CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The Virginia High School League announces its 2023 Class 5 All-State Football Team. Maury junior quarterback Au'Tori Newkirk is the Class 5 Offensive Player of the Year, and Maury senior linebacker (defense all-purpose) Fred Johnson Jr. is the Class 5 Defensive Player of the Year. Maury Head Coach Dyrri McCain is the Class 5 Coach of the Year.
The 6’0”, 185-pound Newkirk passed for 3,670 yards (175 comp./256 atts.) and 44 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. A dual threat at quarterback, he rushed for 760 yards (12.3 avg./62 att.) and 13 touchdowns. He gained 4,430 all-purpose yards and 57 all-purpose T'Ds while leading an offense that averaged 57.6 points per game.
Newkirk accounted for 329 yards and six touchdowns in the State Championship game. The first-year starter passed for 287 yards, four touchdowns, 42 yards rushing, and two scores in Maury’s win over Stone Bridge.
The 6’3”, 225-pound Johnson finished his senior year with 44 tackles, 22 for loss, six sacks, four forced fumbles, and four recoveries. Besides creating chaos in the opposing backfield from his outside linebacker position, the three-year starter led the defense in total turnovers with 11 and five defensive touchdowns, including four interceptions, six passes broken up, and one safety.
In the state title game, Johnson totaled five tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss. Additionally, the two-way star caught two passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the year with 28 receptions for 538 yards and eight TDs. A University of South Carolina commit, Johnson is rated a four-star by Rivals and the No. 6 overall prospect in the state.
Head Coach Dyrri McCain led Maury to a 15-0 record and its second state title since 2019 with a 45-34 win over Stone Bridge in the Class 5 State Championship game. The Commodores averaged 57.5 points a game, defeating opponents by 60 or more points in seven games while posting seven shutouts.
In seven seasons leading Maury’s program (2017-2023), McCain has won two State Championships and two runner-up trophies and has had four Final Four appearances since 2019. He has a 73-14 career record, including six straight region titles.
The All-State football team consists of 32 players (Offense: one quarterback; four linemen; one center; three running backs; three receivers; one tight end; one kicker; one kick returner; one all-purpose offensive player (Defense: four defensive linemen; five linebackers; four defensive backs; one punter; one punt returner; one all-purpose defensive player).
Each All-State selection committee comprises eight football coaches (2 from each Region).
