SECOND TEAM

P Matt Messier,Lake Region (Barton), Jr
P Lincoln Pritchard, Mill River (Clarendon), Jr.
C Hayden Smith,Champlain Valley Union (Hinesburg), Sr.
1B Connor Bradley, South Burlington, Jr.
2B Luke Russell, Harwood (Moretown), Jr.
SS Tommy Fitzgerald, Rice Memorial (South Burlington), Sr
3B Andrew Cassarino, Rutland, Sr.
OF Noah Rizio,Burr and Burton (Manchester), Sr.
OF Matt Baechle,South Burlington, Sr.
OF Nick Lynch, Lamoille Union (Hyde Park), Sr.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mike Morgan, St. John Vianney (Holmdel)

Morgan led his team to the Non-Public A state championship. St. John Vianney finished No. 1 in the Star-Ledger's final New Jersey team rankings. 

FIRST TEAM

OF Anthony Brocato(PLAYER OF THE YEAR), Rutgers Prep (Somerset), Sr.
St. John’s signee was an All-USA baseball team selection. He hit .618 with 35 RBI and 10 home runs in 68 at-bats.

P Denny Brady,Buena, Jr.
The East Carolina commit went 10-0 with a .0.34 ERA and 106 strikeouts. He pitched a four-hitter as Buena won its first state title.

P Joe Gatto, St. Augustine Prep (Richland), Sr. 
Gatto, whose fastball has reached 94 mph, was 7-1 with a 0.94 ERA. He was selected by the Angels in the second round of this year's MLB draft.

C Isaias Quiroz, St. Joseph Regional (Montvale), Sr.
Quiroz was selected in the 20th round of this year's draft by the Rangers.

1B Joe Rotelli,St. John Vianney (Holmdel), Sr. 
otelli came up big for his team on the way to a state title, hitting .536 with 44 hits and 36 RBI.

2B Josh Shimp,Pennsville, Sr. 
Shimp put up a .608 batting average and set Pennsville's single-season record for doubles (19) and RBI (57). Also had 10 home runs and 14 stolen bases.

SS Tom Flacco, Eastern (Vorhees), Sr.

Flacco batted .506 with eight doubles, six triples and 30 RBI. He was taken in the 32nd round of this year's draft by the Phillies.

3B Kyle Walker, Pingry, Sr.
The three-sport captain (also played football and hockey) became the first player in school history with 100 career hits.

OF Kyle Stinson, Highland Regional (Blackwood), Sr.

Stinson batted .525 with nine doubles, six triples and two home runs. Stole 45 bases on 46 attempts.

OF Nick Brown, Bishop Eustace (Pennsauken Township), Sr. 

He Maryland commit averaged .413 while hitting 11 home runs and 35 RBI.

SECOND TEAM

P John Murphy, Gloucester Catholic, Jr.
P Devin Smeltzer, Bishop Eustace (Pennsauken Township), Sr.

C Adam Rapp,Northern Burlington, Jr.
1B Zach Attianese,Old Bridge (Matawan), So.
2B Al Molina,Red Bank Catholic, Sr.
SS T.J. Ward, St. Peters Prep (Jersey City), Sr.
3B Luis Amaro,Roselle Park, Sr.
OF Tommy Trotter,Cranford, Sr.
OF Shane Woelfel,Mahwah, Sr.
OF Mark Venice,Seton Hall Prep (West Orange), Sr.

COACH OF THE YEAR 

Chris McCardle, Oak Grove
McCardle led Oak Grove to the Class 6A state championship, the 10th baseball title in school history.

FIRST TEAM

OF Clay Casey, (PLAYER OF THE YEAR), DeSoto Central (Southaven), 6-2, Sr.
Casey hit 14 home runs and knocked in 47 runs while hitting .464.

P Will Stokes, West Lauderdale (Collinsville), 5-10, Sr.
Stokes finished 9-1 with a 0.70 ERA. He had 106 strikeouts.

