Jim Ned's Wishert tops 3A All-Big Country football team as Player of the Year
Editor's note: The Reporter-News is presenting its 2021 All-Big Country football teams. The complete teams can be found at reporternews.com.
Here is the print publication schedule:
Wednesday: Class 1A
Thursday: Class 2A
Friday: Class 3A
Saturday: Classes 4A-6A
Sunday: 2021 Super Team
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Xavier Wishert
School: Jim Ned
Class: Senior
Positions: Running back/linebacker
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200
Strength: Intangibles, leadership
“He’s a tremendous athlete, has great ball skills and unprecedented football IQ,” Jim Ned head coach Matt Fanning said. “He’s clutch, he’s a great leader and he just gets stronger. It’s impressive how much he has progressed on both sides of the ball.”
2021 Highlight: Wishert didn’t have a down game all season, but one performance in particular stood out to Fanning: the game vs. Wall. Despite a banged-up offensive line, Wishert rushed for 313 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 15.7 yards per carry. Jim Ned cruised to a 37-20 win over the Hawks behind Wishert’s dominance in the backfield.
Coachspeak: “He’s just one of the best kids we’ve had come through the program,” Fanning said. “From leadership, character and example standpoints, he’s what we want our kids to be like.”
Why he’s here: Wishert finished 2021 with 2,500 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns, and he also scored two receiving touchdowns. His excellent season earned him Ford Built Tough 3A Player of the Year honors. Though Jim Ned couldn’t repeat as state champions, Wishert helped the Indians finish 12-1 and go three rounds deep in the 3A Division I playoffs.
OFFENSIVE MVP
Chris Teten
School: Dublin
Class: Junior
Position: Quarterback
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195
Strength: Resilience
“He never panics,” Dublin head coach Greg Hardcastle said. “He never really got rattled. He just kept playing and didn’t dwell on mistakes.”
2021 Highlight: With Teten in the backfield, Dublin went further than any other team in program history, reaching the third round of playoffs and finishing with a 9-4 record. The nine-win slate included close wins over Jacksboro, Callisburg and Palmer. Against those strong opponents, Teten kept composed and helped the Lions win.
Coachspeak: “He grew as a leader through the year. He was thrown into the fire as a sophomore, and it paid dividends this year.”
Why he’s here: Teten was one of three quarterbacks in the state to surpass 4,000 passing yards in 2021. He finished the season with 4,066 yards and 42 passing touchdowns and also rushed for 182 yards and eight touchdowns on 95 carries. Teten helped Dublin improve from a one-win team in 2020 to a nine-win team in 2021.
DEFENSIVE MVP
John-Stewart Gordon
School: Early
Class: Junior
Position: Cornerback
Height: 5-8
Weight: 159
Strength: Leadership
“Going into next year he will have played in 31 football games,” Early head coach Daniel Price said. “He’s seen a lot of reps at a high pace, and he does it all.”
2021 Highlight: In Early’s bi-district playoff game against Pilot Point, Gordon stepped up. The junior returned an interception for a touchdown and forced a fumble that linebacker Tre Beam returned for a touchdown. His contributions helped Early win its first playoff game since 2007. Price said, “John-Stewart set the tone of that game.”
Coachspeak: “We got to see the little things happen this year,” Price said. “He showed out on both sides of the ball. He has seen a lot of offenses, played at a high level and it’s going to pay off for him. He’s going to have a great fall next year.”
Why he’s here: Gordon finished the season with 28 tackles, 14 pass deflections, six interceptions and two pick sixes. His ability to swarm to the ball created nightmares for opposing quarterbacks all season. Gordon was a key factor in Early’s improvement in 2021, as the Longhorns went from five wins to nine wins. A three-year varsity player, Gordon will return for his fourth in 2022, when the Longhorns will look to keep building a foundation.
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Brayden Shipman
School: Jim Ned
Class: Sophomore
Positions: Running back/linebacker
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
Strength: Versatility
“As a sophomore, he stepped in and did great,” Fanning said. “He answered both roles very well. He had a knack for the ball, interceptions and big plays. It was neat to see that happen for him.”
2021 Highlight: Shipman made an immediate impact in Jim Ned’s first game against Ballinger on Aug. 27. At outside linebacker, Shipman recorded seven total tackles, two of which went for a loss. Fanning said, “It became really clear that he was going to be our starting outside linebacker.”
Coachspeak: “He’s a hard worker, a good humble kid, and the sky’s the limit for him,” Fanning said. “It’s great to have him back for two more years. We’ve got a couple of guys in the backfield, between him and Sergio (Hernandez), who can carry some of the load that X(avier Wishert) did.”
Why he’s here: Shipman quickly became one of Jim Ned’s most reliable defensive players. He finished 2021 with 74 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and three interceptions. Shipman also played well at running back when the Indians rested Wishert. The sophomore rushed for 455 yards and five touchdowns on 42 carries.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Daniel Price
School: Early
Strength: Building relationships
“We spend a lot of time talking about family and building relationships with the kids,” Price said. “It has a lot to do with the success of the kids. They bought into what we were teaching them.”
