Last Wednesday, I was able to travel with BCE Editor-In-Chief Adam Howe to Jefferson City to the annual meeting to nominate and fight for recognition for local athletes to be named to 2024 Central MO Media All-District football teams.
We met with many other sportswriters from central Missouri, most of which we have only chatted with through email, to nominate and vote for the very best high school football players in central Missouri.
Other than having to navigate our way through downtown Jefferson City in the dark, where good parking is at a premium, the trip went very well.
This, our very first meeting, proved to be very profitable in gaining recognition for our three Benton County schools. In past years, we have only been able to nominate players through text messages and then sit back and hope for the best.
This time around, we voiced our opinions firsthand and in front of fellow colleagues. We displayed statistics and demonstrated a general knowledge of each player.The committee was very happy we came as they knew little of the Warsaw, Cole Camp and Lincoln football teams this season. Howe was very much at home and in this element and represented the Warsaw football program very well.
I wanted to write this article to enlighten our readers to the extra effort behind the scenes in honoring the achievements of our local football programs. It is our honor and privilege to serve you with the best sports coverage available and we look forward to more meetings in the future to represent area athletes.
Without further adieu, we introduce Central MO Media All-District football teams for Class 1 and 2 . . .
Class 1 (includes: Cole Camp, Fayette, Harrisburg, Lincoln, Linn, Russellville, Salisbury, Tipton, Westran and Windsor)
1st Team Offense
Quarterback: Dane Schlotzhauer, Jr, Tipton
All-Purpose: Trace Combs, Sr, Harrisburg
Running Back: Lucas Cashman, Sr, Tipton; Rowan Cox, So, Windsor; Carter Vroman, Jr, Fayette
Wide Receiver/Tight End: Gavin Binder, Jr, Salisbury; Will Cashman, Jr, Tipton; Marshall Kitchen, Sr, Westran; Chase Young, Sr, Lincoln
Offensive Line: Isaac Bearden, Jr, Salisbury; Matthew Cook, Sr, Lincoln; Sam Duke, Jr, Tipton; Connor Haynes, Sr, Westran; Bender Wardrip, Jr, Harrisburg; Hayden Wilson, Sr, Windsor
Kicker: Cooper Doss, So, Tipton
1st Team Defense
Defensive Line: Jonathan Darwent, Jr, Harrisburg; Marshall Kitchen, Sr, Westran; Tyler Rivera, Jr, Tipton; Daunte White, Sr, Salisbury
Linebacker: Alex Bauer, Sr, Windsor; Isaac Bearden, Jr, Salisbury; Lucas Cashman, Sr, Tipton; Korbin Perry, Sr, Westran; Rylee Robinson, Jr, Harrisburg; Carter Vroman, Jr, Fayette
Defensive Back: Gavin Binder, Jr, Salisbury; Will Cashman, Jr, Tipton; Trace Combs, Sr, Harrisburg; Bryce Ott, Sr, Harrisburg; Chase Young, Sr, Lincoln
Punter: Maddox Plate, So, Russellville
2nd Team Offense
Quarterback: Gage Adler, 5-Jr, Westran; Riley Sanders, Jr, Lincoln
All-Purpose: Grant Rodriguez, Jr, Cole Camp; Patrick White, Jr, Salisbury
