Video: Shaun Wade ultimate highlightsTrinity Christian Academy's Shaun Wade is the MaxPreps Small Schools Player of the Year.
Usually player of the year honors on All-American teams go to the offensive players who roll up the big stat numbers, but that's not the case this year. The MaxPreps Small Schools National Player of the Year award goes to Shaun Wade, a defensive back at Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Fla.) who ranked among the best players in the country regardless of the size of school.
Wade earned first team All-American honors by MaxPreps and was also honored as the state Player of the Year by Gatorade and the Florida Dairy Farmers. A member of four consecutive Class 3A state championships in Florida, Wade is heading north next year to play at Ohio State.
The MaxPreps Small Schools National Coach of the Year honors goes to Rodney Steele of Steel Valley (Munhall, Pa.). In earning the No. 1 spot in the final MaxPreps Small Schools National Rankings, Steel Valley won the Class 2A state championship and outscored opponents 806-121 while going 15-0.
Wade and Steele head the MaxPreps Small Schools All-American Team, which consists of 60 players on a first and second team. The players come from schools that play in state enrollment divisions that generally have under 1,000 students.
MaxPreps Small Schools All-American Team

Photos by Robbie Rakestraw/Keith Coward/Andrew Bershaw
First Team Offense
QB – Michael Everett, Odem (Texas), 6-1, 185, Sr.
Everett earned Associated Press Class 3A Offensive Player of the Year honors in Texas after throwing for 4,362 yards (331 of 496) and 58 touchdowns. He finished his career with 822 completions on 1,238 attempts for 12,631 yards and 159 touchdowns. The Corpus Christi Caller Times selected Everett the offensive Player of the Year on its All-South Texas team.
QB – Brandon George, Jones (Okla.), 6-1, 202, Sr.
George led Jones to a 15-0 season and a Class 3A state championship. He earned second team All-State honors by the Oklahoman while completing 235-of-331 passes for 4,035 yards and 44 touchdowns. For his career, George completed 614-of-1,005 passes for 9,055 yards and 91 touchdowns.
RB – Daniel Bangura, Harvest Prep (Canal Winchester, Ohio), 5-10, 170, Jr.
Bangura was the second-leading rusher in the nation with 4,128 yards rushing on 372 carries with 54 touchdowns. He had a high game of 451 yards in a playoff win over Danville and had back-to-back games with seven touchdowns. He earned first team All-Ohio Division VII by the Associated Press.
RB – Austin Bowling, Lawrenceburg (Ind.), 6-0, 220, Sr.
Bowling helped Lawrenceburg to a 13-2 record and a berth in the Class 3A state championship game. He led the state of Indiana in rushing yardage with 3,165 yards on 387 carries. He also finished third in the nation with 52 touchdowns. Bowling earned a spot on the Associated Press Class 3A All-State team.
RB – Jared Smith, Pewamo-Westphalia (Pewamo, Mich.), 6-0, 205, Sr.
Smith had nearly 700 yards less rushing his senior year than he did his junior year when he set a state record for rushing yardage with 3,243 yards, but he helped lead his team to a 14-0 record and a Division VII state championship after falling one game short last season. Smith ran for 2,576 yards on 258 carries with 38 touchdowns. For his career, Smith carried 782 times for 7,955 yards and 120 touchdowns.
WR – Sage Surratt, Lincolnton (N.C.), 6-4, 210, Sr.
Surratt finished second in the nation with 130 receptions for 2,104 yards and 28 touchdowns. The transfer from East Lincoln finished his career with 348 catches for 5,626 yards and 73 touchdowns. Selected to the Associated Press and NCPreps.com All-State teams. Surratt ranks No. 1 in state history in career catches and yards.
WR – Judah Bell, Bishop Gorman (Tyler, Texas), 6-3, 184, Sr.
A TAPPS Division II All-State selection, Bell led the nation in receiving yards with 2,352. That total ranks No. 3 all-time nationally. He caught 110 passes and scored 18 touchdowns. For his career, Bell caught 227 passes for 4,685 yards and 44 touchdowns.
WR – Jayden Borders, Shelby (N.C.), 5-11, 175, Sr.
