Here's the Fall 2021 Providence Journal All-State Football Team Offense
After last fall's thrilling 2021 high school football season, it's time to hand out postseason awards and name the 2021 Providence Journal All-State football team.
The players named to the first team will also be honored at the end-of-year All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards, which are presented by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island. These players are all nominees for Offensive Player of the Year. At the live show, three finalists will be announced before naming the winner of the award. The live show is produced with support from the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority.
All first-teamers can receive a free ticket to the All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards. Please check The Providence Journal's website later in the year for updates and how to RSVP to the show.
The All-State Rhode Island High School Sports Awards, presented by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
In addition to the first-team names and bios, you can also check out our Providence Journal second-team All State selections below.
Providence Journal All-State Football
First team
OFFENSE
Dean Varrecchione
La Salle, junior
Quarterback
Varrecchione ran the La Salle offense to perfection this fall. The left-handed junior threw for 2,123 yards and 27 touchdowns this fall and should draw the interest of Division I college programs this summer. It’s his first All-State appearance.
Jamezell Lassiter
La Salle, junior
Running back
One look is all it takes to realize Lassiter’s talent. The junior was sensational in La Salle’s backfield, a threat to score every single time he touched the ball. Lassiter finished his year with 1,103 yards and 14touchdowns and his blend of speed, quickness and agility mixed with a powerful running style makes him a player to watch for next season.
Zack Tuck
Westerly, junior
Running back
When it came to big games, nobody had more than Tuck. He ran for more than 200 yards in four games this season and finished the year with 1,791 yards — at an 8.22-yards-per-carry clip — to go with 22 touchdowns, which included a season-long 97-yard score. It’s his first All-State appearance and, with one year left, maybe not his last.
Marquis Buchanan
Classical, senior
Wide receiver and kick returner
What else needs to be said? Gatorade Player of the Year. Future URI Ram. Super Bowl champion. Buchanan had 63 catches for 1,143 yards for the Purple this season to go with 399 yards rushing and eight scores as well as two return TDs. It’s the third straight All-State selection for Buchanan and second as a first-teamer.
Tyler Poirier
Narragansett, Senior
Wide receiver
Narragansett spread the ball around as well as anyone in Rhode Island but that didn’t stop Poirier from flat-out dominating. The senior receiver caught 42 passes for an impressive 948 yards and 17 touchdowns. More importantly, Poirier got the one thing he and the Mariners wanted — a Division III Super Bowl win.
Brady Fisher
La Salle, junior
Tight end
Fisher is the perfect modern tight end. His size and speed make him too big for your average defensive back and too fast for a linebacker. Fisher was a solid blocker in La Salle’s run game but he feasted as a receiver. The junior had 15 catches for 346 yards and five touchdowns, including two 80-yard-plus touchdowns in the playoffs.
Judah Varfley
Central, senior
Flex
He had been a quarterback in name only, but once Varfley took over under center, the Knights’ offense completed changed. Varfley was as good a back as any in Rhode Island, rushing for more than 1,100 yards on 90 carries to go with 14 touchdowns, and makes his debut on the All-State team in the utility spot.
Levi Dunner
La Salle, senior
Offensive line
You need a mean streak to play on the offensive line and Dunner played with it all season for the Rams. He didn’t just make blocks, he finished them. Whether it was protecting his quarterback in the passing game or opening holes in the running game, Dunner did it all exceptionally well all season long.
Jordy Fernandez
Central, senior
Offensive line
There wasn’t a more athletic offensive lineman in Rhode Island this fall. Once the Knights established their run-first approach, Fernandez’s talents shined bright. When he pull-blocked, it sent shivers down the spines of linebackers across the state and Fernandez finished the year with more pancakes than an IHOP.
Nathan Field
North Kingstown, senior
Offensive line
The Skippers' line went from a work-in-progress to one of the best in the state, in large part because of Field’s play. A 6-foot-4-inch, 295-pound behemoth, Field was the best pass-blocker in the state but was hardly a one-trick pony. He and his fellow linemen’s run-blocking were crucial in the Skippers’ Division I Super Bowl win.
Mitchell McLeod
Westerly, junior
Offensive line
Westerly has long produced All-State linemen and McLeod has kept the tradition alive. At 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, the junior could do it all upfront. He kept his quarterback’s blind side safe from his left tackle spot and, in the run game, the last thing you wanted to see was McLeod coming at you with a full head of steam.
Devin Ward
Tolman, senior
Offensive line
It was a bit of a slow start to the season for Ward, but it’s no coincidence that as he started dominating upfront, the Tigers started winning games. At 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, Ward was the most physically dominant blocker in the state and earned his third All-State spot, his second on the first team.
Matt Whitney
North Kingstown, senior
Kicker
Whitney was a weapon in the kicking game. Touchbacks were his norm and he was automatic when the Skippers needed points. He hit a walk-off field goal against Portsmouth, made a long of 40 and hit 24-of-25 extra points, with his lone miss occurring when he kicked with a torn ACL in the playoffs — and then made his next three kicks after that.
More: Presenting the second Providence Journal Preseason All-State Football Team
More: The Spring 2021 Providence Journal All-State First- and Second-team selections are here
Second team
Offense
QB — Eddie Buehler, North Kingstown, junior
RB — Marcus Carpenter, Ponaganset, senior
RB — Reider Fry, Narragansett, senior
WR — Dimetri Iafrate, La Salle, senior
WR — Luke Marley, Westerly, senior
TE — Nate Ambrad, South Kingstown, senior
UTIL — Cam Pedro, Cumberland, senior
OL — Khamari Brown, St. Raphael, sophomore
OL — Kody Khiv, Mount Pleasant, senior
OL — Alex Morin, Hendricken, junior
OL — Lawrence Thornton III, St. Raphael, junior
OL — Rushaune Vilane, Hendricken, junior
Special Teams
K — Matt Brock, Hendricken, junior
P — Anilton Semedo, Shea, senior
KR — Alex Pinheiro, Pilgrim, junior
NOTE: The original version of this story omitted Cumberland senior Cam Pedro off the second team list in the utility
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Providence Journal All State Football Team Fall 2021 Offense Rhode Island
