AP names AAA All State Football Team
RICHMOND, Va. - Phillip Sims of Oscar Smith did not get to finish his high school career with a second state championship, but the Alabama-bound quarterback still stamped his name all over the state record book in four remarkable years as a starter.
Sims, who finished with a 48-8 career record, was an easy choice as The Associated Press Group AAA player of the year in voting by a panel of sports writers from throughout the state.
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He also headlines the AP's All-Group AAA team, where he's joined by three members of Division 6 state champion Thomas Dale and three members of the near dynasty at Phoebus.
Vic Williams, who coached Thomas Dale to the first Division 6 state title ever won by a team from the Central Region, is the coach of the year. Thomas Dale lost two of its first three games, but beat Oscar Smith in the semifinals and Lake Braddock 35-21 for the title.
Sims this season threw for 2,960 yards and 33 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. For his career, his 10,725 yards and 119 touchdown passes are Virginia High School League records.
Offensive tackle Spencer Randolph and defensive back Airek Green are joined on the first team by Thomas Dale teammate Mike Edmunds, a two-way star chosen as the utility player.
Edmunds ran for two touchdowns in the state title game and returned an interception for a third score, and finished the season with 17 offensive touchdowns and 71 stops on defense.
Phoebus, which beat Stone Bridge 15-10 to claim its third Division 5 title in four years, placed running back Colby Goodwyn, place-kicker Eric Enderson and defensive end Daquan Romero on the first team.
Goodwyn, who ran for 1,869 yards and 29 touchdowns, ran for one TD and returned the second-half kickoff 99 yards for Phoebus' other touchdown in the championship game.
He's joined in the backfield by Marcus Harris of Stone Bridge and Trey Johnson of Varina. Harris who ran for 2,090 yards and 25 scores and set a state championship game record by carrying 47 times for 191 yards and a touchdown. Johnson ran for 1,734 yards and 19 scores.
The wide receivers are Brandon Robinson of Lake Braddock and Justin Hunter of Ocean Lakes. Robinson caught 73 passes for 1,173 yards and 10 touchdowns, while Hunter had 43 catches for 714 yards and eight touchdowns as the primary target in Ocean Lakes' offense.
Tight end Eric Frohnapfel of Colonial Forge had 30 catches for 736 yards and 10 TDs.
Randolph is joined at tackle by Khamrone Kolb of Lake Braddock. The guards are Venson Jones of Woodside and Matt Arkema of Midlothian. Dayne Smith of L.C. Bird is the center.
Enderson made 12 field goals in 16 attempts. Two of his kicks were game-winners, and a third sent a game into overtime, where he won it by booting the decisive extra point.
On defense, Romero had 30 sacks in 14 games, including 11 in the playoffs. Travis Williams of Lake Taylor had 15 sacks to earn the other first team defensive end spot.
The tackles are Evan Hailes of Oscar Smith, whose 48 tackles included six sacks, and Blake Jones of Hanover, who made 38 of his 108 tackles behind the line with eight sacks.
Brian Laiti of Robinson and his 127 tackles lead the linebackers. He's joined by Josh Hogan of W.T. Woodson, who had 86 tackles and returned two of his three interceptions for touchdowns; Curtis Grant of Hermitage (154 tackles) and Henry Coley of Bayside (97 tackles).
Green, whose 58 tackles included 10 sacks, heads up the secondary along with Lake Braddock's Thomas Strickford, who returned four of his nine interceptions for touchdowns.
The secondary also includes Anthony Harris of L.C. Bird, who had six interceptions and blocked three kicks, and Charlie Ricks, who intercepted eight passes for Oscar Smith.
Punter Orion Hall averaged 45 yards, including on 72-yarder.