Argyle Athletics Booster Club, Argyle H.S. TX

Every year, the coaches in district 8-3A get together to select the players they recognize for their performance during the season.  This year, 10 Eagles earned recognition on the 1st team including quarterback JJ Harp who was selected as the district's Most Valuable Player and sophomore DE David Johnson who was named as co-MVP on defense.

Here are the all-district selections on offense:

Quarterback - JJ Harp.  All year, JJ was ranked as either the #1 or #2 QB in North Texas and had an outstanding year.  He threw for nearly 3,500 yards with 35 TD passes and completed 71% of his passes.   JJ's leadership and ability to turn what could have been a big loss into a big gain, never ceased to amaze me.  I gave up counting how many times people would yell "throw it away JJ" only to see him miraculously escape to throw a TD pass at the last minute.

Wide Receiver - Matt Handler.  Matt was a three year starter for the Eagles and had a great year as he was on the receiving end of 58 of JJ's passes for over 1,000 yards.  He was unstoppable against Decatur this year  when he caught 10 passes for over 200 yards and a couple of key TD's.  His performance on the last drive against Snyder was equally impressive, as he caught 4 balls - 3 for 1st downs and the other for a TD - to get within one score of tieing the game with just over a minute to play.

Wide Receiver - Brady Brown.  Brady was the go-to receiver for many of Harp's passes, as he also had a fantastic year.  Brady led the area in receiving for most of the year, catching 94 passes for over 1,000 yards and 12 TD's.  Many teams tried to double-team Brady, only to see him break free and make a key catch after catch.  At 6'5", with great speed and incredible hands, look for Brady to set even more records as he returns next year for his senior season.

Guard - Chas Eads.  As a 1st year starter, senior Chas Eads had a terrific season at right guard.  Chas and his colleagues on the offensive line dominated most nights, allowing JJ plenty of time to throw and opening running lanes for Kyle Frizzell's 1000 yard rushing season.  Chas' game against Snyder stands out, as he went up against a huge defensive tackle and pretty much dominated him the entire game.

Center - Corey White.  Corey was a unanimous selection by all 7 8-3A coaches at center.  As a two-year starter and team captain, Corey led the offensive line which allowed the Eagles to post records for total yardage and touchdowns.  In the two years he played, I believe Corey was perfect in his snaps, which is remarkable for a team that runs the shotgun 99% of the time.

Placekicker - Ben Parks.  Ben was an invaluable weapon for the Eagles, and has been as a three year starter at kicker.  He too was a unanimous selection for the all-district team.  He made 11 of 16 field goals on the year and was 60 for 63 on extra points.  His ability to boom kickoffs enabled the Eagles to gain a critical advantage in field position, as nearly half of his kickoffs were touchbacks.  No wonder he was 1st-team all-state last year as a junior.  We may see a lot of Ben's kicking on TV in the future, as several Division 1 colleges are seeking his services.

On defense, here are Eagles that earned 1st team all-district :

Defensive end - David Johnson.  David was selected as the co-MVP in all of district 8-3A for his incredible performance this year.  After switching to defensive end from quarterback early in the year, David quickly became a dominant defender on his side of the ball.  He registered a team-leading 9 sacks on the year.  His performance against Bridgeport with 4 sacks on the night, was something to see.  To think we get to watch David, who is just a sophomore, for the next two years is something to get excited about.

Inside Linebacker - Trevor Cantrell.  Trevor was a unanimous selection of every coach in the district.  Trevor, who was a two-year starter, led the team in tackles with 115 on the season.  Trevor was also a team captain and if ever someone led by example with his effort, tenacity, and enthusiasm, it was Trevor.  I'll always remember how he completely blew up Whitewright's all-state running back on the 1st play this year, setting the tone for a dominant night for the Eagles.

Defensive Back - Gavin Pucciarello.  Gavin was also a unanimous selection by the coaches.  As a three year lettermen, Gavin had his best season this year at safety for the Eagles.  He has 95 tackles on the season and broke up more than 10 passes that came his way.  His performance against Sanger this year was something to see, as it seemed like he knocked sideways anything and everything in a different colored jersey.  Gavin also led the Eagles in punt and kickoff returns on the year - so much so that most teams didn't even try to kick it near him.

Defensive Back - Colby Oberle.  Colby earned the unanimous recognition by every district coach for his performance at cornerback this year.  As a first year starter, Colby used his size, strength, and speed to become a shut-down corner for the Eagles this season.  He led the team in passes broken up with 18.  His performance against Gainesville stands out in my mind this year where I believe he broke up 5 passes, most of them on attempts to throw deep, which he completely denied.

The following Eagles earned recognition for their performance as they were selected to the 2nd team all district squad:

Running back - Kyle Frizzell.  Kyle had a great year rushing for over 1200 yards, including 8 100 yard+ games, and a team leading 19 touchdowns.

Wide Receiver - Justin McGuffey.  Justin seemed to catch a touchdown on just about every other reception.  Justin's speed was a huge threat and helped him catch nearly 30 passes on the year for 6 touchdowns.

Defensive Line - Cooper Sewell.  As a two year starter, Cooper capped off his high school career with a terrific season.  Cooper had the ability to come up with the big tackle at crucial moments stopping many of the opponents drives.  He had more than 60 tackles on the year and 4 sacks.

Defensive Line - Colin Mock.  Colin showed a lot of heart and perseverance as he came back from a season-ending injury last year to start once again at nosetackle. Colin had the knack for causing fumbles as he hustled from sideline to sideline making too many big hits to mention.  He led the team in tackles for lost-yardage.

Linebacker - Ben Parks.  In addition to his kicking duties, Ben had a terrific year as an inside linebacker for the Eagles.  Ben led the team in caused fumbles and his play against Clyde - where he caused and recovered  a 4th quarter fumble - removed all doubt that the Eagles were going to advance in the playoffs.

Outside linebacker - Pat Dawkins.  Pat was a hitting machine as a 1st year starter for the Eagles at OLB.  He led the team in caused fumbles and often shut down his side of the field.

Outside linebacker - Jake Katzen.  Although Jake's season was cut short with an injury against Sanger, he had a very good year as a 1st year starter and sophomore.  Jake was second on the team in caused fumbles, had 3 sacks, and recoverd 3 fumbles on the year.

Defensive back - Michael Stein.  Michael came up with a big year as a 1st year starter at safety for the Eagles.  He was second on the team with 4 interceptions and was among the top 5 leading tacklers on the team.