Patriots receive postseason honors

Patriots receive postseason honors

Multiple Marion football players named to All- State and All- Conference teams

sports@theeveningtimes.com

The Marion Patriot football team released its list of All-State and All-Conference players earlier this week. Four players received All-State honors and eight players were named as All-Conference.

Senior running back Tom Young, senior wide receiver Collin Chambers, senior middle linebacker Michael McNeely, and senior kicker Bradford Doherty all gained All-State honors.

Young was voted 6A East Most Outstanding Back.

The Patriots main running back accumulated 1,001 yards this season on the ground, averaging 6.3 yards per carry and over 100 yards a game, while rushing for 15 touchdowns. The Marion senior also contributed through the air, hauling in 25 receptions for 351 yards and four touchdowns. Young's longest play of the year came on a 91-yard catch and run.

Head Coach of the Marion Patriots football team Jed Davis praised Young's contributions.

“He was vital to our success,” Davis said. “Our offense kind of ran through Tom. I would say he accounted for close to 75 percent of our big plays this year. He probably understood our offense better than anybody else on our team. Tom also knew what he could do to get a defender out of the way to open it up for someone else and when you have a high school kid that can do that, that's pretty phenomenal.”

Doherty gained the title 6A East Most Outstanding Kicker. Doherty connected on 7 of 11 field goals this season with his longest field goal coming from 45 yards out. The Marion kicker also made 47 of 50 point after attempts. The combination of field goals and PATs resulted in 68 points for the Patriots.

Doherty also averaged 57.5 yards per kickoff and 36.0 yards per punt with seven punts downed inside the opposing teams' 20-yard line.

Doherty's reliable leg served as a huge weapon to the Patriots team this year, according to Davis.

“He's one of the best kickers I've ever seen,” Davis said. “We felt that once we got inside the 35-yard line we were getting points on the board. That's huge as a coach to know that you've got a guy that you trust to do that. I've never had a weapon like that in 10 years as a head coach.”

Chambers led the team in receiving this year with 1,022 yards and 12 touchdowns which came from 63 receptions. The senior Patriot receiver more than doubled the number of catches of the team's next leading receiver.

McNeely gained more tackles than any other Patriot this year, finishing the season with 108 total tackles. McNeely recorded 62 solo tackles and assisted on 46.

Outside linebacker/tight end Quinton Wilson, quarterback Peyton Walker, wide receiver Taylor Brown, guard/middle linebacker Javier Soto, cornerback/ wide receiver Kabryn Williams, cornerback/wide receiver Kuriston Hill, tackle Dathen Miller and middle linebacker/outside linebacker Demont Chalmbers all received All-Conference recognition.

Several of the Patriots' All-Conference players will be returning next season. Davis commented on what he expects from that group of players.

“You hope they keep progressing to where those are your All-State guys next year,” Davis said. We really expect some big things out of those guys. You really expect those guys to be the bulk of your production next year.”

One of those players is quarterback Peyton Walker. Walker threw for 2,395 yards and 27 touchdowns this season while only being intercepted nine times.

“Anytime you have a quarterback coming back who can throw for that many yards, that's a huge boost for your offense,” Davis said.

However, the greatest honor for Davis is watching the progression of his players.

“Just to see their progression to where they are now as All-Conference or All-State I think speaks credit to their hard work and dedication to the craft of football,” Davis said. “I think it means a lot for our football program for these guys to get recognized. It shows people on a state level that we have some pretty good athletes over here. It shows people that our program as a whole is progressing and it's to the credit of these young men.”

Three Patriots also received All-Conference Honorable Mentions. That recognition was handed out to middle linebacker/running back Timon Atkins, guard Jackson English and tackle Phillip Marconi.

By Collins Peeples