Published: December 05, 2006 02:59 pm      

Rusk dominates all-district team

Mahaffey, Sturns, Attaway honored

Rusk players dominate All-District list



By Don Wallace

sports@jacksonvilleprogress.com



The Rusk Eagles grid standouts were honored in the recently released District 21-3A football team.

The team was chosen by coaches in the district and based on the 10 regular season games.

Rusk finished the year with an 8-4 mark - losing to Waco LaVega in the playoffs, 42-21. The Eagles scored a thrilling overtime win over Madisonville, 63-56 in the opening round of postseason play.

Rusk senior quarterback Justin Sturns was selected Co-MVP of the district along with Gilbert Moye of Diboll.

Sturns, a left-handed 5-foot-11, 205-pound signal caller, in 10 games rushing for 2,75 yards on 250 carries with 37 touchdowns. Sturns also completed 83 of 172 passes for 1,089 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions.

For his career, Sturns has rushed for 6,632 yards and 97 touchdowns in three years with the Eagles. Sturns started on defense as a freshman and did not move to offense until his sophomore year, starting originally as a receiver.

“Sturns set several school records, he is the all-time leading rusher,” Rusk head footballcoach Wayne Mahaffey said. “He is also is No. 21 of all-time rushers in the state and No. 4 in the history of Class 3A.”

Mahaffey continued, “It is staggering what Justin accomplished, really in three years. He averaged about 2,200 yards per year and eight yards a carry.”

Rusk senior linebacker Gerald Attaway was named the Defensive MVP. Attaway, a 5-foot-8, 190-pounder, led the team in tackles with 89 along with 45 assists. Attaway had 22 tackles for losses, 16 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, one pass deflection and six quarterback sacks.

“Attaway was a standout player for us,” Mahaffey said. “We are losing several seniors who were very big parts of our recent success. We are really going to miss guys like him.”

Mahaffe,y along with Crockett coach, Steven Burrow and Diboll’s Gary Martel were named Co-Coaches of the Year. Rusk finished tied for first place with Crockett in the district.

Other superlatives in the district were Offensive MVP, Dustin Wyble, senior quarterback, Crockett; Newcomer of the Year, Trenton Patton, sophomore linebacker, full back, Center; kicker, David Ariviza, junior, Crockett; punter, Kyle Prescott, junior, Diboll.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

Kenny Trotter, lineman, Rusk, junior.

Matthew Davis, lineman, Rusk, junior.

Chris Walley, lineman, Rusk, senior.

Gary Tatum, running back, Carthage, junior.

Justin Castleberry, lineman, Carthage, junior.

Tyler Tabor, running back, Crockett, sophomore.

Lederek Creag, lineman, Crockett, senior.

T.C. Henry, wide receiver, Crockett, senior.

Ivan Meza, lineman, Diboll, junior.

Ketaraus Stanton, running back, Diboll, junior.

Bodrick Hubbard, wide receiver, Center, senior.

Todd Lowery, quarterback, Huntington.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE Kyle Garner, lineman, Rusk, senior.

Jared Colville, back, Rusk, junior.

Quinn Anthony, lineman, Rusk, sophomore.

Rodney Chadwick, linebacker, Carthage, junior.

Byron Kirkling, lineman, Carthage, junior.

Casey Pinner, lineman, Huntington, senior.

Mark Leediker, linebacker, Crockett, sophomore.

Tracy Cooper, back, Crockett, junior.

Lee Martinez, lineman, Crockett, junior.

Creighton Jones, linebacker, Crockett, junior.

Victor Arreola, lineman, Diboll, senior.

Draylen Fussell, linebacker, Diboll, senior.

Courtney Tillman, back, Diboll, senior.

Edwin Simon, back, Diboll, senior.

Jesse Riley, back, Center, senior.

Jesse Teske, lineman, Center, senior.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE

Bobby McDuff, wide receiver, Rusk, junior.

J.J. Session, wide receiver, Rusk, junior.

Winston Ives, lineman, Diboll, senior.

Chance Johnson, lineman, Diboll, junior.

Cutler Ruby, tight end, Diboll, junior.

Dodrick Creag, lineman, Crockett, senior.

Willie Carter, wide receiver, Crockett, senior.

Alan Walls, lineman, Carthage, junior.

Justin Myers, running back, Carthage, junior.

Coburn Hines, lineman, Huntington, senior.

C.J. Plyder, wide receiver, Huntington, junior.

Charles Overton, lineman, Center, senior.

Marcus Bowman, quarterback, Carthage, senior.

Carlos Moreno, wide receiver, Diboll, senior.

Kyle Prescott, running back, Diboll, junior.

Courtney Tillman, running back, Diboll, senior.

Devoyious Mark, wide receiver, Diboll, senior.

Alex Castillo, kicker/wide receiver, Diboll, sophomore.

Phillips Hopkins, lineman, Diboll, senior.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE

Dominique Katon, linebacker, Rusk, senior.

Manny Griffin, linebacker, Rusk, junior.

Horrace Lewis, back, Rusk, junior.

Michael Collin, lineman, Crockett, senior.

Naim Akbar, linebacker, Crockett, junior.

Erick Reddic, back, Crockett, junior.

Ryan Whitworth, lineman, Diboll, junior.

Ralph Villanueva, lineman, Diboll, sophomore.

Kylan Herchman, linebacker, Diboll, senior.

Eddie Edwards, back, Center, junior.

Ronnie Williams, linebacker, Center, junior.

Tysheen Hightower, back, Center, junior.

J.D. Hicks, back, Carthage, junior.

Kendrick Jackson, back, Carthage, junior.

Cody Jones, back, Huntington, senior.

HONORABLE MENTION

Ben Thompson, defensive lineman, Rusk, senior.

Justin Carvell, defensive lineman, Rusk, senior.

Tim Elem, defensive lineman, Crockett, senior.

Henry Lovelady, linebacker, Crockett, senior.

Corey Hicks, wide receiver, Crockett, senior.

Ryan Robinson, wide receiver, Crockett, junior.

Jugared Davis, defensive back, Crockett, sophomore.

Jacob Young, offensive lineman, Crockett, senior.

Blaze Miller, defensive back, Huntington, senior.

Austin Harvey, defensive lineman, Huntington, sophomore.

Delandrick Standley, defensive back, Center, senior.

Nathan Goodwin, defensive back, Center, junior.

Alex Cloudy, defensive back, Center, sophomore.

Joseph White, defensive lineman, Center, senior.

Koen Sykes, defensive lineman, Center, junior.

Ryan Miller, defensive lineman, Center, senior.

Cedric Morris, defensive lineman, Center, senior.

Matt Diverdi, quarterback, Center, senior.

Jeremy Smith, running back, Center, senior.

Danbert Collum, tight end, Center, junior.

Jacob Hughes, offensive lineman, Center, senior.

Daniel Walton, offensive lineman, Center, senior.

Jacob Hudspeth, offensive lineman, Center, senior.

Austin Gray, offensive lineman, Center, junior.

Tristan Patton, running back, Carthage, junior.

Tavares Allison, wide receiver, Carthage, junior.

Matt Murphy, tight end, Carthage, senior.

Jesse Landreneau, utility, Carthage, senior.

Austin Smith, back, Carthage, junior.

Trent Arthur, defensive lineman, Carthage, senior.

Richard Lyle, defensive back, Carthage, junior.

Cody Gibson, linebacker, Carthage, senior.

Torey McLemore, linebacker, Carthage, junior.

Radavian Matlock, linebacker, Carthage, junior.