P Justin Steele, George County (Lucedale), 6-1, Sr.
Steele, drafted in the fifth round by the Cubs, tossed two no-hitters and had a 0.98 ERA.

C Blake Anderson, West Lauderdale (Collinsville), 6-3, Sr.
Anderson hit .438 with eight home runs and 40 RBI, helping West Lauderdale to the 4A state title.

1B Bobby Bradley, Harrison Central (Gulfport), 6-1, Sr.
Bradley hit .340 with six home runs and walked 29 times.

2B Austin Riley, DeSoto Central (Southaven), 6-3, Jr.
Riley hit .465 with nine home runs.

SS Ti’Quan Forbes, Columbia, 6-3, Sr.
Forbes batted .427 with three home runs and 27 RBI. He was selected in the second round by the Rangers.

3B Daniel Keating, Gulfport, 6-3, Sr.
Keating hit .370 and scored 31 runs in 31 games.

OF Rudy Martin, Lewisburg (Olive Branch), 5-7, Sr.
Martin hit .385 and stole 35 bases while leading Patriots to a 21-8 season.

OF Kirk McCarty,Oak Grove (Hattiesburg), 6-0, Sr.
McCarty had a .543 on-base percentage and helped his team to the Class 6A title.

SECOND TEAM

P Taylor Stafford,New Hope (Columbus), 5-9, Sr.
P Konnor Pilkington, East Central (Moss Point), Jr.
C Bobby Bradley,Harrison Central (Gulfport), 6-2, Sr.
1B Taylor Braley,Oak Grove (Hattiesburg), 6-0, Sr.
2B Jamell Newson, Magnolia Heights (Senatobia), 5-9, Sr.
SS Will Golsan, New Hope (Columbus), 6-0, Sr.
3B Gage Teer, Brandon, 6-1, Sr.
OF Peyton Joe, Ridgeland, 5-8, Jr.
OF Kyle Smith,Petal, 5-11, Sr.
OF Jake Mangum,Jackson Prep, 5-11, Sr.

COACH OF THE YEAR

John Carver (Dover)
Named the NHIAA Division I Coach of the Year after guiding Dover to a first-place finish during the regular season and the No. 1 seed for the Division I tournament.

FIRST TEAM

P Rob Del Signore(PLAYER OF THE YEAR), Londonderry, Sr.
Del Signore, New Hampshire’s Gatorade Player of the Year, went 6-2 with a 0.44 ERA. He struck out 117 and walked 18 in 64 innings.

P Cam LaFleur, Hollis Brookline (Hollis), Sr.
LaFleur went 5-1 with a 0.33 ERA. He struck out 96 and walked seven in 43 innings.

C Mickey Gasper, Merrimack, Sr.
One of the best defensive catchers in the state, Gasper also had a .326 batting average, a .537 on-base percentage and seven stolen bases.

1B Alex Parenteau,Keene, Sr.
Finished his senior season with a .404 batting average, a .528 on-base percentage and a .702 slugging percentage.

2B Christian Bourgea,Campbell (Litchfield), Sr.
Bourgea hit .537 with five home runs and 25 RBI. Can play either middle-infield position.

SS Ben Bengtson,Concord, Sr.
Hit .526 with a .630 on-base percentage, and stole 12 bases on 18 games. Will play college baseball at the University of Hartford.

3B Tyler Perron,Goffstown, Sr.
Hit .357 with two home runs and 30 RBI in 22 games.

OF Nick Angelini,Bedford, Jr.
Hit .385 with 29 hits (10 for extra bases) in 21 games. Angelini was also the team’s closer.

OF Ryan McKenna,St. Thomas Aquinas (Dover), Jr.
Hit .551 with eight home runs and 31 RBI in 17 games. Accepted a scholarship from Division I Liberty as a sophomore.

OF Tanner Putnam, Goffstown, Jr.
Batted .315 with 14 RBI and scored 28 runs in 22 games to help Goffstown win the Division II title. Also stole 10 bases and went 7-1 on the mound.

