USA TODAY High School Sports is naming the 2018-19 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Coach of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, First and Second Team Offense and First and Second Team Defense for football, with the ALL-USA State teams to follow next week.
We begin with ALL-USA Coach of the Year, Randy Trivers.
OFFENSE: First Team | Second Team
OFFENSIVE POY: DJ Uiagalelei, St. John Bosco
DEFENSE: First Team | Second Team
DEFENSIVE POY: Kayvon Thibodeaux
COACH PROFILE
Randy Trivers
School: Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 9-3
Super 25 Rank: 18
Thrown into an absolute gauntlet to end the season, Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.) easily could have fallen apart.
But Randy Trivers coached his team through tight losses in the regular season and a pair of wins in the playoffs to avenge two defeats. In winning their first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title since 2002, Trivers has been named the ALL-USA Football Coach of the Year.
After a six-game winning streak to open the season, Gonzaga lost by a touchdown to Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.).
The next week, Gonzaga fell to DeMatha in triple overtime. It would be a prequel to an exhilarating matchup later in the season. Gonzaga rebounded with a win the following week before falling to D.C. powerhouse St. John’s.
The Eagles got into the playoffs with a 6-3 record, but would need to rebound against two teams that beat them in the regular season.
Trivers coached his team through No. 5 St. John’s, coming away with a 24-14 victory before fighting the opponent that took the Eagles to triple overtime earlier in the season.
DeMatha had won three championships over the last four seasons and looked to be on its way to a fourth.
But Gonzaga scored 25 points in the fourth quarter — three touchdowns coming in the final 3:03 — and didn’t fret when DeMatha took a three-point lead with 29 seconds to play. A 60-yard Hail Mary touchdown capped the game.
In avenging a pair of losses as the underdogs, Gonzaga took home the trophy for the first time in 16 years.
In coaching the Eagles through the trials and to the gold, Trivers takes home the 2018-19 ALL-USA Coach of the Year award.
FINALISTS: ALL-USA Football Coach of the Year
PRESEASON: ALL-USA Preseason Offensive Football Team
LOOKBACK: 2017-18 ALL-USA Offensive Football Team