Valley football players earn all-state honors; Wasilla senior named defensive player of year

WASILLA — Wasilla head coach Kent Rilatos has a fairly simple way to measure the impact of Warriors senior standout Cash McGregor.

“There’s not one other team here that would not take Cash. He’d probably be starting (on the other team), and be one of their best players. There’s probably very few players you can say that about,” Rilatos said after attending the Alaska State Football Coaches Association’s annual meeting Sunday.

Rilatos’ colleagues throughout the state also saw McGregor’s impact during the 2013 season. McGregor earned first-team all-state honors on both offense and defense, and was named the large-schools state defensive player of the year.

McGregor and Colony senior Daniel Bilafer each received multiple honors from the coaches association, and Palmer landed a Valley-high five players on the first team list.

McGregor, the first Warrior to earn a state player of the year award since Matt Gittlein was named lineman of the year in 2000, was named first-team at both wide receiver and defensive back.

McGregor led his team with 25 catches and four receiving touchdowns, and was second on the Warriors with 404 receiving years. But many have argued McGregor’s biggest impact came on the defensive side of the ball.

“It’s like having another coach out there,” Rilatos said of McGregor, who had the ability to play multiple positions for Wasilla.

Rilatos said it’s McGregor’s preparation during the offseason that allowed him to have the success.

“He trained all summer long. He played like he was a No. 1, but trained like he was a No. 2. He trained like he was the second-best player at every position,” Rilatos said.

McGregor started his senior season by picking off five passes during a win over West Anchorage in Week 1. He finished the season with nine interceptions, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Bilafer also landed multiple spots on the all-state first team and earned a major award. The Colony senior was named first-team all-state at both wide receiver and kicker, and shared state utility player of the year honors with West Anchorage’s Leroy Elliott.

Bilafer, who owns a handful of Colony school records, finished his senior season with a state-high 55 catches. He also had 713 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. As a kicker, Bilafer converted 26 of 27 point after touchdown attempts, and booted seven field goals. His work kicking and receiving accounted for 96 points in 2013.

“Daniel did everything we asked him to do,” Colony head coach Brian McIntosh said of Bilafer earlier this month.

Palmer led Valley teams with five selections on the first team. Senior running back James Nisbett, senior linebacker Ben Aumavae and senior defensive lineman Brian Thompson each earned first-team honors. The Moose also placed a pair of junior offensive linemen on the first team — center Adam Christiansen and tackle Nick Benshetler.

Despite missing three full games to injury and portions of three more, Nisbett rushed for 826 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged more than seven yards per carry.

Christiansen and Benshetler helped pave the way for a Moose ground game that averaged more than 280 yards per game. Thompson and Aumavae helped lead a Palmer defense that allowed more than 22 points to an Alaska team once this season.

Colony senior quarterback Bryce Niver and senior defensive lineman D.J. Mutini joined Bilafer on the first-team list. Niver was among state leaders with 1,452 yards passing and 16 touchdowns. He also led Colony with 710 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.

In all, Niver accounted for 2,162 yards of total offense and 25 scores. Mutini, the 2013 Railbelt Conference Lineman of the Year, was a leader for the Knights on both sides of the ball.

“He was the heart and soul of this group,” McIntosh said. “He gets everybody motivated.”

McGregor was not the only Warrior on the first team. Tanner Hongslo was named first-team long snapper.

Houston senior Waylon Soptick earned two spots on the medium schools second-team all-state list. Soptick was named second-team at both running back and defensive back.

Soptick broke a longstanding Houston single-season rushing record, with his 1,474 yards as a senior. He also was among state leaders with his 13 touchdowns.

Alaska State Football Coaches Association All-State Team

Large-Schools

Offensive Player of the Year: Leroy Elliott, West

Lineman of the Year: Kenny Pegues, Chugiak

Utility Player of the Year: Daniel Bilafer, Colony; Leroy Elliott, West.

Defensive Player of the Year: Cash McGregor, Wasilla.

Coach of the Year: Tim Davis, West.

Assistant Coach of the Year: Luke Balash, Lathrop.

First-team offense:

Quarterback – Bryce Niver, Colony; CJ Toomer, Service;

Running back – James Nisbett, Palmer; Chris Seminario, Lathrop; Gabe

Mingledorff, Chugiak; Lui Faamasina, West.

Wide receiver – Daniel Bilafer, Colony; Cash McGregor, Wasilla; Leroy

Elliott, West; Marquiz Buster, Dimond.

Tight end – Alain Devoe, South.

Center – Adam Christiansen, Palmer; Charley Pappas, Chugiak.

Guard – Kenny Pegues, Chugiak; Tevita Fehoko, West.

Tackle – Nick Benshetler, Palmer; Chris Feero, West; Tarini Tosi, East;

John Widmar, South.

First-team defense:

Defenisve line – DJ Mutini, Colony; Brian Thompson, Palmer; Archie Lemana, Bartlett; Kenny Pegues, Chugiak; Isaiah Pele, Dimond; PJ Seui, West.