SECOND TEAM

P Ivan Clough,ConVal (Peterborough), Sr.
P Chris Gerossie, Pinkerton Academy (Derry), Sr.
C Nate Rossi,Pinkerton Academy (Derry), Sr.
1B Anthony Lupi,Dover, Sr.
2B Brett Evangelista, Londonderry, Sr.
SS Brendan Carter, Merrimack, Jr.
3B Josh Gagne, Spaulding (Rochester), Jr.
OF Carmen Giampetruzzi,Trinity (Manchester), Sr.
OF Tyler Brown, Alvirne (Hudson), Sr.
OF Collin Sullivan, Plymouth Regional, Sr.

COACH OF THE YEAR 

Brad Klingbeil, North Royalton
After serving as an assistant coach for 10 seasons under two different leaders, Klingbeil led the Bears to their first state tournament appearance in his first season as head coach.

FIRST TEAM

P Cameron Varga (PLAYER OF THE YEAR), Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, 6-4, Sr.
The Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year threw his fifth no-hitter of the season in the state semifinals. Selected by the Rays in the second round (he later signed), Varga set a national record this season by striking out 33 consecutive batters.

P Frank Frate, North Royalton, 6-4, Sr.
The All-Northeast Ohio Conference River Division selection posted a 9-0 record. He pitched six scoreless innings in the team’s state tournament semifinal win.

C Dalton Bollinger, Riverside (De Graff), 6-1, Sr.
The two-time Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Division IV First-Team All-Ohio selection finished his prep career on the top 20 list for hits and batting average in Ohio high school baseball history.

1B Jarod Yoakam, Marysville, 6-2, Sr.
Yoakam batted .397 with 30 RBI and eight doubles. The University of Cincinnati signee helped the Monarchs post a 19-9 overall record.

2B Drew Otten, Coldwater, 5-7, Sr.
The Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Division III First-Team All-Ohio selection went 4-for-4 and tallied one RBI and scored two runs in the team’s Division III regional final win.

SS Ryan Luciano, Memorial (Campbell), 5-8, Jr.
The All-American Conference first-team selection batted .403 this season. A contact hitter, Luciano only struck out five times the entire season.

3B Joe Weisenseel, St. Edward (Lakewood), 5-6, So.
Weisenseel batted .383 and recorded a .475 on-base percentage in 24 games. The underclassman recorded 27 runs and 13 RBI.

OF Jeff Paul, St. Henry, 6-3, Sr.
The Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year posted a .419 batting average while tallying 37 RBI and 26 runs.

OF Josh Tarter, Carlisle, 6-0, Sr.
The Southwestern Buckeye League MVP batted .515 and posted a .609 on-base percentage. He scored 31 runs and tallied 36 RBI.

OF Peyton Brown, Anthony Wayne (Whitehouse), 6-1, Jr.
As the team’s leadoff hitter, Brown batted .410 and posted a .510 on-base percentage. The junior served as the catalyst for the Generals this season.

SECOND TEAM

P Mike Martin, Independence, 6-0, Sr.
P Jeremy Randolph, Miamisburg, 5-11, Sr.
C Jared Bailey, Crestwood (Mantua), 5-11, Jr.
1B Evan White, Lincoln (Gahanna), 6-3, Sr.
2B Colton Nealeigh, Greenville, 6-2, Sr.
SS Blaze Glenn,Toronto, 5-10, So.
3B Tyler Gullett, Keystone (LaGrange), 6-2, Sr.
OF Tavin Howard, Briggs (Columbus), 6-0, Sr.
OF Jack Schaaf, Springboro, 6-2, Sr.
OF Nick Fabian, St. Ignatius (Cleveland), 6-2, Sr.

Allen (Texas) quarterback Kyler Murray. / Jim Horn

The 2014 Preseason American Family Insurance All-USA Football Team was selected by USA TODAY Sports’ Jim Halley. All statistics are from last season. All of the players on the team are seniors, except for five juniors, who are noted by an asterisk.

