Sun All-State Football Offense Team

Sun Staff Report

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2004 | 9:27 a.m.

Sun Staff Report

Noteworthy: Proof that size and statistics are not the only measures of a quarterback ... selected to the All-Southern Nevada first team ... unquestioned leader of Basic program who came back from a season-ending knee injury as a junior to lead Wolves to near-upset of state finalist Las Vegas in playoffs ... passed for 1,840 yards with 22 touchdowns ... also ran for 543 yards and four scores ... passed for 240 yards and four TD, and ran for 136 yards and a TD against in 40-34 playoff loss to Las Vegas.

Said Wolves coach Cliff Frazier: "There's so many positives to him. It's really hard to point out one. He had leadership ability, but he was not a real rah-rah type of guy. He got into that Vegas game, and you see a kid bent on winning a game. He's a warrior."

Noteworthy: Regarded in the preseason as the city's best tailback and lived up to the hype throughout the season ... shifty runner with breakaway speed ... strong playoff performances keyed Cheyenne's second consecutive run to Sunset Region championship game ... compiled nearly 2,000 yards on the ground ... scored 28 touchdowns ... All-Southern Nevada first team selection ... college interest from Oregon, Oregon State and Mississippi State.

Said Desert Shields coach Dave Snyder: "He was a leader on and off the field. He's very mature and he handled himself very well. He helped the kids stay focused throughout the season. On the field, his actions pretty much talk for themselves. He was the heart and soul of our offense."

Noteworthy: Easily the breakout player of the year in Nevada ... saw spot duty as a freshman, then became full-time starter as a sophomore ... great vision and incredible burst through the hole, with breakaway speed to finish the job ... rushed for 1,764 yards and 25 touchdowns to earn Southern Nevada Offensive Player of the Year honors ... missed Wildcats' run to 4A State Championship game after breaking his wrist in waning minutes of regular season finale.

Said Wildcats coach Kris Cinkovich: "He came on like a gunshot in that second game. He brough us that burst that we wanted. People knew he was pretty good, but he stunned people with how good he was, including us."

Noteworthy: The main recipient of Luke Rippee's passes, McIntosh proved to be one of the North's best targets ... second consecutive selection to All-Northern Region first team at wide receiver ... three-year starter for Douglas ... totaled 50 receptions for 884 yards ... also caught eight scoring passes ... displayed strong ability to create plays after the catch, evidenced by 17.6 yards per reception average.

Said Tigers coach Mike Rippee: "Andy obviously had a really great year. It's what he did after the catch that was really great."

Noteworthy: Definitely the best receiver in the top passing-based offense in southern Nevada ... strong body made him an impossible matchup for most cornerbacks ... first-team wideout on All-Southern Nevada unit ... caught 26 passes for 491 yards and nine touchdowns ... averaged 18.9 yards per catch ... also rushed 46 for 268 yards and four touchdowns ... will likely see time at quarterback as a senior.

Said Wolves coach Cliff Frazier: "With his size and ability to catch, we knew we'd get some great matchups in our favor. A.J. was obviously (Chris') best receiver."

Noteworthy: A force both at tight end and on the defensive line for the 4A state champion Huskies ... at 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, impossible to match up with in the passing game ... totaled 30 catches and averaged 24.5 yards per reception ... also caught five touchdowns ... his long-yardage reception in state championship against Las Vegas turned around the game ... has received scholarship offers from Fresno State and Arizona State.

Said Huskies coach Dan Avansino: "His blocking is as good as any guy I've seen in this area. He was a big-play guy. He was our go-to receiver."

Noteworthy: An anchor of the Tigers' offensive line, which formed the backbone of the North's most explosive scoring attack ... selected the All-Northern Region first team at guard ... undersized at just 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, but agility and tenacity made up for lack of size ... Douglas rushed for more than 2,700 yards as a team and scored 478 points ... Tigers went 11-1, losing only to eventual state champion Reno in Northern title game.

Said Tigers coach Mike Rippee: "Paul was our best offensive lineman. He is just tough, a great run blocker. We move our guards a lot and he just stayed with his block."

Noteworthy: Wildcats are always known for dominant offensive line play, and this year, it started with Plunkett ... stalwart player equally adept at run and pass blocking ... Las Vegas line helped sophomore RB Eric Jordan emerge as a star, then protected sophomore QB Jeremy Craddock during playoffs after Jordan and starting QB Chris Gifford were injured ... Wildcats made second 4A title game appearance in three years, losing only that final contest to go 12-1 ... All-South first teamer.

Said Wildcats coach Kris Cinkovich: "He was a part-time starter last year and he worked on growing into that big puppy-dog body. He couldn't even step out of his own way as a freshman. He's done well and worked hard. He's getting a lot of recruiting attention."

Noteworthy: For two years in a row, one of the top offensive linemen in northern Nevada ... second consecutive selection as Lineman of the Year in 3A ... played both offensive and defensive line for Miners' juggernaut state title squad ... Manogue had a first-team All-3A quarterback and running back behind this line ... verbal commitment to play college football at Fresno State.

Said Miners coach Joe Sellers: "He was a captain and a really dominant player on both sides of the ball for the last two years."

Noteworthy: Another important cog on the most dominant offensive line in the state ... a fireplug with unlimited strength ... a state record holder in the bench press at 370 pounds ... Wildcats' line first sent sophomore Eric Jordan to prominence, then rose up in playoffs to protect inexperienced QB Jeremy Craddock and RB Jamal Lomax ... Las Vegas made it to at least the Sunrise Region title game for third consecutive season.

Said Wildcats coach Kris Cinkovich: "He led us in knockdowns and that was no small feat this year. He was our strong-side guard and we did run the ball there most of the time."

Noteworthy: A stud on both sides of the line for Reno, the Cinderella story of the playoffs ... two-way starter in both junior and senior year ... strong blocking on offensive line helped establish dominant Huskies running attack in postseason ... running back Conor Martin averaged nearly 200 yards per game in playoffs behind Bingham and Reno line ... will play college football at Boise State.

Said Huskies coach Dan Avansino: "He's just a motor guy, and he really knows how to use his body. He is really quick both offensively and defensively."

Noteworthy: Unusually tall kicker at 6-foot-4, but a huge leg that could send him to college ... easy choice for All-Southern Nevada first team ... missed only one extra point all season ... converted five field goals, with a long of 40 yards ... leg strength good to 50 yards ... also a starter on the Bonanza basketball team.

Said Bengals coach Johnny Macon: "He's a very strong guy, he's solid. He's a good guy, an all-around good kid."

Noteworthy: A standout in all three phases of the game for the Panthers ... recognized by local coaches for his work at cornerback with selection as Southern Nevada Defensive Player of the Year ... recorded five interceptions and eight pass breakups ... important cog in Panthers' double-wing offense, rushing for 998 yards and 15 scores ... also returned a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns to key victories ... suffered knee injury in regular season finale and missed Palo Verde's second consecutive trip to 4A State Semifinals.

Said Panthers coach Darwin Rost: "He carried our team the whole year. He was a team leader. The best thing he did for us was his leadership. He had to fill the shoes of (former All-State selection) Gerard Lawson."