by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
Conference-leading Colonial Beach, which went 8-2 to earn a third-round seed in the Region 1A playoffs, led the All-Conference 43 football team, released last week.
The Drifters claimed four of the top six honors and Jeremy Jack was chosen by his peers at the conference as coach of the year. Senior Lamar Lucas took two of the top spots as the offensive player of the year and the conference’s top offensive back. Colonial Beach senior Quintin Napper was named the defensive player of the year and teammate senior Alonzo Turner was the defensive back of the year.
Essex, which went 6-5 to advance to the regional semifinals, named senior Taishan Holmes as the offensive lineman of the year.
Northumberland High senior Thomas Bingham was chosen as the defensive lineman of the year.
Colonial Beach took six spots on the first team defense and six on the first team offense.
Lancaster had two players named to the first team offense in senior quarterback James Coleman and sophomore running back Chris Dameron.
Coleman, who had 50 completions for 750 yards with six touchdowns, made the first team as an all-purpose player and was named the second team quarterback. Coleman also had 708 yards rushing with 11 touchdowns.
Dameron led LHS in rushing with 1,207 yards and 11 touchdowns. He averaged 109.7 yards per game and 7.3 yards a carry.
Lancaster senior Brandon Hill claimed a second team wide receiver spot with eight receptions for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
LHS senior Kenyon Johnson received honorable mention as a guard.
Hill was the only LHS player receiving a defensive honor as a second team linebacker.
Northumberland filled three spots on the first team including Bingham at tackle, sophomore quarterback Delvin Palmer and senior wide receiver Jason Smith.
The Indians had four players make the all-conference first team defense with Bingham as a lineman, senior Jason Smith as a linebacker, senior Connor Woolard as a punter and senior RayQuawn Ball as a defensive back.
Others named to the first team offense were Colonial Beach’s junior kick returner AnaJai Lewis, senior tackle Quintin Napper, senior tight end Wyatt Feltner, junior center Joshua Willford, sophomore guard Quinton Thomas and running back Lucas; Essex High’s senior guard Taishan Holmes, sophomore running back K.J. Dameron and junior wide receiver Terrell Hundley; Rappahannock’s freshman wide receiver Tyler West and Rappahannock County’s senior kicker Jack Massie.
The offensive second team included Colonial Beach’s all-purpose player Alonzo Turner and running back Lewis; Essex High’s sophomore guard Syncere Gray, senior tackle Vaughan Owen junior center Wayne Harris and junior running back Tim Johnson; Northumberland’s junior guard Collin Chinn, junior tight end Christian Headley, senior wide receiver DeQuine Johnson, kicker Woolard and running back/kick returner Ball and Rappahannock’s sophomore wide receiver Joseph Pierson and senior tackle Nathaniel Johnson.
Other members of the first team defense were Essex High’s sophomore end Adarious Jones, junior linebacker Ricardo Henson, senior back Isaiah Taylor, junior back Tim Johnson and Holmes; Colonial Beach’s all-purpose player Tajahn Whiting, senior back Alonzo Turner, junior lineman Jeremiah Gibson, Lucas and senior linebackers A.J. Phillips and Napper, and Rappahannock High’s senior lineman Raven Wilson.
The second team defense includes Colonial Beach’s senior end Bailey Allison, sophomore linebacker Cole Setliff, junior back Lewis and freshman back Corvion Davis; Essex High’s all-purpose player Jamal Ball, junior punter Tim Johnson, junior linebacker Dequane Reynolds and lineman Gray, and Northumberland’s junior end Christian Headley, senior linebacker Derrick Dawson, defensive back Palmer, senior defensive back DaMontae Thornton, and senior linemen Jermaha Basker and Ryan Bunn.
