The Missouri Football Coaches Association and the members of the Missouri media poll have picked the all-state football teams for Classes 1 to 6.
The media poll came out on Friday, Jan. 10, while the coaches teams were released last month. A number of players from area teams landed spots on both teams. Platte County led the area with seven all-state picks, while Park Hill, Park Hill South and North Platte had two each. The Pirates landed three first-team picks, all on the defensive side of the ball.
Bobby Bell Award winner Garret Watson was one of two defensive ends picked to the first team.
Watson had 79 tackles, 18 TFL, 16 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery for the Class 4 runners-up.
Joining him on the first team was senior linebacker Gabe Harmon and senior defensive back Trent Rueckert. Harmon had 96 tackles and tow sacks, while Reuckert intercepted six passes and finished with 57 tackles.
TODD NUGENT/Nugent Photography
Platte County’s Garret Watson (42) tackles Webb City’s Devrin Weathers during the Class 4 championship game last month in Columbia. Watson was named to the all-state team by coaches and media.
Platte County tied Ladue Horton Watkins for second with three first-team picks, while state champion Webb City had nine first-team picks.
Platte County’s defense had a third-team pick in defensive lineman James Gladden. The Pirates offense had a pair of picks in quarterback Chris Ruhnke (third team) and wide receiver Dayton Mitchell (second team). Kicker Grant Allen made the third team for Platte County during a season where he kicked game-winners in critical games against Smithville and St. Mary’s in the semifinals. Allen made 13 field goals this year and accounted for 62 points.
The media team had six Pirates on the Class 4 teams. Mitchell made the first team at wide receiver, while Watson, Harmon and Rueckert all first-team accolades on defense. Ruhnke made the second team as quarterback after passing for 2,925 yards and 24 touchdowns. Mitchell had 994 yards receiving with 10 touchdowns on 66 catches.
In Class 5, Park Hill South had a pick on both sides of the ball.
Linebacker Mike Suchanick was a second-team pick for the coaches and media. The senior had 87 tackles, third on the team, and had three sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Junior wide receiver Gaige Warren made the third-team for the coaches after leading the Panthers in receiving yards. Warren had 803 yards receiving on 61 catches — good for 13.16 yards per catch — and nine touchdowns, leading the team.
Park Hill had a pair of picks on the defensive side on the Class 6 coaches squad, the only class with only two teams instead of three. Current Iowa State football player Johnny Wilson was a first-team pick at defensive line for the Trojans. Three of the five picks on the defensive line came from the Suburban Conference Gold Division as Lee’s Summit’s Felix Anudike and Lee’s Summit North’s Mark McGhee were also first-teamers. Wilson, the Buck Buchanan Award winner racked up 97 tackles, 28 TFL, 13 sacks, 18 quarterback hurries, forced six fumbles and recovered six.
Linebacker Mikey Miles made the second team for both coaches and media. The senior had 115 tackles, third on the team, while having 21 TFL, also third on the team. He had one sack, seven quarterback hurries, had three interceptions, broke up 19 passes (tied for the team lead), caused three fumbles and recovered two.
Wilson was a first-team pick for the media, while Miles and defensive lineman James Gore got second-team notice. Gore had 72 tackles and led the team with 32 TFL. He had nine sacks, 10 quarterback hurries and blocked a field goal.
North Platte’s Andrew Hernandez made the coaches Class 1 first team as an athlete. The senior quarterback was one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the KCI Conference. Teammate Zach Beatty landed on the third-team as a defensive back. The senior had seven interceptions, 19 tackles and broke up nine passes. Hernandez was honored for his play on defense by the media, making the Class 1 second team at defensive back. He had 62 tackles, 12 TFL and two interceptions.
Other postseason awards
MFCA All-District
Class 1
North Platte: Cameron Leupold, sr., defensive line; Andrew Hernandez, sr., quarterback; Joel Smyser, sr., defensive back; Zach Beatty, sr.,defensive back West Platte: Mason Montez, so., defensive end; Brayden Cogan, sr.,defensive back/wide receiver; Jacob Brown, sr., offensive line
Class 4
Platte County: Trey Butcher, jr., offensive line; Garret Watson, sr., defensive line; Max Renner, sr., Platte County; James Gladden, sr., defensive line; Alex Stearns, jr., defensive line; Gabe Harmon, sr., linebacker; Trevor Scott, so., linebacker; Chris Ruhnke, jr., quarterback; Colby Rollins, jr., wide receiver; Dayton Mitchell, jr.,wide receiver; Cayden Davis, jr., running back; Grant Allen, sr.,kicker, Collin Tyson, jr., defensive back
Class 5
Park Hill South: Braden Bartosh, jr., offensive line; RJ Mitchell, jr., defensive line; Mike Suchanick, sr., linebacker; Matt Suchanick, sr., quarterback; Michael Verhoeven, sr., kicker; Gaige Warren, jr.,wide receiver; Nathan Sharp, sr., wide receiver
Class 6
Park Hill: James Gore, sr., defensive line; Johnny Wilson, sr., defensive line; Vince Reichert, sr., linebacker; Mikey Miles, sr., linebacker; Javion Gathrite, sr., defensive back; Jaylin Noel, jr., returner; Sam Sweeney, jr., defensive back
Missouri Media All-Northwest District football
Class 1
1st team
Andrew Hernandez, sr., defensive back, North Platte
All-Suburban Conference Gold Division
1st team
Jaylin Noel, jr., wide receiver, Park Hill; Jarien Montgomery, sr., offensive line, Park Hill; Johnny Wilson, sr., defensive line, Park Hill, James Gore, sr., defensive line, Park Hill; Mikey Miles*, sr., Park Hill; Vince Reichert, sr., linebacker, Park Hill; Javion Gathrite, sr., defensive back, Park Hill; Antonio McCullough, sr., Park Hill.
