Ten high school football players from the Chattanooga area earned spots on the Tennessee Sports Writers Association's 2019 all-state teams for classes 4A, 5A and 6A.
The list includes four local players in 4A: East Hamilton's Adam Caudle and Cade Meeks, Howard's Eric Johnson and Central's Hunter Jones.
Three in both 5A - Soddy-Daisy's KeSean Eubanks and Hayden Maynor and Rhea County's Bradley Goodwin - and 6A - McMinn County's Jalen Hunt and Bryce Goodner and Bradley Central's Tray Curry - were honored as well.
Caudle had 60 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles and also ran for 800 yards and had 21 touchdowns to lead the Hurricanes to a second-place finish in Region 2-4A. Teammate Meeks caught 37 passes for 600 yards and eight TDs and also was a force on defense with six interceptions and five tackles for loss.
Johnson was the co-offensive player of the year for Region 2-4A after rushing for 1,011 yards and 16 touchdowns as well as making 18 tackles for loss to help the Hustlin' Tigers reach the playoffs.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd/ Three Hurricane defenders stop Howard's Eric Johnson (4). The Howard Hustling Tigers hosted the East Hamilton Hurricanes in TSSAA football on November 1, 2019.Jones was a two-way star for the Purple Pounders with 97 total tackles, seven for lost yardage and 1,305 all-purpose yards on offense with 10 TDs.
Maynor had 98 tackles to lead a stingy Soddy-Daisy defense and also ran for 1,116 yards, had 305 receiving yards and scored 20 total TDs. Eubanks caught 58 passes for 891 yards and 15 TDs. Goodwin had 105 tackles, 30 for loss and six sacks. He also caused four fumbles and was named the Region 4-5A defensive player of the year.
Curry proved to be one of the most versatile athletes in the area with 1,220 total yards - 30 catches for 555 yards and 665 rushing yards (averaging 10.4 per carry) - with 18 TDs. He's also listed as one of the state's top overall junior prospects as a receiver.
The best news for McMinn County is that both of its representatives on the all-state list are juniors. Hunt ranked among the TSSAA's rushing leaders with 1,731 yards - which also set the school's single-season record - and set the school record for yards in a game with 380 on 29 carries against Bradley Central. The junior also owns the Cherokees' record with 3,303 career rushing yards. He finished this season with 14 TDs and averaged 9.7 yards per carry, much of which came running behind the 6-foot-3, 290-pound Goodner, who had 66 pancake blocks and 26 knockdowns and was named Region 2-5A lineman of the ear.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.
TSWA all-state teams
CLASS 6AOFFENSEQB – Cade Chambers (Maryville), Brian Garcia (Ravenwood); RB – Jalen Hunt (McMinn County), Lincoln Pare (Germantown Houston); WR – Grayson Hitt (Germantown Houston), Andrew Mason, Ravenwood), Ashton Maples (Maryville); OL – Bryce Goodner (McMinn County), Graham Barton (Ravenwood), Jackson Riley (Oakland), Nathan Havrda (Germantown Houston), Ray Curry (White Station); ATH – A.J. Davis (Maryville), Tray Curry (Bradley Central); K – Luke Akers (Ravenwood).DEFENSEDL – Ethan Ensley (Maryville), Reggie Grimes Jr. (Ravenwood), Deion Harris (Germantown Houston), Zyon Walker (Whitehaven); LB – Mason Shelton (Maryville), Bryson Eason (Whitehaven), Martavius French (Whitehaven), Conner Murphy (Blackman); DB – Drew Crowder (Maryville), Jaxson Campbell (Independence), Tamarion McDonald (Whitehaven); ATH – Aaron Moore (Oakland); P – Kade Hensley (Science Hill).CLASS 5AOFFENSEQB – Dakota Fawver (Knox Central), Dain Patterson (Dyer County); RB – Spencer Gallatin (Gallatin), Elijah Young (South-Doyle), WR – Brayden Hurst (Sevier County), Donta Hackler (David Crockett), KeSean Eubanks (Soddy-Daisy); OL – Michael Treadwell (Powell), Gary Smith III (Shelbyville Central), Nolan Wishon (Tennessee High), Tyrell Ragland (Knox West), Joel Meier (Page); ATH – Ja’sean Parks (Beech); K – Jarred Swislosky (Knox Central).DEFENSEDL – Colton Webb (Powell), Tyrece Edwards (Knox West), David Bailey (Columbia Central), Jaylen Herrud (Summit); LB – Kalib Fortner (Knox Central), Drew Francis (Knox West), Keaten Wade (Summit), Bradley Goodwin (Rhea County), Hayden Maynor (Soddy-Daisy); DB – LaQuinton Wells (Dyer County), Jaidin Horton (Knox Central), Prince Kollie (David Crockett); ATH – Romal Webb (Southwind); P – Bailor Hughes (Powell).CLASS 4AOFFENSEQB – Will McDonald (Livingston Academy), Bryson Rollins (Elizabethton); RB – Cade Maupin (Elizabethton), Eric Johnson (Howard); WR – Cade Meeks (East Hamilton), Parker Hughes (Elizabethton), Hudson Wolfe (Hardin County); OL – Chris Everhart (Greeneville), Cam Necessary (Sullivan South), Tristan Petit (Springfield), Cole Morganstern (Elizabethton), Conner Johnson (Elizabethton); ATH – Luke Pratt (Crockett County); K – CeJ Jones (Greeneville).DEFENSEDL – Leyton Mitchel (Greeneville), Tez Allen (Marshall County), Joseph Kechter (Elizabethton), Carson Stresemann (Elizabethton); LB – Ty Youngblood (Greeneville), C.J. Ware (Nolensville), Marquis Pugh (Haywood), Traverious Baker (Haywood); DB – Adam Caudle (East Hamilton), Tim Coutras (Nolensville), A.J. Stewart (Greeneville), Hunter Jones (Chattanooga Central); ATH – Cortez Chandler (Northside); P – Daniel Bethel (Anderson County).