Borders helped Shelby to a 16-0 record and a Class 2A state championship. He caught over 80 passes for the third straight year, grabbing 81 for 1,726 yards and 22 touchdowns. For his career, Borders caught 262 passes for 4,653 yards and 58 touchdowns. He earned All-State honors from the Associated Press and NCPreps.com. He's committed to play at East Carolina.
TE – BJ Thompson, England (Ark.), 6-6, 200, Sr.
An All-State selection by All-Arkansas Preps, Thompson excelled at tight end and on the defensive line. He had 29 tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss with 7.5 sacks on defense while catching 37 passes for 601 yards and 20 touchdowns on offense.
OL – Richard Gouraige, Cambridge Christian (Tampa, Fla.), 6-6, 275, Jr.
One of the top-ranked offensive linemen in the Class of 2018 by 247Sports, Gouraige earned All-Tampa Bay honors by the Tampa Bay Times.
OL – Nicholas Petit-Frere, Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.), 6-6, 260, Jr.
All-State as a sophomore and a member of the Tampa Bay Times All-Tampa Bay team as a junior, Petit-Frere is ranked No. 6 on the offensive line by 247Sports.
OL – Cyril Spells, Village Academy (Delray Beach, Fla.), 6-2, 290, Sr.
Spells found a spot on the Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post all-county teams and reportedly had 43 pancake blocks.
OL - Dylan Deatherage, Bishop McNamara (Kankakee, Ill.), 6-5, 267, Sr.
Named to the All-State team by the state coaches association, Deatherage also earned All-Area honors by the Kankakee Valley Daily Journal. He will play at Western Michigan.
OL – Dillan Gibbons, Clearwater Central Catholic (Clearwater, Fla.), 6-5, 295, Sr.
Bound for Notre Dame, Gibbons earned first team All-Tampa Bay honors.
AP – Roshauud Paul, Bremond (Texas), 6-0, 170, Sr.
Paul
led Bremond to a Class 2A state championship and was named the
Associated Press Class 2A Offensive Player of the Year. He completed 114-of-181 passes for 2,103 yards and 23 touchdowns, and also rushed 222
times for 2,661 yards and 50 touchdowns. For his career, Paul completed
324-of-481 passes for 5,896 yards and 69 touchdowns, and rushed 595 times
for 6,341 yards and 107 touchdowns.
K – Ryan W. Henderson, Archbishop Murphy (Everett, Wash.), 6-1, 205, Sr.
An All-Area selection by the Everett News Tribune, Henderson had 12 field goals, with a long of 56, and was perfect on all 59 of his extra point attempts.
First Team Defense

Dax Hollifield, Shelby
Photo by Alik McIntosh
DL – Ethan Wiederkehr, Shoreham-Wading River (Shoreham, N.Y.), 6-6, 285 Sr.
American Family Insurance named Wiederkehr the state Defensive Player of the Year after he led his team to a third-straight Long Island Division IV championship. He finished with 91 tackles and eight sacks. He will play at Northwestern.
DL – Tyler Williams, Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach, Fla.), 6-1, 295, Sr.
Selected the Palm Beach County Defensive Player of the Year by the Palm Beach Post and the Sun Sentinel, Williams had 28 tackles, 18 of them for a loss, to go with 3.5 sacks. He will play at Wake Forest next year.
DL – Xavier Waggoner, Electra (Texas), 6-3, 215, Sr.
The Red Rider small schools Defensive Player of the Year, Waggoner also earned Class 1A All-State honors after making 157 tackles with 12.5 sacks and 44 tackles for loss.
DL – Luke Frederick, Bishop Guilfoyle (Altoona, Pa.), 6-5, 225, Sr.
Frederick
earned Class 1A All-State Defensive Player of the Year honors from
Pennsylvania Football News and was also named All-State by the
Associated Press. He had 134 tackles, including 39 tackles for loss and
20 sacks.
LB – Dax Hollifield, Shelby (N.C.), 6-2, 225, Jr.
Hollifield earned All-State honors by the Associated Press and NCPreps.com as he posted 146 tackles with 52 tackles for loss, 18 sacks and an interception.
LB - Christopher Allen, Southern Lab (Baton Rouge, La.), 6-5, 233, Sr.