OFFENSE

Alize Jones, TE, 6-4, 220
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

UCLA commit caught 35 passes for 571 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Jalin Barnett, OL, 6-5, 313
Lawton, Okla.

Undecided recruit recently cut his list of favorite schools to Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Chuma Edoga, OL, 6-5, 280
McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)

Southern California commit grew up as a soccer player. Helped lead team to state semifinals.

Mitch Hyatt, OL, 6-5, 275
North Gwinnett (Suwanee, Ga.)

Clemson commit is the lone returning starter on North Gwinnett’s offensive line. His athleticism comes in handy in team’s no-huddle offense.

Martez Ivey, OL, 6-5, 285
Apopka, Fla.

Undecided recruit can overpower most defenders and has quick enough feet to pass block well.

Javon Patterson, OL, 6-2, 313
Petal, Miss.

Undecided recruit intends to graduate early. Despite his weight, he runs a 5.06-second 40-yard dash and has a vertical leap of 24 inches.

Maea Teuhema, OL, 6-6, 337
Keller, Texas

LSU commit is the brother of LSU freshman defensive tackle Sione Teuhema.

Taj Griffin, RB, 5-11, 178
McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)

Oregon commit ran for 1,253 yards and 13 touchdowns and had more than 1,500 all-purpose yards in a season shortened by injury. Runs a sub-4.4-second 40-yard dash.

Damien Harris, RB, 5-11, 200
Madison Southern (Berea, Ky.)

Undecided recruit ran for 2,621 yards and 42 touchdowns.

JaMycal Hasty, RB, 5-8, 185
Longview, Texas

Speedy Baylor commit missed two games but ran for 1,413 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 12 passes for 255 yards.

Soso Jamabo, RB, 6-2, 191
Plano (Texas) West

Undecided recruit averaged just shy of 9 yards a carry while rushing for 10 touchdowns and 1,077 yards. He’s also an elite basketball recruit.

Jacques Patrick, RB, 6-2, 210
Timber Creek (Orlando)

Undecided recruit ran 231 times for 2,153 yards (9.3 yards a carry) and 30 touchdowns.

Larry Scott, RB, 6-1, 218
Hubbard, Ohio

Michigan State commit ran for 1,867 yards and 24 touchdowns on 218 carries (8.6 yards a carry).

*Kareem Walker, RB, 6-1, 197
DePaul Catholic (Wayne, N.J.)

As a sophomore, he ran for 12 touchdowns and 1,169 yards, averaging more than 10 yards a carry.

Jake Browning, QB, 6-2, 185
Folsom, Calif.

Washington commit threw for 5,737 yards and a state-record 75 touchdowns.

Kyler Murray, QB, 5-10, 180
Allen, Texas

Texas A&M commit is 27-0 as a starter. He threw for 3,669 yards and 46 touchdowns and ran for 1,274 yards and 19 TDs.

Josh Rosen, QB, 6-4, 190 
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.)

UCLA commit threw for 3,200 yards and 39 touchdowns and ran for 416 yards and eight TDs to lead team to state Open Bowl championship.

Cordell Broadus, WR, 6-2, 185
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas)

Undecided recruit, son of rapper Snoop Dogg, caught 60 passes for 685 yards and eight touchdowns.

George Campbell, WR, 6-4, 190
East Lake (Tarpon Springs, Fla.)

Undecided recruit is a two-way player who caught 31 passes for 769 yards and seven touchdowns.

*Nate Craig, WR, 6-3, 205
Tampa Catholic

As a sophomore, Auburn commit caught 37 passes for 502 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Christian Kirk, WR, 5-10, 190
Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

Undecided recruit had 65 catches for 1,183 yards and 17 touchdowns and ran for 832 yards and 13 TDs.

DaMarkus Lodge, WR, 6-2, 185
Cedar Hill, Texas

Texas A&M commit caught 72 passes for 1,255 yards and 22 touchdowns, leading team to state title.

Da’Vante Phillips, WR, 6-1, 190
Miami Central

Undecided recruit caught 47 passes for 872 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead team to state title.

