MaxPreps All Northern Section Football Team

Video: Shasta football highlights vs. Marin Catholic High School
See the Wolves dominated in their regional NorCal bowl game.

The Northern Section saw record-setting performances, drought-ending championships and strong showings in the state playoffs.

Shasta ended its 29-year section-title drought with a thumping of Chico in the Division II title game and followed that with a resounding win over Marin Catholic (Kentfield) in the 3AA NorCal regional bowl game. The Wolves lost to Bishop Diego (Santa Barbara) in the state title game, but along the way Shasta had two runners eclipse the 1,700-yard rushing mark. Vincent Smith ran for 2,363 yards (good for third all time in the section) and Seth Park set a section touchdown record.

Sutter kept rolling with its fourth-straight Northern Section Division III title and had running back Trever Facey become the first player in section history to pass the 1,000-yard mark in rushing and receiving.

East Nicolaus and Chester also ended the season with section titles.

MaxPreps All Northern Section Team
Player of the Year
RB — Vincent Smith, Shasta (Redding), Sr.
Smith ran for a section-best 2,363 yards and 24 TDs for the Wolves. He averaged 181 yards per game and played the last half of the season with a broken hand. Named Northern Section MVP as well as the Record Searchlight's MVP.

Offensive Player of the Year
RB — Trever Facey, Sutter, Sr.
The Huskies' Facey went for more than 2,000 yards this season – 1,797 and 19 TDs on the ground and 1,034 receiving with nine more scores. He broke the school's single-season rushing mark and led Sutter to a fourth-straight section title.

Defensive Player of the Year
DE — Tyler Gillming, Sutter, Sr.
Northern Section Defensive MVP with 77 tackles, including 21 tackles for a loss. Gillming had 11.5 sacks and 22 hurries. He also had one blocked punt for a Sutter team that allowed 135 points all season.

Lineman of the Year
OT/DE — Jarrett Kingston, Anderson, Sr.
Kingston, who is Washington State bound, led the Cubs in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Anderson averaged 229 yards per game rushing behinds Kingston and his line mates, and defensively the Cubs gave up 266 points all season en route to a section final loss to Sutter. First team All-Northern Section, first team All Record Searchlight.

Junior of the Year
RB/LB — Bailey Sulzer, West Valley (Cottonwood)
Sulzer ran for 723 yards for the Eagles. Defensively, he had 56 tackles, including 10 for a loss. First team All-Northern Section; first team All Record Searchlight.

Sophomore of the Year
QB/LB — Gavin Mcauliff, East Nicolaus (Nicolaus)
Threw for 1,516 yards and 16 TDs for Spartans. Mcauliff added 708 yards rushing on 128 carries and 10 scores. He had 54 tackles at his linebacker spot.

Coaches of the Year
Large Schools: JC Hunsaker, Shasta
In his third year, Hunsaker led the Wolves to their first section title in 29 years, a NorCal win over Marin Catholic and an appearance in the 3-AA finals against Bishop Diego. The Wolves' uptempo Wing-T produced two 1,900-yard rushers in Vincent Smith and Seth Park. Named All-Northern Section and Record Searchlight Coach of the Year.

Medium Schools: Matt Kemmis, Gridley
Kemmis inherited a 1-9 Bulldogs team and turned it into a 9-3 squad that earned its first playoff in 10 years. In the previous decade, Gridley was 25-78. Named Marysville Appeal Democrat Coach of the Year.

Smalls Schools: Rich Dreith, Chester
Dreith led the Volcanoes to an 11-1 mark and a Northern Section Division V crown. Two years after the Volcanoes failed to field a varsity team, Dreith took the team to a 6-5 mark last year and the section title this season with a 420-to-165 point differential.
First Team Offense
QB — Tyler Reynolds, Sutter, Sr.
The Marysville Appeal Democrat's Offensive MVP as well as the first team All-Northern Section quarterback, Reynolds capped off a brilliant Sutter career with 2,587 yards on 162-of-218 attempts with 24 touchdowns. The coach's son added 970 yards rushing and 11 scores for the Huskies, who won their fourth straight Northern Section title.

