Class 3A District 1 recently named several Pauls Valley Panther seniors to the All-District Team.
Jace Wilkerson was named Co-Purple Heart, as he suffered a dislocated knee and a sprained ankle during this past season.
So Wilkerson took on the role of an honorary coach and mentor of younger players. He is usually a linebacker.
“For example, I was helping Avery with play calls for blitzes,” Wilkerson said.
He found his own role model in the team’s physical therapist.
“She helped me not be an idiot and do therapy and get back on the field,” Wilkerson said.
He plans to attend a trade school to become an electrician.
Skeeter Jolly was named Co-All-District Quarterback, a position he played the last five games of the season.
“I did what I had to for the team to succeed,” he said. “I played five positions on offense, whatever the team needed for us to be successful, and apparently that was quarterback.”
Despite the change, Jolly enjoyed the new perspective on the game he gained while playing quarterback.
“I liked being able to be with the guys in different aspects and see how they are doing their jobs. It was cool to see everything develop,” Jolly said. “As a tight end or halfback, I was more focused on blocking and setting off the lead block. At quarterback, I had to work off those blocks and trust my guys to do their jobs.”
Jolly plans to play football in college, where he wants to study kinesiology.
“Once you get hurt and see what it’s like, it opens my eyes to see how you can help athletes to get back out there,” he said.
Charles Newell was named the Co-Defensive Back of the Year.
This season, he went from linebacker to defensive back.
“It’s differing responsibilities. I was breaking up passes and making tackles,” he said.
In addition to batting down several passes throughout the season, Newell officially logged 33 tackles.
“I will miss being with the team and the coaches and being on the field,” Newell said. “It’s an experience to be out there playing.”
Mason Barahona was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
He plays defensive end, a position that he says has always come naturally to him.
“To me, there isn’t much to it - just getting off the blocks and making tackles and chasing the ball,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to play any other position. I know what to do, and I like doing it.”
Of his many noteworthy plays this season, Barahona’s favorite was forcing a fumble at North Rock Creek that his teammate Ryan Hammond recovered. The turnover solidified the Panthers’ victory in that game.
“It was the team’s first win of the season. It was unforgettable,” Barahona said.
He appreciates being a team player, even when he doesn’t get the stat at the end. This is a characteristic that he plans to carry over into adulthood as he attends college to study civil engineering.
“I will get to be part of a structure,” Barahona said. “I will be a part of the foundation of things being built.”
James Major was Co-Defensive Lineman of the Year.
“It’s a really creative position. We had the freedom to either stand up and rush or be in a 3-point stance. I liked the versatility of it,” Major said.
His favorite players are Jordan Jackson and David Stone.
“It’s cool since that’s local. I try to take a lot of moves from them, and they’re really good players and really confident,” he said.
Major plans to attend college to go into finance or investment banking.
“It seems like an interesting career to get into and very marketable,” he said.
James Fields was named Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year, a position he has always played and enjoyed.
“It’s like a brotherhood upfront. We have to be all in sync to do what you have to do,” Fields said. “Football has always been my favorite sport because of the brotherhood and the mentality of the game. You have to attack first and can’t be slow and still finish the job.”
His favorite player is Trent Williams.
“I like his mentality on the game and going hard every play. There are no plays off,” Fields said.
Fields plans to go to college to study oil field safety. Both his grandfather and uncle worked in the oil field.
“I want to be somewhere around that,” he said.
Other honorees included Colby Barrett as Co-Wide Receiver and Amahri Jackson as Co-Defensive Back. Honorable mentions went to Konner Martin, Josh Erikson and Dax O'Bryant.