Calvin Ridley, WR, 6-0, 170 
Monarch (Coconut Creek, Fla.)

Alabama commit caught 41 passes for 1,131 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Justin Yoon, K, 5-11, 185
Milton (Mass.) Academy

Notre Dame commit made nine of 13 field goal attempts, including three of 40 or more yards, and 38 of 39 extra-point attempts. Less than 20% of his kickoffs were returned.

DEFENSE

Terry Beckner Jr., DE, 6-4, 260
East St. Louis, Ill.

Undecided recruit had 123 tackles, including eight sacks.

Byron Cowart, DE, 6-4, 250
Armwood (Seffner, Fla.)

Undecided recruit had 72 tackles, including 13 sacks, and two fumble returns for touchdowns.

CeCe Jefferson, DE, 6-3, 275
Baker County (Glen St. Mary, Fla.)

Undecided recruit had 68 tackles and 171/2 sacks.

Josh Sweat, DE, 6-5, 240
Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)

Undecided recruit had 94 tackles and 22 sacks. Very athletic with a 4.59-
second 40 and 331/2-inch vertical leap.

*Rashan Gary, DT, 6-4, 290
Paramus (N.J.) Catholic

As a sophomore, he had 58 tackles (13 for loss), two sacks and four forced fumbles.

Albert Huggins, DT, 6-4, 280
Orangeburg-Wilkinson (Orangeburg, S.C.)

Undecided recruit had 65 tackles, including 11 sacks, and four forced fumbles.

Daylon Mack, DT, 6-2, 297 
Gladewater, Texas

Texas A&M commit had 61 tackles, including 18 for loss, with two sacks and four forced fumbles.

Kahlil McKenzie, DT, 6-4, 341
Clayton Valley (Concord, Calif.)

Tennessee commit, son of former NFL player Reggie McKenzie, had 74 tackles and 12 sacks.

Adam McLean, DT, 6-1, 282
Quince Orchard (Gaithersburg, Md.)

Penn State commit had 47 tackles, including 10 for loss, with seven sacks.

Daron Payne, DT, 6-3, 300
Shades Valley (Birmingham, Ala.)

Undecided recruit had 65 tackles — 16 for loss, including three sacks — and can bench press 445 pounds.

Tim Settle, DT, 6-2, 295
Stonewall Jackson (Manassas, Va.)

Undecided recruit had 92 tackles, 37 for loss, and three forced fumbles.

Trenton Thompson, DT, 6-4, 280
Westover (Albany, Ga.)

Georgia commit had 83 tackles, including 38 for loss, with 12 sacks.

Justin Hilliard, LB, 6-2, 216
St.Xavier (Cincinnati)

Ohio State commit had 76 tackles, with seven for loss, and one interception in seven games.

Jeffery Holland, LB, 6-2, 220
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville)

Undecided recruit had 48 tackles, including 171/2 for loss, and 111/2 sacks.

Malik Jefferson, LB, 6-3, 222
Poteet (Mesquite, Texas)

Undecided recruit had 93 tackles and 14 sacks last season.

*Keion Joyner, LB, 6-3, 200
Havelock, N.C.

As a sophomore, he had 108 tackles, including 19 for loss, with two interceptions and seven forced fumbles.

Leo Lewis, LB, 6-3, 228
Brookhaven, Miss.

Alabama commit had 100 tackles, with 71 solo tackles and five sacks.

*Lyndell Wilson, LB, 6-2, 216
Carver (Montgomery, Ala.)

As a sophomore, he had 61 tackles with seven sacks.

Shaun Crawford, DB, 5-10, 175
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)

Notre Dame commit had 82 tackles, including eight for loss, and two interceptions. Scored 10 touchdowns as a wide receiver.

Minkah Fitzpatrick, DB, 6-0, 183
St. Peter’s Prep (Jersey City)

Alabama commit had 83 tackles, including 38 for loss, and 12 sacks.

Kevin Henry, DB, 6-1, 200
Central (Baton Rouge)

LSU commit had 47 tackles, including six for loss, with two interceptions.