Linebacker – Ben Aumavae, Palmer; JJ Tito, Bartlett; AJ Tanavasu, Dimond; Dave Tullimu, West; Levi Hanson, Service.

Defensive back – Cash McGregor, Wasilla; Marquise Rayford, West; Alex

Valdez, South.

First-team special teams:

Kicker—Daniel Bilafer, Colony.

Punter – Yan Andrew, East.

Kick returner – Chris Seminario, Lathrop

Long snapper- Tanner Hongslo, Wasilla; Rhys Sands, Service.

Second-team offense:

Quarterback — Charles Suddeth, West Valley; Tyrone Davis, West.

Running back — Devin Otto, Wasilla; Fischer Summers, Colony; Edress Irving, Bartlett; Ed Hall, Eagle River; Justice Augafa, South.

Wide receiver — Derek O’Neal, Lathrop; Dv’nn Cooks, West Valley; Isaiah Dawkins, Wasilla; Nahshon Fromm, Service; Armend Alijiu, Service.

Tight end — Terrell Ford, Lathrop.

Center — Ian MacKenzie, Colony; Rhoddie West, West Valley.

Guard — Tobbie Zook, Colony; Caleb Deemer, Palmer; Logan Dille, Lathrop.

Tackle — Zackary Wall, West Valley; Charming Launiuvao, Dimond; Jack Brownlee, Chugiak; Hekili Fomai, Service.

Second-team defense:

Defensive line — Noah Spencer, Colony; Jeremiah Webb, Lathrop; Jacob Vinton, West Valley; Trusty Sigmon, West Valley; Quace Wright, Wasilla; Isaac Terry, East; Mervin Taha.

Linebacker — Marcus Brown, Lathrop; Ihro Raguidin, Service; Riley Frederickson, Colony; Myles Cullenberg, Colony; Cody Wells, Palmer; Sam Cook, South.

Defensive back — Vincent Aumavae, Palmer; Nathan Barnett, Lathrop; Nyeem Johnson, Service.

Second-team special teams:

Kicker — Eyob Imlach, South.

Punter — Fischer Summers, Colony.

Return specialist — Gabe Mingledorf, Chugiak.

Medium schools

Offensive Player of the Year: Colton Young, Soldotna

Defensive Player of the Year: Jake Kooly, Soldotna.

Lineman of the Year: Daniel Rosin, Soldotna.

Coach of the Year: Les Silva, Ketchikan.

Assistant Coach of the Year: Mike Holett, North Pole.

First-team offense:

Quarterback — Colton Young, Soldotna.

Fullback — Jake Kooly, Soldotna.

Running back — Jace Daniels, Kenai; Drew Gibbs, Soldotna; Demetrius Campos, Juneau.

Wide receiver — Kris Hill, Juneau; Lance Wright, North Pole.

Tight end — Shane Hursh, North Pole.

Center — Reece Roberts, Soldotna.

Guard — J.D. Hudson, Juneau; Dylan Smith, Soldotna.

Tackle — Daniel Rosin, Soldotna; Andrew Risner, North Pole.

Kicker — Nolan Scarlett, Kenai.

Long Snapper — Jace Baker, Kenai.

Return specialist — Demetrius Campos, Juneau.

First-team defense:

Defensive backs — Colton Young, Soldotna; Demetrius Campos, Juneau; Jordan Copeland, North Pole; Ben Jahn, Thunder Mountain.

Outside linebackers — Dartanian Campos, Juneau; Lane Bonham, North Pole.

Inside linebackers ¬— George Sua, Juneau; Jake Kooly, Soldotna.

Defensive linemen — Daniel Rosin, Soldotna; Leo Sega, Kodiak; Dylan Smith, Soldotna; Ben Davis, North Pole.

Utility player — Blake Riley, Soldotna.

Punter — Nolan Scarlett, Kenai.

Second-team offense:

Quarterback — Dorian Isaak, Juneau.

Fullback — George Sua, Juneau.

Running back — Waylon Soptick, Houston; Connor Hicks, Ketchikan.

Wide receiver — Tyler Howell, Soldotna.

Tight end — Trevor Walden, Soldotna.

Center — Austin Thomas, Thunder Mountain.

Guard — Anthony Schwendner, North Pole; Zack Koziczkowski, Kenai.

Tackle — Hunter Hickok, Juneau; Leo Sega, Kodiak.

Kicker — Gerrett Wollman, North Pole.

Long snapper — Ryland Ellis, North Pole.

Return specialist — Colton Young, Soldotna.

Second-team defense:

Defensive backs — TJ Wagoner, Kenai; Waylon Soptick, Houston; Eric Nordgren, Juneau.

Outside linebackers — Drew Gibbs, Soldotna; Andrew Mandapat, Kodiak.

Inside linebackers — Chase Logan, Kenai; Derick Vance, Juneau.

Defensive linemen — Jace Baker, Kenai; George Grummett, Juneau; Kage Zink, Ketchikan; Rich Johnson, Thunder Mountain.

Utility player — Ben Jahn, Thunder Mountain.

Punter — Riley Olsen, Thunder Mountain.