Mustangs dominate SJ Basin League All-Conference choices

Mustangs dominate SJ Basin League All-Conference choices

Dec. 2, 2000

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

The San Juan Basin League All-Conference Football Teams were announced today by the league coaches.

It comes as no surprise that undefeated and Class A 11-man football champ Nucla High School dominated First Team selections. The Mustangs captured the title last Saturday with a 26-7 win over Limon.

Nucla had a dominating team composed mostly of seniors. Their experience showed as the Mustangs had no problems winning the league title outright and advancing on through post-season play.

The First Team Offense was dominated by Nucla players up and down the list. They included Jacob Johnston, senior, guard; Corey Dillon, senior, tackle; Jason Mock, senior, quarterback; and Travis Miller, senior, runningback. Mock also was the kick returner.

Dolores County High School, which finished second in the league standings, had just three players listed including Bru Meyer, junior, guard; Chris Kail, senior, receiver; and Terence Gardner, senior, runningback.

Norwood, which placed fourth in the regular-season league standings, also had three players named. They were Fred Spore, sophomore, tackle; Justin Ludwig, senior, receiver; and Jeremy Spore, senior, runningback.

Derek Thompson, senior, Dolores, was picked as the center. Mancos did not have an offensive players named to the elite team.

Again Nucla had plenty of players on the First Team Defense. They were Shawn Ficklin, junior, lineman; Thomas Stephenson, senior, lineman; Brian Hibbert, senior, linebacker; and Mock, defensive back; and Jared Wyatt, senior, linebacker. Incidentally, Wyatt transfered from Dolores County just before the start of the season.

Norwood had several players chosen including Zack Snyder, senior, linebacker; Ludwig, linebacker; and Jeremy Spore, defensive back.

Gardner was chosen as a lineman while DCHS teammates Dallas Daves, senior, linebacker; Keith Pierce, junior, defensive back; and Kail, kicker.

Thompson was honored again but this time as a linebacker. Mancos got one player named in Philip Wilson, senior, linebacker.

It needs to be pointed out that normally only three linebackers are named each year, but there was a tie which was not broken and so three others were added. Wilson, Ludwig, and Daves were unanimous choices while Hibbert, Thompson, and Wyatt tied.

Several players were tabbed Honorable Mention because of the number of votes they had received during balloting by the league coaches. On the offensive side of the ball, Hibbert was chosen as center, Dolores junior Aeson Reed as guard, Mancos junior J.W. Maberry as tackle, Wilson as runningback, and Kail as kick returner. On the defensive side, Mancos junior Scott Koppenhafer was named a lineman, Nucla senior Josh Hainey as defensive back, Norwood senior Ben Waddell as defensive back, and Mock as kicker.

Stevenson was chosen Lineman of the Year. Kail was honored as Receiver of the Year and Mock as Back of the Year. So, it should come as no surprise that Nucla’s Joe Garvey was named Coach of the Year.