Iman Marshall, DB, 6-1, 175 
Poly (Long Beach)

Undecided recruit had 64 tackles and didn’t allow a completion in six league games.

Kendall Sheffield, DB, 5-11, 181
Marshall (Missouri City, Texas)

Undecided recruit had 39 tackles and three interceptions.

Kevin Toliver II, DB, 6-2, 180
Trinity Christian (Jacksonville)

LSU commit had 36 tackles and two interceptions. Uses his size well against receivers and is not afraid to be physical. Also plays quarterback.

Joseph Charlton, P, 6-5, 180
A.C. Flora (Columbia, S.C.)

South Carolina commit averaged more than 45 yards a punt with a hang time of 5.3 seconds.

COACH OF THE YEAR 

Chris McCardle, Oak Grove
McCardle led Oak Grove to the Class 6A state championship, the 10th baseball title in school history.

FIRST TEAM

OF Clay Casey, (PLAYER OF THE YEAR), DeSoto Central (Southaven), 6-2, Sr.
Casey hit 14 home runs and knocked in 47 runs while hitting .464.

P Will Stokes, West Lauderdale (Collinsville), 5-10, Sr.
Stokes finished 9-1 with a 0.70 ERA. He had 106 strikeouts.

P Justin Steele, George County (Lucedale), 6-1, Sr.
Steele, drafted in the fifth round by the Cubs, tossed two no-hitters and had a 0.98 ERA.

C Blake Anderson, West Lauderdale (Collinsville), 6-3, Sr.
Anderson hit .438 with eight home runs and 40 RBI, helping West Lauderdale to the 4A state title.

1B Bobby Bradley, Harrison Central (Gulfport), 6-1, Sr.
Bradley hit .340 with six home runs and walked 29 times.

2B Austin Riley, DeSoto Central (Southaven), 6-3, Jr.
Riley hit .465 with nine home runs.

SS Ti’Quan Forbes, Columbia, 6-3, Sr.
Forbes batted .427 with three home runs and 27 RBI. He was selected in the second round by the Rangers.

3B Daniel Keating, Gulfport, 6-3, Sr.
Keating hit .370 and scored 31 runs in 31 games.

OF Rudy Martin, Lewisburg (Olive Branch), 5-7, Sr.
Martin hit .385 and stole 35 bases while leading Patriots to a 21-8 season.

OF Kirk McCarty,Oak Grove (Hattiesburg), 6-0, Sr.
McCarty had a .543 on-base percentage and helped his team to the Class 6A title.

SECOND TEAM

P Taylor Stafford,New Hope (Columbus), 5-9, Sr.
P Konnor Pilkington, East Central (Moss Point), Jr.
C Bobby Bradley,Harrison Central (Gulfport), 6-2, Sr.
1B Taylor Braley,Oak Grove (Hattiesburg), 6-0, Sr.
2B Jamell Newson, Magnolia Heights (Senatobia), 5-9, Sr.
SS Will Golsan, New Hope (Columbus), 6-0, Sr.
3B Gage Teer, Brandon, 6-1, Sr.
OF Peyton Joe, Ridgeland, 5-8, Jr.
OF Kyle Smith,Petal, 5-11, Sr.
OF Jake Mangum,Jackson Prep, 5-11, Sr.

Lee’s Summit West running back Brenner Clemons (10) had four touchdown runs, one touchdown pass and one touchdown reception in his team’s 44-14 defeat of Liberty on Friday. Photo by John Lawrence, Lee’s Summit Journal

Lee’s Summit West (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) football coach Royce Boehm isn’t sure why the list of colleges looking at Brenner Clemons is somewhat limited, but said he expects that to change after Clemons scored six touchdowns in a 44-14 defeat of Liberty on Friday night.

Playing quarterback out of the team’s wildcat package, Clemons ran for four touchdowns. He also had a 50-yard touchdown reception and threw a 90-yard touchdown pass.