Named the Class 1A state defensive Player of the Year by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and the overall state Defensive Player of the Year by American Family Insurance, Allen had 92 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and eight sacks for a team that went 14-1. He has committed to play at Alabama.
LB – Chris Harris Jr., Benedictine (Savannah, Ga.), 6-1, 230, Sr.
Harris helped Benedictine win the Class 2A state championship and was named the state Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and the Georgia Sports Writers Association. A member of the All-Greater Savannah team, Harris had 123 tackles with 11.5 tackles for loss.
LB – Nathan McBride, Vidalia (Ga.), 6-2, 220, Sr.
Selected to the Class 2A All-State team by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, McBride recently committed to play at Georgia. He had 115 tackles and three sacks this year while earning Region 2-AA Defensive Player of the Year honors.
LB – Chase Monroe, Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.), 6-2, 225, Sr.
Monroe landed a spot on the Charlotte Observer All-Area team and was named the state Defensive Player of the Year by American Family Insurance. Committed to Wake Forest, Monroe had 204 tackles with 10 sacks.
DB – Lamont Wade, Clairton (Pa.), 5-10, 185, Sr.
A star on both sides of the ball for Class 1A runner-up Clairton, Wade was the Gatorade state Player of the Year, the Post Gazette's All-Area co-Player of the Year and was selected as the Pennsylvania Football News' Class 1A Offensive Player of the Year. He was also named to PFN's all-Pennsylvania team as a defensive back. The Penn State commit had four interceptions on defense and ran for 2,368 yards. He finished his career with 7,079 yards and 117 touchdowns on 617 carries.
DB – Shaun Wade, Trinity Christian Academy (Jacksonville, Fla.), 6-3, 192, Sr.
The Jacksonville Times Union selected Wade as its All-First Coast Defensive Player of the Year after he helped lead Trinity Christian Academy to a Class 3A state championship. He had 63 tackles, seven interceptions and three defensive touchdowns. The Ohio State commit was also named the Gatorade state Player of the Year and the Florida Dairy Farmers Class 3A Player of the Year.
DB – Paris Ford, Steel Valley (Munhall, Pa.), 6-2, 185, Sr.
Selected as the state Defensive Player of the Year by American Family Insurance after helping Steel Valley to a 15-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking among small schools by MaxPreps. He was named the Class 2A All-Area Player of the Year by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and is a member of the Pennsylvania Football News' All-Pennsylvania team. Scored six touchdowns on interception returns.
DB – Tykel Landrum, Hendersonville (N.C.), 5-10, 175, Jr.
Named the Western North Carolina Defensive Player of the Year by the Asheville Citizen Times, Landrum had 95 tackles and 11 interceptions, three returned for touchdowns. He also had 96 catches on offense for 1,775 yards and 23 touchdowns. Also named to the NCPreps.com All-State team.
P – Jacob Moss, Santa Clarita Christian (Canyon Country, Calif.), 5-9, 175, Sr.
Besides catching 110 passes for 1,601 yards and 14 touchdowns, Moss also was a standout punter with a 44.5-yard average. An All-Santa Clarita Valley second team pick, Moss also had six interceptions on defense.
Second Team Offense

Nolan Groulx, Davidson Day
Photo by Chris Hull
QB – Josh Weiss, Cedar Grove-Belgium (Cedar Grove, Wis.), 6-3, 200, Sr.
Weiss earned All-State honors by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association after throwing for 4,232 yards on 253 completions in 356 attempts with 59 touchdowns for a team that went 12-2.
QB – Peter Morrison, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (Fort Wayne, Ind.), 5-10, 165, Sr.
A member of the Associated Press Class 3A All-State team, Morrison completed 243-of-365 passes for 3,991 yards and 52 touchdowns with just four interceptions. Morrison led his team to a 13-2 record and the Class 3A state championship. Named the All-Area player off the year by the Fort Wayne News Sentinel.
RB – Jordan Rowell, IC Catholic Prep (Elmhurst, Ill.), 6-2, 195, Sr.
