Announcing the News Journal All-County football awards

Overall MVP Skyler Griffith (Sr QB, Williamsburg) 

It was a memorable year for all three of our coverage area teams in Whitley County. The Colonels came back from an 0-4 start to nearly secure a district title in year one of the Jason Chappell era. Meanwhile, at Corbin another first-year head coach, Justin Haddix, led his Redhounds to an 11-2 record, a district championship and an appearance in a region title game. Of course, we also had the Williamsburg Yellow Jackets, who went undefeated all the way to a second consecutive appearance in the Class A state championship game in Bowling Green.

Several talented athletes made all of this possible, but some stood out among the rest. Here is your 2014 News Journal All-County Team:

Overall MVP – Skyler Griffith, Sr QB from Williamsburg High School

Griffith passed for 2,728 yards and 46 touchdowns as he led the Yellow Jackets to a return trip to the Class A state championship. He also rushed for 834 yards and 16 touchdowns.

First-team quarterback – Corey Taylor, Sr from Corbin High School

Taylor passed for 2,071 yards and 31 touchdowns in 13 games, leading the Redhounds to a district title and an appearance in the region championship game. He also rushed for 112 yard and three touchdowns on the year.

Second-team quarterback – Luke Woods, Jr from Whitley Co High School

Woods was a dual threat at quarterback for the Colonels in 2014. He passed for 1,937 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season, and he ran for 688 yards and five touchdowns.

First-team running back – Fred Massey, Sr from Williamsburg High School

Massey rushed for 1,130 yards and 20 touchdowns in his only season as a Yellow Jacket. He also caught five passes for scores in 2014.

Second-team running back – Jake Coppock, Sr from Corbin High School

Coppock rushed for 1,367 yards and 17 touchdowns in his senior season as a Redhound. He also caught four passes for scores on the year.

First-team receiver – Corey Shelton, Sr from Williamsburg High School

Shelton become the all-time receiving yards leader at Williamsburg in his senior season with 1,285 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Second-team receiver – James Sasko, Sr from Whitley Co High School

Despite only having two catches for touchdowns in 2014, Sasko was the favorite target for quarterback Luke Woods.

He racked up 778 receiving yards in 11 games, often setting the Colonels up near the goal line and giving them the opportunity to score on the ground.

First-team lineman – Chris Helton, Sr from Williamsburg High School

Helton cleared the way on offense and dominated the front line on defense all the way back to the Class A state championship game in Bowling Green.

Second-team lineman – Zack Ingle, Sr from Corbin High School

Ingle helped lead Corbin to 11 straight wins and an appearance in the 3A region title game in 2014 from his offensive tackle position.

First-team All-Defense – Jefferson Patrick, Sr LB from Williamsburg High School

Patrick averaged over eight tackles per game in 2014, including 10 tackles in the state championship against Mayfield.

He now holds the school record for most tackles in a career at WHS.

Second-team All-Defense – Dalton Anderson, Sr from Corbin High School

Anderson averaged over five tackles per game in 2014, earning him SEKC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was also recently named to the All-Bowl defensive team in Border Bowl VIII.

First-team All-Special teams – Brently Patrick, Sr K from Williamsburg High School

Patrick kicked three field goals and 78 extra points for a total of 87 points in his senior year as a Yellow Jacket.

Second-team All-Special teams – Alex Conlin, Sr K from Whitley Co High School

Conlin kicked 25 extra points and one field goal in seven games for a total of 28 points on the year. Unfortunately, he was unable to participate in the final three games of the season, but he was a regular contributor to the team’s offense up to that point.

Comeback Player of the Year – Austin Ysidro, Sr RB from Whitley Co High School

This award appears on the list specifically for Ysidro, who in all likelihood would have been a frontrunner for first-team running back and/or Defensive Player of the Year had he not been sidelined for the first four games of the 2014 season. As he waited to fully recover from offseason surgery to remove pins from his leg, he had to watch as the Colonels dropped their first four games. When he was finally cleared to return against Clay County he rushed for 69 yards, scored two touchdowns, ran in a two-point conversion, and recorded 11 tackles to lead his team to a 49-33 victory.

In the next six weeks, Ysidro racked up an additional 400 rushing yards, reaching the end zone 11 more times, including one fumble recovery for a touchdown, and he ended up leading the team in tackles on defense.

No doubt, Ysidro’s return marked the turning point for the Colonels’ season in 2014, and because of the immediate impact he was able to have he has earned the title of Comeback Player of the Year.

Coach of the Year – Jerry Herron, Williamsburg

In his last two seasons, Herron has coached the Yellow Jackets to a combined record of 25 wins and 4 losses, consecutive district championships, consecutive region championships, and consecutive trips to the Class A state championship game.

Coach of the Year Runner-Up – Justin Haddix, Corbin

When Haddix took over for longtime Corbin Head Coach Steve Jewell in 2014 Redhound fans were eager to see what this young coach had to offer. It is probably safe to say that the Big Red community was not disappointed with Haddix’s debut season, as the Hounds ended up winning 11 straight games after losing to eventual 5A state champion Pulaski County in the season opener. During that time they were able to secure a district championship with a thrilling victory over rival Bell County, and they nearly knocked off Louisville Central in the 3A region title game.