“Because of Friday night’s performance, I’ve had schools calling me,” Boehm said. “They’re asking, ‘Who is this kid?’ He’s was a big part of last year’s team that won the state championship.”

Boehm even sent video of the game to Missouri associate head coach Andy Hill.

VIDEO: Clemons’ 2013 highlights

“I told him to look at the film and tell me if I should stop pushing for Brenner to be a Division I player.”

There’s little question in Liberty football coach Chad Frigon’s mind.

“He’s just a big, strong kid who is very fast,” Frigon said. “He scored on us in a variety of different ways. He passes some too. He’s very athletic and definitely a (future) college player.”

Clemons said a bone spur in his shoulder that necessitated offseason surgery may have been a blessing in disguise as all the time he spent in rehab has left him stronger than he was last season.

“I’ve never scored six touchdowns in a game before,” he said. “The most before that I think was three. I think that’s the best I’ve felt on a football field.  I didn’t play baseball last spring because of the injury and now I’m the strongest I’ve ever been. I’ve had some looks from the Big 12, KU, Iowa State, Wyoming, Tulsa and Northern Illinois, Missouri and Air Force. But other than that, most of the interest has come from Missouri Valley schools.”

Boehm said he tells college coaches that Clemons is an athlete who could help a team in a variety of ways.

MORE: USA TODAY Super 25 football rankings

“I’ve mostly heard at receiver, but some schools see me as an outside linebacker or free safety,” Clemons said. “I’ve had a few that said H Back.”

Clemons leads our list of American Family Insurance ALL-USA Performances of the Week. The rest of the list:

Maurice Alexander, QB, Booker T. Washington, Miami

Senior, who transferred this year from Homestead, threw for 365 yards and five touchdowns in a 57-21 win at then-No. 27 Oscar C. Smith (Chesapeake) on Saturday.

“I think he did a good job,” said BTW coach Tim Harris Jr. “Our game plan was to help him get easy looks from the passing situation and make sure he got the ball out of his hand. We look forward to opening up our offense even more to him. To have a game like he did while he’s still learning our offense is something.”

Jacob Clay, RB, Brentwood, Mo.

Junior ran 12 times for 364 yards and five touchdowns in a 43-8 defeat of Crystal City on Friday.

Malik Dear, RB, Murrah, Jackson, Miss.

Senior ran for three touchdowns on just four carries in a 50-6 defeat of Hazelhurst on Friday.

Peyton Gauthier, QB, University Academy, Alexandria, La.

Junior threw for 326 yards and five touchdowns in a 62-36 defeat of Trinity Episcopal (Natchez, Miss.) on Friday.

Torrance Gibson, QB, American Heritage, Plantation, Fla.

The 6-4, 200-pound senior threw five touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown in a 49-23 preseason defeat of Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) on Sunday.

Brandon Lewis, RB, Fultondale (Birmingham, Ala.)

Senior ran for 203 yards and four TDs on just 16 carries and caught a TD pass in a 52-31 defeat of Tarrant (Birmingham) on Friday.

Kobe Rogers, RB, Scotts Hill, Reagan, Tenn.

Sophomore running back ran for five touchdowns in a 39-12 defeat of Perry County (Linden) on Friday.

Charles Salary, RB, LaPorte, Ind.

Senior ran for 335 yards and six touchdowns in a 56-42 defeat of New Prairie (New Carlisle) on Friday.

Austin Smith, LB, Buford, Ga.

Senior had nine tackles, including three for losses, in a 17-0 defeat of Trinity Christian (Jacksonville).

Beau Trudeau, QB, Pike, Indianapolis

Senior completed 16 of 20 passes for 305 yards and six touchdowns in a 59-19 defeat of Brownsburg on Friday.

John Urzua, QB, North Gwinnett, Suwanee, Ga.

The 6-3, 180-pound senior completed 38 of 48 passes for 490 yards and seven touchdown passes, including a game-winning 9-yard throw to Kyle Knudsen with nine seconds left in a 52-49 defeat of then-No. 15 McEachern (Powder Springs) on Saturday.