The Russellville High School football team held its awards banquet on Sunday, Jan. 25, in the RHS cafeteria. Nine members of the RHS football team earned Academic All-State recognition. First Team were Jaylin McMurry, Trey Mattews and Brennan Hughes. Honorable mention were Tacorian Darden, Jacob Procter, Chris Matthews, Riley Lawson, Spencer Statton and Paul Jones.
To earn 1st Team honors students must maintain a GPA of 3.75 or above. To earn Honorable Mention, students must maintain between a 3.25 and 3.74 GPA
The following student-athletes received football awards at the banquet:
Tacorian Darden, Team Captain/ All-Around Player of the Year
Desmon Quarles, Team Captain/ Offensive Player of the Year
Jacory Bard, Defensive Player of the Year
Jacob Proctor, Most Versatile/ Senior Award
Trey Patterson, Senior Award
Brian Clinard, Lineman Award
Lee McMurry, Receiver Award
Tremon Morris, 110% Award
Truston Clayton, Lineman Award
Josh Bigbee, 110% Award/ Most Versatile
Jason Mitchell, Special Teams Award
Mason Aguirre, Most Improved
Trey Matthews, 110%/ Lineman Award
Chris Matthews, Scout Team Award
Brennan Hughes, Scout Team Award
Jaylin McMurry, Surprise Player of the Year
Johnny Drumgole, Newcomer of the Year
MJ Jones, Most Improved
The RHS Football team finished the season 9-4 and Class A Region 1 Runner-up. The Panthers were ranked 6th in the final regular season AP poll.
Tacorian Darden earned 1st Team Courier-Journal all-state honors as well as AP 2nd Team all-state as a defensive back. Desmon Quarles and Jacory Bard were selected honorable mention C-J All-State as defensive linemen.
Darden passed for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns (43 of 96), rushed 82 times for 645 yards and 8 touchdowns while making a team-high 94 tackles, 6 interceptions, and 21 total touchdowns.
Quarles rushed 151 times for 1,026 yards and 18 touchdowns. He had 47 tackles, 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Bard had 89 tackles, including a team-high 72 solos. He also led the team in sacks with 9.5 and fumble recoveries with 3. He rushed 42 times for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns,
Drumgole was third in tackles with 68, third in sacks with 5.5, third in rushing with 706 yards on 64 totes, third in touchdowns with 12, and tied for second in interceptions (2) with Jones, Morris, Lee McMurry and Mitchell. Jacolbie Mason and Deshaun Mason each had an interception.
Bigbee was second in rushing with 813 yards on 95 tries for 7 touchdowns. He was fourth in tackles with 64 and second in sacks with 6.
Lee McMurry was by far the leading receiver with 24 catches for 504 yards and 5 touchdowns. In addition to his 2 interceptions, he was sixth on the team in tackles with 48.
M.J. Jones was fifth in tackles with 49, and he had two sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. He carried the ball 10 times for 69 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Jaylin McMurry was the backup quarterback. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing 25 times for 149 yards and a touchdown.
Milam Watkins connected on 23 of 37 extra-point kicks and Jones averaged 26 yards per kick on 17 punts. The Panthers had to punt slightly over once a game on average.
Also figuring in offensive statistics were Jacob Procter, Jacolbie Mason, T.K. Hampton, Devin Quarles and Dru West. On defense, Truston Clayton, Logan Hannah, Mason Aguirre, Brennan Hughes, Trey Patterson, Trey Matthews, Ricky Bellamy, Damon Hales, Paul Jones, Brian Clinard, Spencer Statton, Charles Clayton, Frederick Santos, Chris Matthews, and Javeron Robie all played a role.
Linemen who made it all happen included Clinard, Clayton, Trey and Chris Matthews, Aguirre, Santos, Statton, Hughes, Riley Lawson, Joran Hyams, Richard Thomas, Kobe Kerr, Bryce Bollenbecker and Tristan Shimp.
Coach John Myers’ Panthers outscored their opponents 449-217, out-gained them 4,808 yards to 2,654, and piled up a 3,683 yards to 1,708 rushing advantage.