Rowell earned All-State honors by the football coaches association and was All-Area by the Chicago Sun Times after helping IC Catholic Prep win a Class 3A state championship. He ran for 2,297 yards on 178 carries with 37 touchdowns. Also caught 32 passes for 543 yards and five scores. Finished with 5,501 career rushing yards and 70 touchdowns.
RB – Don Ragsdale, Pisgah (Sandhill, Miss.), 5-11, 190, Jr.
Ragsdale was named the Class 2A state Player of the Year by the state coaches association after rushing for 3,081 yards on 311 carries with 38 touchdowns. He was also named to the Clarion Ledger's All-State team.
RB – Keimon Bailey, John A. Holmes (Edenton, N.C.), 5-6, 170, Jr.
Bailey helped John A. Holmes to a berth in the Class 2A state championship game. He rushed for 2,853 yards on 285 carries with 36 touchdowns. He earned All-Area player of the year honors by the Elizabeth City Daily Advance.
WR – Reid Hilbelink, Cedar Grove-Belgium (Cedar Grove, Wis.), 6-2, 180, Sr.
Named to the All-State team by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, Hilbelink caught 97 passes for 1,986 yards and 22 touchdowns.
WR – D.J. Clayton, Kemper County (DeKalb, Miss.), 5-9, 165, Sr.
Helped Kemper County win the Class 3A state and earned a spot on the Clarion Ledger's All-State team and the coaches association's Class 3A All-State team. He caught 98 passes for 2,160 yards and 30 touchdowns.
WR – Nolan Groulx, Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.), 5-11, 185, So.
Groulx earned All-State honors from the Associated Press after posting some of the best receiving numbers in the nation. He caught 108 passes for 1,853 yards and 31 touchdowns.
TE – Adam Boselli, Episcopal School of Jacksonville (Fla.), 6-4, 210, Sr.
Son of former NFL All-Pro Tony Boselli, Adam earned All-First Coast honors by the Jacksonville Times Union with 41 catches for 736 yards and seven touchdowns.
OL – Austin Dotson, Belfry (Ky.), 6-6, 305, Sr.
Headed to the University of Kentucky, Dotson helped Belfry win the Class 3A state championship. He was named to the Class of the Commonwealth team by the Lexington Herald Leader and the All-State team by the Louisville Courier-Journal.
OL – Cole Bentley, Belfry (Ky.), 6-4, 290, Sr.
Bentley teamed with Dotson to help Belfry rack up over 5,200 rushing yards on the season. He landed on the Herald Leader's Class of the Commonwealth team and the Courier Journal's All-State team. Bentley helped Belfry win the Class 3A state title and has been a member of four straight state championship teams.
OL – Ben Brown, St. Aloysius (Vicksburg, Miss.), 6-3, 345, Sr.
Named to the Clarion Ledger's All-State team, Brown has committed to play for Ole Miss.
OL – Abraham Lucas, Archbishop Murphy (Everett, Wash.), 6-8, 260, Sr.
Helped Archbishop Murphy win the Class 2A state championship. Earned a spot on the News Tribune's All-Area team and the Seattle Times' All-State team.
OL – Larry Boyd, Trinity Catholic (St. Louis, Mo.), 6-5, 310, Sr.
A member of the Post Dispatch All-Metro Team, Boyd also was named to the Missouri Football Coaches Association's and the Missouri sports writers' Class 2 All-State team.
AP – Braxton Burmeister, La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.), 6-1, 215, Sr.
Burmeister
earned All-San Diego Section honors after leading La Jolla Country Day
to a Class 4A section championship. He completed 312-of-493 passes for
4,461 yards and 53 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,470 yards on 194
carries with 27 touchdowns. For his career, Burmeister completed 853-of-
1,444 passes for 11,512 yards and 127 touchdowns. He added 3,459 career
rushing yards with 68 touchdowns.
K – Yahir Cano, Wallace-Rose Hill (Teachey, N.C.), 6-1, 142, Sr.
An All-State selection by NCPreps, Cano kicked 77-of-78 extra points and also kicked 11 field goals, with a long of 42.
Second Team Defense

JR Rocha, Bremond
Photo by Robbie Rakestraw
DL – Brant Lawless, Nashville Christian (Nashville, Tenn.), 6-3, 280, Jr.