2nd team
Darion Neal, sr., running back, Park Hill; Evan Samborski, sr., wide receiver, Park Hill; Tait Smith, jr., offensive line, Park Hill; Tanner Nelson, sr., offensive line, Park Hill; Sam Sweeney, jr., defensive back, Park Hill.
Honorable mention
Anthony Hall, jr., quarterback, Park Hill; Eric Carey, sr., running back, Park Hill; PJ Caldwell, so., wide receiver, Park Hill; Ryan Winfrey, jr., offensive line, Park Hill; Eric Hooten, sr., offensive line, Park Hill; Grant Pella, jr., kicker, Park Hill; Dexter Curry,sr., defensive line, Park Hill; Parris Graves, so., defensive line, Park Hill; Nick Senger, sr., linebacker, Park Hill; Chris Bizzle,jr., linebacker, Park Hill; Anthony Reyes, jr., defensive back, Park Hill; Chris Marshall, jr., defensive back, Park Hill.
Defensive player of the year: Johnny Wilson, Park Hill
Coach of the year: Josh Hood, Park Hill
* = Unanimous selection
Red Division
1st team
Braden Bartosh, jr., offensive line, Park Hill South; Michael Verhoeven, sr., punter, Park Hill South; Mike Suchanick, sr., linebacker, Park Hill South.
2nd team
Matt Suchanick, sr., athlete, Park Hill South; Gaige Warren, jr.,wide receiver, Park Hill South; RJ Mitchell, jr., defensive line, Park Hill South
Honorable mention
Eric Avery, jr, wide receiver, Park Hill South; Nate Sharp, sr., wide receiver, Park Hill South; Clay Cronkelton, sr., offensive line; Tyler Brown, sr., offensive line, Park Hill South; Alex Foster, jr., Park Hill South; Cameron Gillespie, sr., linebacker, Park Hill South; Ryan Owens, sr., defensive back, Park Hill South; Dylan Owens, sr., defensive back, Park Hill South.
Blue Division
1st team
Dayton Mitchell, jr., wide receiver, Platte County; Garret Watson, sr., defensive line, Platte County; Gabe Harmon, sr., linebacker, Platte County; Collin Tyson, jr., defensive back, Platte County;Grant Allen, sr., kicker, Platte County; Grant Allen, sr., punter, Platte County.
2nd team
Chris Ruhnke, jr., quarterback, Platte County; Wyett Wallingford,sr., offensive line, Platte County; Max Renner, sr., offensive line,Platte County; James Gladden sr., defensive line, Platte County;Trevor Scott, so., linebacker, Platte County; Trent Rueckert, sr., defensive back, Platte County.
Honorable mention
Trey Butcher, jr., offensive line, Platte County; Hunter Clarkson, sr., wide receiver, Platte County; Trey Phan, sr., running back, Platte County; Cayden Davis, jr., running back, Platte County; Colby Rollins, jr., wide receiver, Platte County.
Co-defensive player of the year: Garret Watson, Platte County
Coach of the year: Bill Utz, Platte County
All-KCI Conference
2nd team
Brayden Cogan, sr., wide receiver, West Platte; Jacob Brown, sr., offensive lineman, West Platte
Honorable mention
Nelson McCracken, sr., offensive line, North Platte; Brayden Cogan, sr., safety, West Platte; Jacob Brown, sr., linebacker, West Platte; Mason Montez, so., defensive end, West Platte; Andrew Hernandez, sr., quarterback, North Platte; Caine Huffman, sr., tight end, North Platte; Ty French, sr., linebacker, North Platte; Andrew Hernandez, sr., safety, North Platte; Zach Beatty, sr., cornerback, North Platte; Joel Smyser, sr., punter, North Platte.