Maryville dominates All-MEC Team

Befitting of the type of season and team it had this year, undefeated Class 3 State Champion Maryville received a remarkable haul of 16 players on the 2012 All-MEC Football Team released earlier this week.

The team includes 10 of the Hounds 11 offensive starters, all five offensive linemen and nine of 11 on defense.

There are 10 Maryville players on the first team, five on the second team and six that got honorable mention.

Five of the team's all-league honorees made it at multiple spots.

The overall total of 16 all-leaguers is four more than the Hounds had either of the last two years.

"I was happy with the individual recognition that these young men received," said Maryville head football coach Matt Webb. "The thing we talk about is winning as a team. Everyone of these selections knows those individual awards are great, but it's the team that matters most. All of them give credit to each other for their individual accomplishments."

Maryville's contingent of first team selections consists of junior Jackson Morrison (OL/DL), senior Caleb Mather (OL/DL), sophomore Brody McMahon (FB, KR), senior Tyler Tripp (TE), senior Jonathan Baker (QB), junior Chris Dougan (LB) and junior Trent Nally (S).

Mather, Nally and Morrison were each unanimous selections.

Tripp also made the second team as a defensive end.

First team selections on both sides of the line, Mather and Morrison each started 15 games on the offensive line and helped paved the way for a 4,276 yard rushing season. Mather led the Hounds with 21.5 tackles for loss, tied for second with 4.5 sacks and ranked fifth with 47 tackles. Morrison, a Division I offensive line prospect, totaled 12.5 tackles and 3.5 for loss on defense.

This was Mather's third All-MEC selection and Morrison's second.

A first-year varsity player, McMahon exploded on to the scene to finish as Maryville's second leading rusher with 1,118 yards and 13 touchdowns. McMahon also led the Hounds with 38 receptions for 681 yards and 10 touchdowns.

On special teams, he had five return touchdowns and averaged 27.9 yards on kick returns.

Tripp caught seven passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. He made 26.5 stops on defense, 10 for loss, and totaled four sacks. This was his second year being included on the All-MEC Team.

Baker completed 67.2 percent of his passes this year with 2,215 yards, 33 touchdowns and only four interceptions. In the process, he broke the school's single-game, single-season and career passing records.

Baker also ran for 365 yards and scored 11 touchdowns.

Dougan finished as the team's leading tackler with 64.5. He also had 12 tackles for loss, ranking third on the team.

A second-year starter, Nally led the Hounds with seven interceptions and totaled the third most tackles with 52.5.

Along with Tripp, Maryville's second team honorees were senior Shane Owens (OL), senior Derek Stiens (RB), senior Kyle Leslie (WR) and senior Ridge Yount (LB).

Stiens also garnered honorable mention as a defensive back.

He finished as the Hounds leading rusher with 1,429 yards and 23 touchdowns. Stiens added 12 receptions and three receiving touchdowns.

Owens was one of the pile-driving members of the Hound offensive line.

Leslie had a career year offensively with 33 catches for 548 yards and seven touchdowns. Limited to 13 games because of injury, Yount registered 48 tackles (five for loss) and pulled down six interceptions.

The Hounds other honorable mention recipients were senior Eric Sigman (OL), senior Cain Farrell (OL), senior Paden Maudlin (LB), senior Tyler Kenkel (DB) and senior Boston Schneider (K).

Sigman and Farrell were the fourth and fifth starters selected from the Hound offensive line. Maudlin finished as the Hounds' second leading tackler with 53.5. He also picked off two passes.

Kenkel recorded 44.5 tackles and three interceptions. Schneider connected on 90-101 extra points and 3-4 field goal attempts.

Maryville loses 12 of its all-league selections and brings back four.