Lawless was named to the Tennesseean All-MidState Team and was a Class 1A Mr. Football finalist after racking up 38 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
DL – JR Rocha, Bremond (Texas), 6-1, 280, Sr.
Rocha helped Bremond win a Class 2A state championship and finish 16-0 as he dominated on the defensive line with 144 tackles and four sacks. Earned a spot on the Associated Press Class 2A All-State team.
DL – Dashawn Crawford, Bay Springs (Miss.), 6-2, 265, Sr.
The Class 2A state Defensive Player of the Year by the Mississippi coaches association, Crawford led Bay Springs to the Class 2A state championship game. He finished with 85 tackles, including five sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.
LB – Griffin Baumoel, Canton Central Catholic (Canton, Ohio), 6-2, 220, Sr.
Baumoel helped Canton Central Catholic to a Division V state championship and was named the Division V state Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press. He had 114 tackles during the regular season.
LB – Zach Collins, Beckville (Texas), 6-0, 160, Sr.
Named the Class 2A state Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press, Collins posted 144 tackles with four interceptions, seven sacks and four fumble recoveries.
LB - Kobie Herring, Refugio (Texas), 6-1, 220, Sr.
Herring helped Refugio win a Class 2A state championship and was named the Associated Press Class 2A Defensive Player of the Year. He also earned All-Area honors by the Victoria Advocate after racking up 200 tackles and 37 tackles for loss.
LB – Jonathan Jones, Charleston (Miss.), 6-1, 215, Sr.
Jones was named the Class 3A state Defensive Player of the Year after helping Charleston reach the Class 3A state championship game and post a 13-3 record. He had 148 tackles on the season.
LB – Michael Branch, Monett (Mo.), 6-2, 220, Sr.
The Missouri football coaches association's Class 3 state Player of the Year, Branch also earned All-Ozark Player of the Year honors. He rushed for 2,123 yards on 290 carries with 29 touchdowns. He also had 63 tackles and nine sacks on defense in leading his team to the Class 3 state championship.
LB – Andrew Irwin, Bishop Guilfoyle (Altoona, Pa.), 6-1, 216, Sr.
Irwin landed a spot on the Pennsylvania Football News All-Pennsylvania team as he had 154 tackles on defense with 31 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks. He also rushed for 1,694 yards and had 40 total touchdowns. Helped Bishop Guilfoyle win the Class 1A state championship and was named to the Associated Press Class 1A All-State team.
DB – Blake Dunn, Saugatuck (Mich.), 5-11, 180, Sr.
A Division 7 All-state player, Dunn led Saugatuck to a 10-1 record by doing a little bit of everything. He threw for 751 yards and 12 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,981 yards and 34 touchdowns. He also had 64 tackles on defense with seven interceptions. He had two interception returns for touchdowns, a touchdown catch, a punt return for a score and four kickoff returns for touchdowns. Finished with 65 kicking points and 323 total points.
DB – Jordan Cole, McCluer South-Berkeley (Ferguson, Mo.), 6-3, 182, Sr.
Cole landed on the Post Dispatch's All-Metro team after making 126 tackles with six tackles for loss and two interceptions. Also named the Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year by the Missouri Football Coaches Association.
DB – Davonta Porter, Latta (S.C.), 6-3, 190, Sr.
Porter earned a spot in the Carolina's Shrine Bowl and was named All-State by American Family Insurance after making 113 tackles on the season.
DB – Latroy Harper, Penney (Hamilton, Mo.), 6-1, 185, Jr.
Harper helped lead Penney to a Class 1A state championship and was named the state Player of the Year by the Missouri Football Coaches Association. Besides catching 62 passes for 1,276 yards and 20 touchdowns, Harper also had 46 tackles and eight interceptions on defense.
P - Kolton McGhee, Bishop Guilfoyle (Altoona, Pa.), 6-0, 170, So.
Named to the Pennsylvania Football News Class 1A All-State team and the Associated Press Class 1A All-State team, McGhee averaged 42.4 yards per punt or the undefeated Class 1A state champions. He also booted 10 field goals, with a long of 52, and had 72 extra points. He also had 74 touchbacks on kickoffs.