Telegraph Staff Writer
Union County High School junior Daylyn Diston was named Player of the Year, while Bradford High School senior quarterback Amari Jones was named Offensive Player of the Year with the release of the Gainesville Sun’s Small-School All-Area Football Teams.
Diston recorded 36 tackles (22 solo) and had one forced fumble and six pass deflections from his defensive-back spot. A highlight of his season was returning interceptions 51 yards and 85 yards for touchdowns in the Tigers’ 52-14 win over Hilliard in a Region 3-1A semifinal game.
On the offensive side of the ball, Diston caught 15 passes for 372 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing for 369 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries.
Jones completed 148 of 262 passes for 2,287 yards and 19 touchdowns, while also rushing for 371 yards and seven touchdowns on 67 carries.
Union had two players linemen named to the first-team offense: senior Alex Dure and junior Carson Rogers.
Joining Diston on the first-team defense at linemen positions were senior Tigers Trevor Holtzendorf and Curran Webb.
Holtzendorf made 104 tackles (55 solo and 13.5 for loss) and five sacks. He also had two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Webb made 99 tackles (52 solo and 31 for loss), 14 sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
Bradford junior linebacker Bryson Bowen was a first-team pick as well. He made 48 tackles (30 solo) and had one fumble recovery.
The second-team offense consisted of six Union players: Diston at the utility spot, junior running back Rayvon Durant, senior running back Caleb Crawford, sophomore lineman Tucker Baynard, junior lineman Mikah Wilson and sophomore kicker Jonathan Edwards.
Durant rushed for 1,344 yards and 15 touchdowns on 112 carries, while Crawford rushed for 703 yards and 11 touchdowns on 119 carries.
Edwards was 58 of 62 on extra-point attempts and made all five of his field-goal attempts.
Bradford senior wide receiver Jontez Williams was a second-team pick after catching 34 passes for 653 yards and four touchdowns.
Two Tornadoes were second-team defensive picks: senior linebacker Sincere Hankerson and sophomore defensive back Chalil Cummings. Hankerson made made 52 tackles (27 solo), while Cummings had 64 tackles (42 solo) to go along with two interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Union junior linebacker Hance Jones was named to the second team after recording 70 tackles (31 solo and 9.5 for loss. He also forced a fumble and had one fumble recovery.
Bradford had nine players earn honorable mention: senior running back Isaiah Wilcox, senior wide receivers Jeremiah Crum and Triavez Hankerson, senior offensive lineman Nathaniel Bowlan-Smith, junior running back Manny Covey, junior wide receiver/defensive back Jarrin Alexander, junior offensive lineman Elijah Williams, sophomore wide receiver Dae’Jon Shanks and sophomore offensive lineman Jorden Daniels.
Covey rushed for 558 yards and seven touchdowns on 102 carries, while catching 27 passes for 399 yards and two touchdowns. Wilcox rushed for 216 yards and one touchdown on 62 carries.
Alexander caught seven passes for 56 yards and one touchdown, Crum caught 25 passes for 337 yards and one touchdown, Hankerson caught nine passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and Shanks caught 30 passes for 382 yards and four touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Alexander made 25 tackles (14 solo) and had two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
The Tigers had four earn honorable mention: seniors Malcolm Odum and Martin Odum, junior quarterback A.J. Cortese and junior defensive lineman Dayviontae “Bubba” Thompson.
Martin Odum made an impact mostly as a defensive back, recording 62 tackles (30 solo and eight for loss) and forcing two fumbles. Martin Odum played multiple positions on offense and filled in at quarterback when Cortese was injured. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 526 yards and seven touchdowns, while rushing for 61 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
Cortese completed 20 of 35 passes for 343 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 465 yards and eight touchdowns on 33 carries.
Thompson made 58 tackles (28 solo and 22 for loss) and 10 sacks. He also forced two fumbles.
