SEATTLE — Six Marysville Pilchuck football players were selected to the 2014 Associated Press all-state football teams Tuesday, including one who was a first-team selection and one who was a second-team selection on both offense and defense.
In all, 19 area players earned all-state honors and appeared on the AP list. Voting was conducted by sports writers and editors from around the state and done in collaboration with the Yakima Herald-Republic.
MP senior running back Austin Joyner was named to the Class 3A first-team offense. This was the third consecutive all-state first-team selection for Joyner. Also making the 3A first team was Marysville Getchell sophomore running back Collin Montez and senior Glacier Peak placekicker Spencer Petitt. Pettit also was the second-team punter.
Marysville Pilchuck senior lineman Bryce Vitcovich was a 3A second-team pick for both offense and defense. The other MP players earning 3A second-team honors were senior running back Killian Page, senior offensive lineman Corbin Ferry, senior linebacker Drew Hatch and senior defensive back Nicholas Alonso.
The selection of his five teammates to all-state teams excited Joyner. “I think it’s really cool! Those guys deserve it!” Joyner said in a text message.
Marysville Getchell senior defensive lineman John Clark and Edmonds-Woodway senior defensive back Brendan Davis also earned 3A second-team honors. Lake Stevens junior quarterback Jacob Eason and teammate Justin Brown, a senior defensive back, earned Class 4A second-team honors as did Mount Vernon senior linebacker Tristan Brock.
Montez and Clark are Marysville Getchell’s first all-state selections in its football program’s history.
“There’s not much I can say” about Montez, who rushed for more than 2,000 yards this season, Chargers head coach Davis Lura said. “The kid’s a freak of nature. He’s the best athlete I’ve ever coached. He earned it. It takes a lot of people to bring him down.”
Lura said Montez is a quiet, motivated athlete who doesn’t really like attention.
“That kid works really hard and he’s so humble,” Lura said. “I guarantee you if somebody makes a big deal about this he’s going to want to go hide in a hole.”
Lura hopes the selections will raise awareness of the Marysville Getchell football program. “Something like this will helpfully give us more exposure,” he said. “There are still people who don’t know we exist.”
Glacier Peak’s Pettit celebrated his selection during a family dinner Tuesday night.
“To see it written is just an honor,” Pettit said. “There’s guys in the state that compete at a high level and to know they picked me over others is awesome.”
Pettit hopes the distinction of being a first-team placekicker will help his recruitment. He is already one of the top-rated kickers in the nation.
“It singles you out,” Pettit said. “All-league and all-area are great honors but all-state I think is what the coaches are really looking at, especially schools like Central, WSU and UW. Just knowing that the kicker was selected by everybody as the best in the state helps the college coaches know that the highlights don’t just speak for themselves, other people do too.”
Coupeville senior running back Josh Bayne was a Class 1A first-team selection and a second-team pick at linebacker. Second team honors went to Archbishop Murphy senior offensive lineman Mason Bradley (2A), senior South Whidbey running back Devin Damerau (2A), and three players from King’s (1A): senior offensive lineman Calvin Kispert, senior linebacker Laka Wilkins and senior placekicker Ryan Fransen.
Chiawana running back Austin Urlacher has been voted Washington state player of the year for 2014 after setting a single-season, 11-man state record for yards rushing.
Urlacher was voted the state player of the year for all classifications and the Class 4A player of the year. Urlacher rushed for 2,877 yards and scored 32 touchdowns in helping lead the Riverhawks to the 4A title game for the second straight year.
Record-setting quarterback Brett Rypien of Shadle Park was voted the Class 3A player of the year. Rypien finished as the state’s all-time leader in yards passing with 13,044 yards and 134 touchdowns. He threw for 4,223 yards and 48 touchdowns this season.
Ellensburg’s Gabe Caskey was voted the Class 2A player of the year after rushing for 2,190 yards and scoring 28 total touchdowns. Caskey broke a 21-year-old school record for yards rushing and was the CWAC offensive and defensive MVP. Caskey was a first-team all-state selection as a linebacker as a junior.
Cascade Christian quarterback Jaelin Goldsmith was the 1A player of the year. Goldsmith was the Nisqually League offensive MVP throwing for 1,840 yards, rushing for 553 yards and finished with 26 total touchdowns.
T.J. Morris was voted the 2B player of the year after helping Okanogan to the state title. Morris rushed for 2,318 yards and 32 touchdowns and was the Central Washington 2B League offensive MVP.
Neah Bay sophomore Cole Svec was voted the 1B player of the year. Svec rushed for 1,578 yards and 25 touchdowns and threw two touchdown passes. Svec also have five interceptions on defense, returning two for touchdowns.
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