2017 EndZone Postseason Awards: Defensive POTY & All-EZ Third Team Revealed

MS/AL (WCBI) — For the sixth consecutive year, the sports team at WCBI has compiled its list of the best high school football players from the viewing area in Mississippi and Alabama.

Below are the finalists and winner of the 2017 End Zone Defensive Player of the Year award and our 2017 All-EndZone Third Team.

If we missed a player or you feel as though someone deserves a nomination, you can still message us by e-mailing wcbiendzone@gmail.com!

(Much of our stats and information come from coaches, your nominations and most especially from MaxPreps. We are thankful for those coaches & schools who update their team stats page on MaxPreps as that makes our All-EndZone teams much easier to decipher and choose.)

2017 WCBI END ZONE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Marcus Murphy, West Point High School
– Safe to say that the “Magic Man” was making Bud Bowen up in the press box say “Woohoo Mercy” quite a few times during his final season with the Green Wave.

Murphy led the way as West Point won its second straight 5A State Title and finished off a perfect 15-0 season. Behind a talented and loaded offensive line, Murphy tallied nearly 1,900 yards on the ground and over 1,000 yards through the air and totaled over 30 touchdowns for the Green Wave.

The future Mississippi State Bulldog will go down as one of the most successful athletes to walk the halls at West Point as he had all the hype around him coming up from a legendary 8th grade Green Wave team but Murphy lived up to the hype and he’s our 2017 Offensive Player of the Year!

FINALISTS for 2017 WCBI EndZone Offensive Player of the Year
Taemaus Glass & Chris Smith, Nanih Waiya
Clark Mills, North Pontotoc
Urriah Shephard, Houston
Rashad Eades & Kyziah Pruitt, Noxubee

2017 WCBI END ZONE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jett Johnson, Tupelo High School
(Photo Courtesy: Braden Bishop, Tupelo HS)
– He has been a mainstay on the Tupelo defense for the last three seasons but this year he’s the best of the best.

Tupelo senior Jett Johnson has been one of the most successful linebackers in the last decade and at Tupelo High he’s taken the Golden Wave to new heights in the middle of the defense. With 420 total tackles, 9.5 sacks and 8 interceptions for his career, Jett Johnson showed his abilities and talents during his time with themblankets.

As a senior, Jett won 6A’s Mr. Football and also totaled 146 tackles, 15 of those being for loss to go along with 2 sacks and 3 interceptions. With all of that said, you’d be hard pressed to find a better athlete or linebacker anywhere in the state and that’s why Jett Johnson is our 2017 Defensive Player of the Year!

FINALISTS for 2017 WCBI EndZone Offensive Player of the Year
Zach Edwards, Starkville
Terence Cherry, West Point
Daylen Gill, Louisville
Quentin Wilfawn, Oxford

2017 WCBI END ZONE COACH OF THE YEAR
(Winner Revealed Tuesday, December 12th)

2017 WCBI END ZONE TEAM OF THE YEAR
(Winner Revealed Wednesday, December 13th)

2017 WCBI ALL-ENDZONE FIRST TEAM
(Revealed Monday, December 11th)

2017 WCBI ALL-ENDZONE SECOND TEAM
(Revealed Tuesday, December 12th)

2017 WCBI ALL-ENDZONE THIRD TEAM
QB – Fred Fields, Aberdeen
QB – Deonte Yarbrough, Louisville
QB – Charlie Brand, East Webster
RB – Dajoun Dobbs, Aberdeen
RB – Amerious Brown, Choctaw County
RB – DJ Ringo, Winona
RB – Kenneth Knowles, Louisville
RB – Herachio Washington, South Lamar (AL)
RB – Taylor Arnold, Starkville Academy
RB – Isaac Whittle, Lamar County (AL)
RB – Gabe Harmon & Immanuel Vance, Pontotoc
WR – Rufus Harvey, Starkville
WR – Sirmarcus Evans, Tupelo
WR – Depodray Coburn, Noxapater
WR – Erick Rogers, Shannon
WR – Cooper Adair, TCPS
WR – Jay Lofton, Winona
WR – Isaiah McMillian, Aberdeen
WR – Brett Riley, South Pontotoc
OL – Will Weatherly, North Pontotoc
OL – Teliek Davis, Choctaw County
OL – Hunter Bullard, Kossuth
OL – Cole Morgan, East Webster
OL – Aslan Anthony, TCPS
OL – Jeremy Jenkins, Water Valley
OL – Caleb Warren, Nanih Waiya
OL – Coleman Leech, Smithville
ATH – Kendall Coleman, French Camp
ATH – Kha’Sen Mitchell, Mooreville
ATH – Dylan Scott, Oak Hill Academy
ATH – Elliott Petty, Pickens County (AL)
ATH – Reno Montgomery, New Albany
K/P – Wes Rollins, Caledonia
K/P – Payton Snyder, New Albany

