OFFENSE
Kenton Castrejon, Fieldcrest
Year: Senior
Position: Running back
Season highlights: Castrejon was a workhorse for the Knights, carrying the ball 245 times, which led the area by 57 attempts. He ranked second in the area in yards (1,572) and touchdowns (24). He had multiple TDs in eight games and 100-plus yards in seven games.
Jaxon Cusac-McKay, Fieldcrest
Year: Junior
Position: Receiver
Season highlights: Cusac-McKay was a dangerous weapon for the Knights as he led the area with 58 receptions, ranked second with 780 yards and hauled in an area-best 10 touchdowns. He ran for 287 yards and six TDs in four playoff games.
Wyatt Davis, Princeton
Year: Senior
Position: Receiver
Season highlights: Davis was a big-play threat who stretched the field for PHS. He grabbed 50 passes for 1,011 yards for an average of 20.2 yards per catch. Davis, a unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division pick, caught eight touchdown passes.
Mason Faulk, Fieldcrest
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive line
Season highlights: Faulk has been a mainstay on the FHS line, and he ended with a bang as he helped lead the Knights the semifinals. Faulk helped the FHS offense average 363.7 yards and 31.9 points. He was Illinois Football Coaches Association Class 2A All-State.
Grant Foes, Princeton
Year: Junior
Position: Offensive line
Season highlights: As a tackle, Foes helped pave the way for the area's best offense that was tops in scoring at 39 points per game and in yards at 399.3 yards per game — 245.8 rushing and 153.5 passing. He was First-Team All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division.
Tyreke Fortney, St. Bede
Year: Sophomore
Position: Receiver
Season highlights: Fortney was a bright spot in a tough season for SBA as he ranked second in the area in receiving yards per game (63.8). He had 39 receptions and caught four touchdown passes. He was Second-Team All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division.
Tyler Gibson, Princeton
Year: Junior
Position: Quarterback
Season highlights: Gibson directed the area's best scoring offense (39 points per game). He led the area and set a school single-season record with 1,971 passing yards. The unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division pick tossed an area-best 16 TDs.
Tyler Hartman, La Salle-Peru
Year: Junior
Position: Quarterback
Season highlights: Hartman was a dual-threat as he led the L-P to its first playoff berth in a decade. He ran for 550 yards and seven touchdowns while throwing for 396 yards and eight TDs, which ranked third in the area. He was All-Interstate Eight Conference.
Cam Milashoski, Fieldcrest
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive line
Season highlights: Milashoski helped block for a balanced Knights offense that ran for 2,727 yards and passed for 1,991 en route to 31.9 points per game. He played a key role in Fieldcrest winning a conference title and reaching the Class 2A semifinals.
Jamie Reinhardt, Princeton
Year: Junior
Position: Kicker
Season highlights: Reinhardt was the area's most dependable kicker. He connected on 60-of-66 extra points (90.9 percent) and made 5-of-6 field goals (83.3 percent), including a long of 37 yards. Reinhardt provided Princeton's lone points in its Class 3A semifinal loss.
Cole Reynolds, Princeton
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive line
Season highlights: As the center, Reynolds played a key role on the PHS line. He helped pave the way for Ronde Worrels to become the school's career rushing leader. Reynolds was a unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division selection.
Logan Turigliatti, La Salle-Peru
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive line
Season highlights: The tackle helped clear the way for the area's third-best rushing attack that averaged 221.5 yards per game and had three games over 300 rushing yards. The All-Interstate Eight Conference selection helped L-P earn its first playoff berth in a decade.
Alec Vlasic, Hall
Year: Senior
Position: Offensive line
Season highlights: No team in the area ran the ball better than Hall at 254.2 rushing yarsd per game, and Vasic played a key role in that. He helped pave the way for an offense that had five games over 300 rushing yards. He was unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division.
Marshall Walk, Hall
Year: Senior
Position: Running back
Season highlights: The state champion track star showed his speed on the football field as he racked up 1,051 yards — which ranked third in the area — and eight touchdowns. The Second-Team All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division pick averaged 8.1 yards per carry.
Ronde Worrels, Princeton
Year: Junior
Position: Running back
Season highlights: Not many teams had luck slowing down Worrels as he led the area with 1,647 yards and 33 TDs. The Illinois High School Football Coaches Association 3A All-Stater ran for more than 100 yards in nine games and scored three TDs or more seven times.
