Carson senior linebacker JT Heaton wraps up a ballcarrier this fall. Heaton was named the 5A North Division III Defensive Player of the Year after leading the division in tackles with 133.
Photo by Jeff Mulvihill, Jr. | InstaImage.
The Douglas and Carson High School football teams had a large group of players make the 2024 Class 5A North All-Region teams.
Two individual awards led the way in the area.
In 5A North Division III, Carson High’s JT Heaton was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Heaton led the division in tackles this fall, posting 133 in 12 games played. The Senator senior also had 10.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, an interception, three fumble recoveries, a blocked punt and a blocked field goal.
Last year, the Carson linebacker was a second-team all-region selection.
Douglas head coach Kyle Mays was named the 5A-II Coach of the Year.
The honor for Mays comes a year after being named the Division III Coach of the Year.
(Douglas head coach Kyle Mays looks on during a game this fall. Mays was named the Class 5A North Division II Coach of the Year, marking his second consecutive coach of the year selection after earning the honor in Division III last fall. / Ron Harpin)
FIRST-TEAM TIGERS
Starting in Division II, Douglas had three players earn first team honors.
Douglas’ all-around star Brenton Weston earned a number of postseason recognitions for his play this season.
Weston was named a first-team all-region wide receiver, a first team defensive back, and added honors for second-team kicker and second-team punter.
The senior captain led D-II in receiving yards (890) and receiving touchdowns (12).
Defensively, Weston posted 90 tackles for the second-most on the Tigers’ roster while tying for the D-II lead in interceptions with four. Weston was also credited with two blocked field goals, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Joining Weston with first-team honors was Douglas running back Zack Jackson.
Jackson’s 1,415 rushing yards were the most in the division and he scored 19 touchdowns on the ground. Jackson also earned second-team recognition at defensive back, where he had 71 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions.
Braden Lenz joined his Tiger teammates with a first-team selection on the defensive line. The outgoing senior had 61 tackles, a sack and three forced fumbles.
(Douglas High wideout Brenton Weston stiff-arms a defender this season. Weston’s all-around play earned him first team all-region honors at wide receiver and defensive back, along with picking up second-team recognition at kicker and punter. / Ron Harpin)
CARSON LEADERS
For the Senators, eight different players were chosen for the first team all-region squads for Division III.
On offense, Carson running back Angelo Macias earned first-team recognition at running back, where he posted 483 yards and four touchdowns.
Senior wideout Ethan Hendee was also chosen for first team honors after recording 587 receiving yards and four touchdowns. His 587 receiving yards were the third-most in the division.
Hendee’s defensive ability put him on the second-team all-region squad at linebacker, where he had 57 tackles and nine tackles for loss.
Senior Sergio Villanueva was a first-team choice on the offensive line for Carson.
Senior Drake Hardcastle earned first-team honors at kicker and punter for Carson, as well. Along with his special teams excellence, Hardcastle was an honorable mention at quarterback.
On defense, Christian Rey was chosen as a first-team player on the defensive line, where he had 52 tackles and two fumble recoveries alongside 6.5 tackles for loss.
Rey also picked up second-team honors at running back, where he carried for 466 yards and a team-best 10 touchdowns.
Justin Gonzalez was a first-team choice at linebacker, alongside Heaton, in his first season on the varsity roster. Gonzalez finished the 2024 campaign with 102 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss.
Rounding out the Senators’ first-team selections was Jake Weninger, who was a first-team choice at defensive back and specialist.
On defense, Weninger had 36 tackles and two interceptions. He was also lethal in the return game, taking two kickoffs back for touchdowns.
OTHER HONORS
Douglas had two representatives earn regional second-team honors this fall.
Michael Cahill picked up postseason recognition for his play on the offensive line, helping guide the Tiger rushing and passing attacks.
Defensively, senior captain Evan Youmans was a second-team selection at linebacker, where he recorded a team-high 93 tackles and 12 tackles for loss.
Youmans also led the Tigers with five sacks and forced two fumbles.
Carson High’s Zack Eaton was a second-team choice at wide receiver after putting together 280 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Junior Joseph Madera joined his teammate on the second-team all-region list, where he earned postseason honors for his play on the offensive line.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Douglas quarterback Jackson Ovard was named an honorable mention following his senior season under center.
Ovard threw for 1,665 yards alongside 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions. The senior completed nearly 67 percent of his passes in his 11 games played.
Justin Parra-McGee picked up honorable mention honors blocking for Ovard and company on the offensive line. Parra-McGee was also an honorable mention all-region player on the defensive line.
Senior Dustin Danen earned honorable mention honors at linebacker for the Tigers, rounding out Douglas’ all-region selections this season.
For Carson, Angel Ruelas picked up an honorable mention spot for his play at wide receiver.
Offensive lineman Ayden Krueger accompanied Ruelas on the honorable mention squad for his performance on the offensive line.
Defensively, senior Julian Tibbitts and junior Nicholas Heald were both honorable mention choices on the defensive line.
Junior Johnathan Alvarado picked up an honorable mention nod at linebacker for the Senators, as did senior Devin Zervoulakos.
Senior Kekoa Mitchell rounded out the Senator selections with an honorable mention selection at defensive back.