Advocate-Messenger All-Area Football Team announced
Published 8:00 pm Thursday, December 23, 2021
Jackson Smith of Boyle County kicks a 29-yard field goal Dec. 3 during the Rebels’ victory over Johnson Central in the Class 4A championship. Smith was voted to The Advocate-Messenger All-Area Football Team for the fourth consecutive season. - Photo by Mike Marsee
Jagger Gillis throws a touchdown pass in the 2021 Class 4A UK Orthopaedics State Football championship game at Kroger Field in Lexington. - Photo by Jeff Moreland
Avery Bodner of Boyle County reacts after scoring a touchdown earlier this season. - Photo by Mike Marsee
Cole Lanter eludes a Johnson Central defender. - Photo by Mike Marsee
Boyle County linemen Daulton Peetz and Zach Mason pose with the KHSAA Class 4A state championship trophy. - Photo by Mike Marsee
Dalton Stone celebrates a big play in the fourth quarter. - Photo by Jeff Moreland
Corydon Crawford (2) of Danville runs through a hole in the line. - Photo by Mike Marsee
Xzavion Brown (32) of Danville tackles Bullitt East running back Mason Gauthier. - Photo by Mike Marsee
Boyle County’s Tommy Ziesmer (36) pursues Johnson Central quarterback Grant Rice in the 2021 KHSAA Class 4A State Football Championship game. Ziesmer was voted The Advocate-Messenger Area Lineman of the Year for the second consecutive season. - Photo by Jeff Moreland
It should come as no surprise that the All-Area team once again has a very Boyle County flavor.
For the fifth year in a row, Boyle has the most players on The Advocate-Messenger 2021 All-Area Football Team of any of the six local schools.
There are nine players from the Boyle team that won its second consecutive Class 4A championship three weeks ago on the 27-man All-Area roster — ties in voting for the 24 spots on the ballot were not broken — followed by six players from Lincoln County, four from Mercer County, three each from Danville and Garrard County and two from Casey County.
Coaches from those six schools voted for the team, casting votes for a total of 42 players.
Eight players who were on the 2020 All-Area team and a total of nine players who have previously received All-Area recognition were selected this year.
One of them, Boyle kicker Jackson Smith, was voted to the All-Area team for the fourth consecutive year. Smith made the team as a punter in 2018 and as a kicker in 2019 and ’20.
Three of Smith’s Boyle teammates returned to the All-Area team for the second straight season: quarterback Jagger Gillis, wide receiver Cole Lanter and defensive lineman Tommy Ziesmer.
Others making their second consecutive appearance are Lincoln running back Lee Amon (voted at linebacker last year), Lincoln linebacker Trace Bowman, Danville defensive back Corydon Crawford (voted at wide receiver last year) and Mercer County running back Brayden Dunn.
Lincoln wide receiver Clayton Davis also returned to the team after receiving All-Area recognition in 2019.
The Advocate-Messenger 2021 All-Area Football Team
OFFENSE
Pos Name School Hgt / Wgt / Yr
QB Jagger Gillis Boyle County 6-3 210 Sr.
RB Avery Bodner Boyle County 5-9 130 So.
RB Lee Amon Lincoln County 5-11 178 Sr.
RB Brayden Dunn Mercer County 5-10 165 Sr.
WR Clayton Davis Lincoln County 5-11 185 Sr.
WR Cole Lanter Boyle County 5-11 175 Sr.
WR Thaddeus Mays Mercer County 5-10 135 So.
OL Andrew Hardwick Boyle County 6-3 280 Jr.
OL Benton Hayes Casey County 6-7 330 Jr.
OL Holden Stamper Lincoln County 6-2 300 Sr.
OL Nicholas Fletcher Mercer County 5-11 172 So.
OL Zach Mason Boyle County 6-0 280 Sr.
K Jackson Smith Boyle County 5-11 180 Sr.
DEFENSE
Pos Name School Hgt / Wgt / Yr
DL Dominique Ford Danville 6-2 210 Sr.
DL Tommy Ziesmer Boyle County 6-2 240 Jr.
DL Daulton Peetz Boyle County 6-1 245 Sr.
DL Canaan Linville Lincoln County 6-2 276 Sr.
DL Bennett Sparks Garrard County 5-11 200 Sr.
LB Xzavion Brown Danville 5-8 160 Jr.
LB Logan Stephens Casey County 6-1 225 Sr.
LB Trace Bowman Lincoln County 5-11 217 Sr.
LB Dalton Stone Boyle County 5-10 190 Jr.
DB Montavin Quisenberry Garrard County 5-9 130 Fr.
DB Zach Duncan Lincoln County 5-9 152 Jr.
DB Corydon Crawford Danville 5-8 160 Sr.
DB Austin Adams Garrard County 6-1 170 Jr.
P Trosper Buchanan Mercer County 5-11 165 Sr.
HONORABLE MENTION
• Boyle County — Will Alexander, DB; Sage Dawson, DB; Cole Lanter, DB; Nathaniel Rush, OL; Cole Sims, LB; Jackson Smith, P; Keenan Stewart, DB
• Danville — DeMauriah Brown, RB; Caleb Burns, RB; Corydon Crawford, WR; Chris Grier, OL, Brady Morse, QB; Keegyn Wilcher, K-P
• Garrard County — Maishaun Baker-Thomas, WR-DB; Chase Burkhart, LB; Mason Sulla, OL-DL
• Lincoln County — Zane Mullins, OL
• Mercer County — Brayden Dunn, LB; Wyatt Sanford, LB
AREA LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
Tommy Ziesmer, Boyle County
AREA COACHES OF THE YEAR
Bret Baierlein, Garrard County
Justin Haddix, Boyle County