Running Back: Paxton Pyle, So, Tipton; Caleb Sager, Jr, Harrisburg; Brayden White, Jr, Salisbury
Wide Receiver/Tight End: Ty Bixler, So, Tipton; Bryce Ott, Sr, Harrisburg; Dawson Parrott, Jr, Lincoln; Rylee Robinson, Jr, Harrisburg
Offensive Line: Jonathan Darwent, Jr, Harrisburg; Jason Greer, Jr, Linn; Canaan Plate, Jr, Russellville; Nick Wolf, Jr, Tipton; Jacob Wood, Sr, Fayette
Kicker: Maddox Plate, So, Russellville
2nd Team Defense
Defensive Line: Ben Bestgen, Jr, Tipton; Jake Bish, Jr, Linn; Connor Haynes, Sr, Westran; Jacob Wood, Sr, Fayette
Linebacker: Joe Brandt, Jr, Linn; Brady Dicus, Jr, Tipton; Ben Eckhoff, Jr, Lincoln; Corbin Johnson, So, Russellville; Victor Shouse, Jr, Harrisburg; Levi Williams, Sr, Windsor
Defensive Back: Kaleb Friebe, Sr, Fayette; Sam Harlan, Sr, Westran; Jerrick Millington, Sr, Windsor; Dawson Parrott, Jr, Lincoln; Gus Peters, Jr, Linn
Punter: Riley Sanders, Jr, Lincoln
Coach of the Year
Bill Duke, Tipton
* * *
Class 2 (includes: Centralia, Father Tolton Catholic, Hermann, North Callaway, South Callaway, Warsaw)
1st Team Offense
Quarterback: Dominic Abadi, Jr, Father Tolton
All-Purpose: Graden Pontius, Jr, South Callaway
Running Back: Jayce Depriest, Sr, Warsaw; Jaiden Galbreath, So., North Callaway; Joshua Harvath, Jr, Warsaw
Wide Receiver/Tight End: Daeden Hopkins, Sr, Hermann; Nolan Mercier, Sr, Hermann; Drake Murrell, Sr, Warsaw; Sam Ryan, Sr, Father Tolton
Offensive Line: Kendall Bagley, Sr, Warsaw; Tilmon Sontheimer, Jr, Centralia; Mac Thornburg, Sr, Father Tolton; David Sapp, Sr, North Callaway; Owen Palladino, Sr, Hermann
Kicker: Logan Gemes, Sr, Warsaw
1st Team Defense
Defensive Line: Kendall Bagley, Sr, Warsaw; Daeden Hopkins, Sr, Hermann; Ian Tuggle, Sr, Centralia; Kegin Sperry, Jr, Hermann
Linebacker: Will Breitweiser, Jr, Father Tolton; Drake Murrell, Sr, Warsaw; Graden Pontius, Jr, South Callaway
Defensive Back: Kolton Adrian, Jr, South Callaway; Nolan Mercier, Sr, Hermann; Collin Moore, So, North Callaway; Shane Poyser, Sr, Warsaw; Luke Waltemate, Jr, Centralia
Punter: Daeden Hopkins, Sr, Hermann
2nd Team Offense
Quarterback: Garrett Ferguson, Sr, Warsaw
All-Purpose: Henry Allebach, Sr, Hermann
Running Back: Kolton Adrian, Jr, South Callaway; Caden Humphrey, Jr, Hermann; Ethan Ross, So, Centralia
Wide Receiver/Tight End: Aiden Eikermann, Jr, Hermann; Anthony Ford, Jr, Centralia; Lucas Wietholder, Sr, Father Tolton
Offensive Line: Trent Downing, Sr, Warsaw; Carter Epple, Sr, Hermann; Alex Kraft, Sr, South Callaway; Urijah Phillips, Jr, Warsaw; Khale McFadden, Sr, Hermann
2nd Team Defense
Defensive Line: Jameson Cooper, Sr, Centralia; Jaiden Galbreath, So, North Callaway; Trent Downing, Sr, Warsaw; Alex Kraft, Sr, South Callaway
Linebacker: Caden Bohnert, Jr, South Callaway; Jayce Depriest, Sr, Warsaw; Joshua Harvath, Jr, Warsaw; Chase Romig, Sr, Hermann
Defensive Back: Colten Crocker, Sr, South Callaway; Jase Hubert, Jr, Warsaw; Sean Reinertsen, Jr, Warsaw; Brody Schales, Sr, Hermann
Punter: Gunnar Wenneker, So, North Callaway
Coach of the Year
Ryan Boyer, Warsaw