RB — Seth Park, Shasta (Redding), Sr.
Park was the lightning to Smith’s thunder and rushed for 1,856 yards with a section record 38 touchdowns on 10.3 yards per carry and had 400 receiving yards. He sat out the state championship game due to injury. Park’s speed made him a threat with and without the ball. He was first team All-Northern Section and All Record Searchlight as well as all-league.

RB — Parker Phillips, Anderson, Jr.
Ran for 1,770 yards and 24 touchdowns for section runner-up Cubs. He came up big in a semifinal, revenge win against West Valley, running for 250 yards on 19 carries and a pair of scores. All Northern Athletic League, and first team All Record Searchlight and All Northern Section pick.

RB — Bryce Kunkle, Sutter, Sr.
An All-Area first team pick by the Appeal Democrat, Kunkel ran for 1,491 yards and 18 TDs as the Huskies won their fourth straight section title. The fullback was a great balance to the explosiveness of Facey and ended his Sutter career with nearly 3,500 yards rushing.

RB — Dylan Moore, West Valley (Cottonwood), Sr.
Moore was the Northern Athletic League Offensive MVP and ran for 1,309 yards and 17 scores for the Eagles. Moore was a second team All-Northern Section and first team All-Record Searchlight pick.

WR — Chandler Monahan, Lassen (Susanville), Sr.
The first team All-Northern Section wideout had 906 yards receiving on 42 catches in just nine games for the Grizzlies. First team All-Record Searchlight

WR — David Yates, Anderson, Sr.
Yates had 878 yards receiving on 85 catches and seven TDs on a Cubs team that reached the section finals. Named first team All-Northern Section and All Record Searchlight.

WR — Zach Thompson, Fall River (McArthur), Sr.
Thompson had 793 yards receiving on 48 catches and 13 TDs. Named second team All-Northern Section and first team All-Record Searchlight.

TE — Cody Billson, Chico, Sr.
All-Northern Section, Billson had one receiving TD and was instrumental in the Panthers' rushing attack.

OL — Zach Carr, Foothill (Palo Cedro), Sr.
Undersized at 5-11, 183 pounds Carr helped dual-threat QB Jayden Gordon and running back Jeshua Womack roam free. Carr was a first team All-Northern Section and All-Record Searchlight pick as well an all-league pick.

OL — Aiden Schatz, Chico, Sr.
Listed at 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, Schatz was one of four returning starters to the offensive line that led the Panthers to an 8-4 mark and section title game appearance. All EAL pick, All-Northern Section first team.

OL — Luis Penick, Anderson, Sr.
A first team All-Northern Section choice, Penick played both ways for the Cubs. The 6-foot, 259-pound lineman had three pancake blocks as Anderson reached the section title game.

OL — Anthony Beltran, Shasta, Sr.
The Wolves' guard was deadly when pulling for any one of the team's wings. An All EAL, All-Northern Section and All-Record Searchlight pick, Beltran also played defensive line for the Wolves.

OL — Wyatt Winkle, Pleasant Valley (Chico), Sr.
A two-time All-Northern Section selection, Winkle helped the Vikings overcome a slow start and make the playoffs as a No. 3 seed.

K — Brian Melendez, Anderson, Jr.
Melendez was a perfect 11-of-11 on field goals with a long of 35 yards. He was also 41-of-45 on extra point tries. All-Northern Section first team.

P — Curtis McCoy, Corning, Sr.
A first team All-Northern Section pick, McCoy averaged 37 yards per kick for the Cardinals. All-Northern Section first team.

Utility
QB/LB — Brian Harper, Trinity (Weaverville), Sr.
The quarterback threw for 1,026 yards and 13 TDs, completing 62 percent for the 7-3 Wolves. He added 492 yards rushing and six scores. Defensively, Harper nabbed five interceptions and notched 111 tackles with two fumbles. Mid-Valley League All League pick.

QB — Leslie Cummings, Enterprise (Redding), Jr.
There might not be a player with more explosive potential than Cummings. Hampered by an ankle injury, he still threw for 1,242 yards and 10 TDs while adding 453 yards on the ground with four scores.

RB/LB — Dakota Mosby, Shasta, Sr.
One of the only two-way players for the Wolves, the 5-6, 155 Mosby played oversized for Shasta. He had nearly 400 yards rushing and three scores, while adding 64 tackles at his outside linebacker spot (including 17 for a loss).

