While the Kilgore High School football program fielded a very young team this year, when it was time for coaches to choose the District 14-4A All-District team, the Bulldogs were well-represented, as always.

KILGORE OPPONENTS HAD BETTER GET USED TO THIS — Kilgore’s Ladarius Anthony (22), just a sophomore, had 24 touchdowns and 1,507 yards this season, good enough to win the District 14-4A offensive newcomer of the year award. Anthony was joined on the 2009 All District team by several of his teammates, including senior Shadow Stokes, named the district’s best offensive lineman, and Ryan Bustin, the senior kicker and punter who was tabbed firstteam at both. File photo by Lester Murray The Ragin’ Red brought home two superlative awards: senior Shadow Stokes, the Kilgore center, was named the district’s top offensive lineman, and sophomore Ladarius Anthony, who electrified the Bulldogs’ rushing game with over 1,500 yards this year, was named newcomer of the year.

Another KHS senior, Ryan Bustin, was named to the team’s first team on both offense and defense, a rare feat. Bustin was named the first-team kicker and first-team punter.

The team is chosen solely by the district’s coaches.

Also making the first team for KHS was senior Blayne Cole, at first-team offensive tackle.

Kilgore players named second-team alldistrict are senior fullback Braylon McCarty, senior tight end Taylor Carter; cornerback Christian Sibley, a junior; and safety Shaun Williams, just a sophomore.

Kilgore players named honorable mention were senior linebacker Mishaud Austin, senior corner Josh Medford, senior defensive lineman Willie Lawler, offensive lineman Patrick Colbert, a junior, and big O-lineman Donald Jackson, just a sophomore.

Anthony was a big factor for the Bulldogs down the stretch, and looks to have a very distinguished career at KHS. The sophomore rushed for 1,507 yards and an eyeopening 24 touchdowns — just three shy of Keith Gilliam’s single-season record set in 2004 — on 206 carries. His 359 yards in a homecoming win over Palestine set the program’s new single-game rushing record, and he had 251 yards in the district opener against Lindale, an exciting 55-44 Kilgore win. Anthony had 10 touchdowns in those two games alone, and scored 15 times against district foes.

Stokes and Cole were the senior anchors of an offensive line that helped the Bulldogs to another year of over 2,000 yards rushing. Bustin, who was kicking for Kilgore since he was a freshman, has been “Mr. Automatic” for the Bulldogs since the 2006 season. Carter’s blocking up front and McCarty’s blocking and versatility were a big help to the Ragin’ Red’s offense, and each had a pair of catches to help the Bulldogs beat Whitehouse; and Sibley and Williams were two members of a secondary that really stepped up their play in the district schedule.

Austin was a main cog in the Bulldogs’ defense, and while he missed a little playing time due to injury, the Bulldogs were always better with him in the lineup. Colbert and Jackson are the present and the future of the Ragin’ Red offensive line. Lawler helped out tremendously along the defensive front, and Medford had big plays all season in the secondary, including a stop at Lindale that forced the Eagles to turn the ball over on downs and a game-sealing interception for a touchdown.

Other superlative honors as part of this year’s all-district team: Lindale quarterback Matt Broussard and Jacksonville running back Justin Jones were named co-most valuable players of the year; Lindale’s Mike Meador was tabbed the district’s coach of the year; the Eagles’ Keith Moore was named defensive lineman of the year; Whitehouse’s all-everything receiver Trey Metoyer and Jacksonville quarterback Ryan Black shared the offensive MVP award; Henderson defensive back Demarcus Brown was named top defensive newcomer; Metoyer also won for best return man; and Lindale’s Jacob Merriman, a linebacker, was named the overall defensive MVP.

The all-district first team offense is Henderson quarterback Tyrell Jenkins; Lindale running back Keandra Ross and Jacksonville’s Tevin Garland; Henderson fullback Kyron Reese; Whitehouse’s Skip Caldwell, Henderson’s LaMarcus Brown and Jacksonville’s Lavonte Franklin at wide receiver; Nacogdoches tight end Labreyant Johnson; center Jacob Gunn of Henderson and Whitehouse’s Scott Sanders; Lindale’s Jacob Alford and Nac’s Ethan Perkins at guard; Kilgore’s Cole and Lindale’s Tyler Ragan at tackle; and Bustin as the kicker.

Defensively on the first team, Bustin is the punter; tackles were Henderson’s Corey Fletcher and Nac’s Josh Davis; ends were Jacksonville’s Jacolby Scott and Imari Pollard of Henderson; outside linebackers are Whitehouse’s Logan Taylor and Lindale’s Cody Dobyanski; inside linebackers are Lindale’s Adam Greer and Henderson’s Cord Fletcher; corners are Jacksonville’s Duke Hamilton and Zach McCoy of Lindale; and at safety, Whitehouse’s Quincy Aldridge and Trey Vallier of Henderson.

The second-team offense: Whitehouse quarterback Hunter Taylor; Whitehouse running back Chad Lewis, Henderson’s Thomas Walker and Nac’s Deandre Garrett at tailback; Kilgore’s McCarty at fullback; receivers Logan Newton of Whitehouse, Chris Hall of Jacksonville and Arsenio Hall of Nac; Kilgore’s Carter at tight end; Lindale’s Omar Snoubar at center; Henderson’s Kevin Leatch and Lindale’s Sam Schomp at guard; Nac’s Tucker Briley and Jacksonville’s Tedrick Tilley at tackle; and Taylor Burns of Whitehouse as the kicker.

The second-team defense: tackles Ethan Perkins of Nac and Jason Pankey of Lindale; Labreyant Johnson of Nac and Jayme Antu of Whitehouse at end; Lindale’s Terronce Johnson and Henderson’s Stephen Reese at outside linebacker; Brody Finch of Jacksonville and Nac’s Alex Howard at inside linebacker; corners Sibley of Kilgore, Whitehouse’s Demonta Brown and Jacksonville’s Stacy Whitaker; Kilgore’s Williams and Jacksonville’s Ty Sneed at safety; and Jeff Landrum of Jacksonville as the punter.