DL – Jamel Banks, West Point
DL – Shia Moore, Nanih Waiya
DL – Jeremiah Ray, Water Valley
DL – Shyron Rodgers, Corinth
DL – Kyle Faver, Starkville Academy
DL – Avery Bishop, Aliceville (AL)
DL – Jarious Hathorn, Noxapater
DL – Laderrick Despenza, Hamilton
LB – Josh McClendon, Noxapater
LB – Troy Bone, South Pontotoc
LB – Hayes Wilson, Pontotoc
LB – Michael Williams, Vardaman
LB – Terry Joiner, Noxubee
LB – Jalen Campbell, Winona
LB – Ben Zinn, Pontotoc
LB – Bobby Townsend, Houston
LB – Jared Rodriguez, Belmont
DB – Myles Stone, Starkville
DB – Tavionne Stigger, Ashland
DB – Damarion Parham, Oxford
DB – Xavier Broyles, Sulligent (AL)
DB – Jond Warren, Corinth
DB – Dequantrae Welch, Baldwyn
DB – Tamarcus Hardy, Amory
DB – Isaac Patterson, East Webster
K/P – Robbie Langley, Lafayette
K/P – Kirk Sparks, Belmont
K/P – Taylor Hughes, Pontotoc

2017 All-End Zone – Honorable Mention
Quarterbacks
Hunter Jones, Amory
Malik Brown, Starkville
Jaxon Orr, Itawamba AHS
Holman Edwards, French Camp
Ty Varner, Water Valley
John Swinney, Baldwyn
Cole Brown, South Pontotoc
Justin Carter, Pontotoc
Bryce Stanton, Nanih Waiya
Trae Owen, Vardaman
Will Cantrell, Hatley
Cameron Wardlaw, Smithville
Jaron Scott, Sulligent (AL)
Bryce Hawkins, TCPS
Bryant Butler, Hamilton

Running Backs
Jacorrius Standfield, Okolona
Tameron Patterson, Corinth
Will Ray, Alcorn Central
Will Pharr, Belmont
Caleb Leech, Smithville
Kenterrious Rucker, Water Valley
Joshua McClendon, Noxapater
Hiram Wadlington, Oxford
Kavon McGraw, Aliceville (AL)
Thailon Whitfield, Shannon
Cody Coggins, TCPS
Laterrion McBride, Choctaw County
Collin Herring, Gordo (AL)

Receivers
Cameron Gardner, Starkville
Demarcus Rogers, North Pontotoc
Archie Jones, West Point
Bud Tolbert, Water Valley
CJ McLemore, Sulligent
Zack Cooper, Eupora
Quaterrius Tolbert, Water Valley
Taiwan Cook, French Camp
Ladarius Luckett, Louisville
Martavius Rockett, Water Valley
Jamiek Murphy, Saltillo
Trendon Gillon, Amory
Dallas McGaughy, Shannon
Jeremiah Pegues, Oxford
Deonte Hampton, Okolona
Kenneth Martin, Columbus
Mark Duncan, Lamar County (AL)
Essie Davis, Gordo (AL)

Athletes
TJ Eskridge, Lamar County (AL)
Noah Methvin, Starkville Academy
Kyree Fields, New Hope
Autry Windham, Falkner
Jesse Boydstun, Winston Academy
Shawn Dalton Weatherbee, Thrasher
Seth Johnson, Mantachie
Pat Jackson, Columbus
Brandon Turnage, Lafayette

Defensive Linemen
Tremaine Hughes, Okolona
Tino Rainer, Ripley
Kobi Chandler, New Hope
Vince Huges, Itawamba AHS
Zach Barnes, Starkville Academy
Preston Perkins, Eupora
Tyler Graham, Shannon

Linebackers
Layne Williams, Smithville
Hunter Miles, North Pontotoc
Colton Wooten, East Union
Jacob Williams, Starkville
Brandon Young, Okolona
Que Chandler, Houston
Zack Berry, Vardaman
Jamarcus Smith, Saltillo
Jalen Campbell, Winona
Chaokang Brooks, Noxubee
Jarvell Bowers, Nettleton
Allen Robertson, Houston

Defensive Backs
Jacob Buchannan, Okolona
Kedarius Dixon, Louisville
Matthew Bobo, Kossuth
Jordan Lipsey, New Albany
Isaac Eiland, Nanih Waiya
John Alan Belcher, South Pontotoc
John Tyler, Mooreville
Taye Buchanan, Lamar County (AL)
Khi Holiday, TCPS
Dylan Cary, Tupelo
Jhi Rogers, East Webster
Tyler Rupert, West Point
Deon Hickman, Nanih Waiya
An’Darius Coffey, Winona
Quaterrius Tolbert, Water Valley