Honorable Mention
La Salle-Peru — Adam Kofoid, Carlos Larios, Drake Weber
St. Bede — Braden Damerell, Joe Edwall, Nick Pearse, Shawn Schwemlein
Hall — Austin Heinecke, Greg Larsen, Cole Wozniak
Mendota — Cody Jenner
Princeton — Noah Atkinson, Sam McClure, Alex May
Bureau Valley — Matt Foster, Mac Nugent
Fieldcrest — Tisen Covington
Amboy-LaMoille — Austin Norman, Marcus Winn
DEFENSE
Daniel Crowe, Princeton
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Season highlights: Crowe racked up 144 total tackles. He showed the ability to get into the backfield and pester quarterbacks as he recorded 6.5 sacks. The First-Team All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division pick forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
Jaxon Cusac-McKay, Fieldcrest
Year: Junior
Position: Defensive back
Season highlights: Cusac-McKay had a nose for the ball as he recorded an area-best six interceptions, including a pair of two-pick games. His play in the secondary helped the Knights allow just 85.5 passing yards per game. Cusac-McKay recorded 30 tackles.
Mason Faulk, Fieldcrest
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Season highlights: The 6-foot-2, 285-pounder was a dominant force for ta defense that allowed 9.2 points per game. He recorded a team-best 81 tackles. The Illinois Football Coaches Association Class 2A All-State pick also recovered two fumbles.
Grant Foes, Princeton
Year: Junior
Position: Defensive line
Season highlights: Foes was a tough front line defender for the Tigers. He made 74 tackles, including 14 solo stops. Foes recorded five sacks, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass. He was First-Team All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division.
Tyler Gibson, Princeton
Year: Junior
Position: Punter
Season highlights: The Tigers didn't have to punt much this season, but when they did, Gibson helped them with field position. Gibson averaged 38.5 yards per punt with a long of 56 yards. He was First-Team All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division.
Nathan Hachenberger, La Salle-Peru
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Season highlights: In his first year of high school football, Hachenberger had a big impact. He made a team-leading 86 tackles. He recorded five tackles for loss, three sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He was All-Interstate Eight Conference.
Drew Harp, Princeton
Year: Sophomore
Position: Linebacker
Season highlights: Nobody made more stops in the area than Harp as he recorded 159 tackles — 13.3 tackles per game — including 63 solo tackles. He recorded four tackles for loss. The First-Team All-Three Rivers Conference selection also forced a pair of fumbles.
Matt Hultz, Hall
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Season highlights: Hultz made a habit of spending time in opposing backfields. He recorded nine tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. The Second-Team All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division pick also recorded 45 tackles and recovered a pair of fumbles.
Tre'Von Hunter, La Salle-Peru
Year: Sophomore
Position: Defensive back
Season highlights: Hunter was the best defender in L-P's strong secondary that allowed only one opponent — 5A state champion Rochester — to pass for more than 200 yards. Hunter intercepted four passes and broke up a pass. He had 29 tackles.
Nick Krolak, La Salle-Peru
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive line
Season highlights: Krolak was a disruptive force in opposing backfields. He made an area-best 15 tackles for loss and recorded six sacks. He made 54 tackles. The All-Interstate Eight Conference pick also recovered two fumbles and forced a fumble.
Alex May, Princeton
Year: Junior
Position: Defensive line
Season highlights: The nose guard was the driving force behind a Tiger defense that allowed just 9.6 points per game. He recorded 66 tackles. May made 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble. May was voted Second-Team All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division.
Keegan Robbins, Fieldcrest
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Season highlights: Robbins made plenty of big plays for the Knights this season as he intercepted five passes and recovered a pair of fumbles. He recorded 51 tackles, including 30 solo tackles. He helped the Knights hold nine teams to eight points or less.
Jacob Starr, Princeton
Year: Senior
Position: Defensive back
Season highlights: Starr was the leader of Princeton's strong secondary that allowed less than 100 passing yards per game. He made 69 tackles. Starr intercepted a pass, broke up two passes and recovered a fumble. He unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division.
Travis Sunken, Fieldcrest
Year: Junior
Position: Linebacker
Season highlights: Sunken was a key cog in Fieldcrest's dominant defense that limited nine teams to a TD or less. He was second on the team in tackles with 70, including a team-best nine in the Class 2A semifinals. Sunken also recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.
Cole Wozniak, Hall
Year: Senior
Position: Linebacker
Season highlights: Wozniak was the leader of the Red Devils' strong defensive unit that recorded three shutouts. He led the team with 60 tackles. The unanimous All-Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division pick also had five sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Honorable Mention
La Salle-Peru — Payton Piraino, Parker Swiskoski
St. Bede — Logan Link, Trevor Mooney, Luke Story
Hall — Jose Castro, Austin Heinecke, Max Puentes, Marshall Walk
Mendota — Cole Stremlau
Princeton — Matt Cihocki, Logan Glancy, Sam McClure
Bureau Valley — Tommy Blanford, Evan Eckberg
Fieldcrest — Blake Bratt, Jordan Hochecker
Amboy-LaMoille — Sean Fitzpatrick, Marcus Winn