QB — Marshal Brose, Red Bluff, Sr.
Brose threw for 1,620 yards and 16 scores with only seven interceptions. Dangerous outside of the pocket, the first team All-Record Searchlight quarterback ran for 671 yards and nine scores. All NAL pick.

First team defense
DE — Dalton Underwood, Foothill, Sr.
Underwood, an All EAL pick, was a force on Foothill's defensive line. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior also came in to play some tight end on offense. An All-Northern Section pick.

DE — Levi Peterson, Shasta, Sr.
Though Peterson missed several games with a knee injury, he ended with 38 tackles and seven sacks for the Wolves. An emotional leader, he was a force in the section title game against Chico. All-Record Searchlight second team.

DT — Christian Hovey, East Nicolaus, Sr.
Hovey had 97 tackles for the Spartans, including 12 for a loss. He led East Nic with 4.5 sacks as the Spartans repeated as section title winners.

DT — Jose Martinez, Chico, Jr.
The 6-foot, 240-pound lineman played both sides of the ball, but was a force on the defensive side. Quick and strong, Martinez often gave opposing teams fits.

LB — Dawson Gruhler, University Prep (Redding), Sr.
The Shasta Cascade League MVP led the section in tackles with 223 (he led the nation in tackles portions of the season) and was an All-Record Searchlight and All-Northern Section pick. He had 91 solo tackles and 29 tackles for a loss.

LB — Troy Lyons, Shasta, Sr.
The heart of the Wolves' defense, Lyons led the NorCal champions with 120 tackles, three interceptions, 29 tackles for a loss and added four sacks. An All EAL pick, as well as a first team Northern Section and Record Searchlight pick.

LB — Detrius Kelsall, Shasta, Sr.
The Washington state transfer had a huge impact for the Wolves. Kelsall went both ways for Shasta, playing wing on offense and anchoring the linebacking corps alongside Lyons. An All EAL pick, as well as a first team Northern Section and Record Searchlight pick.

CB — Corey Taylor, East Nicolaus, Sr.
He compiled 80 tackles from his DB spot, added three interceptions and three blocked punts. He also was the Spartans' leading rusher with 1,235 yards on 142 carries and 14 touchdowns.

CB — Kavon Samuels, Chico, Sr.
Samuels was a lock-down corner who blossomed on offense as the season progressed. A first team All-Northern Section pick, he had a dream game against rival Pleasant Valley, going for 142 yards rushing and three scores.

CB — Kurtis Gipson, Shasta, Sr.
Gipson did a little of everything for the Wolves. Matched up against the opponent's best receiver, Gipson had two interceptions and 59 tackles defense. He returned kickoffs and punts, including an 89-yard kickoff return. He also played wideout and caught five TDs passes on the Wolves' run-heavy team.

S — Manny Tovalin, Durham, Sr.
Compiled 86 tackles, including eight for a loss from his safety position. He added three interceptions, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt. Offensively, he ran for 1,390 yards on 153 carries and 16 scores. A first team All-Northern Section pick.

Second team offense
WR — Jusiah Gabel, West Valley
WR — Nickalus McCracken, Gridley
RB — Jeshua Womack, Foothill
RB — Marcus Williamson, Trinity
OL — Sutter Sullwold, Chico
OL — Tobias Olivera, Red Bluff
OL — Garett Kilgore, Anderson
OL — Tommy Alexander, Sutter
C — Tyler Critser, Paradise
QB — Jace Villapania, Gridley
AP — Dutch Kalfsbeek, Pierce (Arbuckle)
K — Caden Crumm, Pleasant Valley

Second team defense
DE — Dawson Wolcott, U-Prep (Redding)
DE — Jake Farrell, Chico
DT — Travis Tedder, Sutter
DT — Josiah Badie, Durham
LB — Tony Rogers, Chester
LB — Jeremy Persing, Yreka
LB — Trevor Bowen, Enterprise (Redding)
DB — Caleb Cooley, Pleasant Valley
DB — Brendan Stewart, Corning
DB — Tyler Hafner, Enterprise
DB — Ethan Bainbridge, Chico
P — Trevor Schluter, Modoc (Alturas)