2021 Highlight: Price coached Early to a 43-21 playoff win over Pilot Point, the Longhorns’ first since 2007. Under Price’s direction, they led 29-0 with four minutes left in the first quarter and coasted to victory. A week before that, Early earned a 10-point win over Wall to clinch the No. 3 seed from District 3-3A Division I and set up the matchup with Pilot Point.
Coachspeak: “To have them buy in was unbelievable,” Price said. “We have a great coaching staff and I have to give credit to them: This is a staff award. We’re in a really good spot for next year, and we’ll have a lot of experience on both sides of the ball.”
Why he’s here: The 2021 campaign was a memorable one for Early. Price led the Longhorns to the second round of playoffs and helped them win four more games than they did in 2020. Key players coming back next year include, John-Stewart Gordon, Jaxyn Price and Caleb McCullough, among others. With Price’s leadership and so much returning talent, the coach may once again take the program to new heights.
FIRST TEAM
* — unanimous selection
OFFENSE
Chris Teten*
Quarterback
Dublin
6-0, 195, Junior
Stats: Teten threw for 4,066 yards and 42 touchdowns with 15 interceptions. He also rushed for 182 yards and eight touchdowns on 95 carries.
Xavier Wishert*
Running back
Jim Ned
6-1, 200, Senior
Stats: Rushed for 2,500 yards and 32 touchdowns on 238 carries, averaging 10.5 yards per rush. Wishert also had 184 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Tre Beam
Running back
Early
5-10, 165, Senior
Stats: Rushed for 1,366 yards and 14 touchdowns on 191 carries. Beam also caught 23 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns.
Cooper Hubble*
Wide receiver
Dublin
6-0, 175, Senior
Stats: Caught 68 passes for 1,090 yards and 13 touchdowns, earning him First Team All-District honors.
Dalan Rasberry*
Wide receiver
Dublin
6-4, 175, Junior
Stats: Caught 54 passes for 931 yards and nine touchdowns. Rasberry earned First Team All-District honors.
Kyler Beaty
Wide receiver
Comanche
6-1, 160, Sophomore
Stats: Caught 36 passes for 703 yards and 10 touchdowns. Beaty also had 134 kick return yards.
Jud Beard
Wide receiver
Eastland
5-9, 165, Senior
Stats: Caught 52 passes for 648 yards and eight touchdowns. Beard also rushed for 772 yards and nine touchdowns on 87 attempts and won District 5-3A Division II MVP.
Gatlyn Cooper*
Offensive line
Jim Ned
5-11, 270, Senior
Stats: Graded out at 95% with 111 knockdowns and 74 pancakes.
Connor Fitzgerald*
Offensive line
Jim Ned
6-3, 265, Senior
Stats: Graded out at 97% with 99 knockdowns and 72 pancakes.
Gage Stanaland*
Offensive line
Jim Ned
6-4, 250, Junior
Stats: Graded out at 91% with 127 knockdowns and 85 pancakes.
Bradly Roman*
Offensive line
Early
6-1, 250, Senior
Stats: Graded out at 90% and had 40 knockdowns and 41 pancakes. Roman did not allow a sack all season.
Ethan Morin
Offensive line
Stats: Had 49 pancakes at the tackle position.
Christian Ramirez*
Utility
Dublin
5-9, 195, Senior
Stats: Caught 57 passes for 1,025 yards and nine touchdowns. Ramirez also rushed 61 times for 292 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 67 yards and a touchdown.
DEFENSE
Jacob Lopez*
Defensive line
Dublin
6-2, 210, Senior
Stats: Had 97 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 5.5 Sacks, 24 quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery, earning him First Team All-District honors.
Gage Stanaland*
Defensive line
Jim Ned
6-4, 250, Junior
Stats: Had 37 solo tackles and 22 assists for 59 total tackles. Stanaland also had 18 quarterback hurries, 14 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Caleb McCullough*
Defensive line
Early
6-1, 205, Junior
Stats: Had 97 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four forced fumbles.
Mosiah Lolohea*
Linebacker
Dublin
5-11, 235, Senior
Stats: Had 128 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, a pass breakup and three quarterback hurries.
Javier Parra*
Linebacker
Dublin
5-10, 185, Senior
Stats: Had 143 total tackles, an interception, a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry and was a First Team All-District pick. He was District 5-3A Division II’s Co-Defensive MVP.
Xavier Wishert*
Linebacker
Jim Ned
6-1, 200, Senior
Stats: Had 46 solo tackles and 29 assists for 75 total tackles. Wishert also had seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, five quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Tre Beam
Linebacker
Early
5-9, 160, Senior
Stats: Had 70 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries for touchdowns and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.
John-Stewart Gordon*
Defensive back
Early
5-8, 159, Junior
Stats: Had 28 tackles, 14 pass deflections, six interceptions with two pick sixes.
Tucker Hale*
Defensive back
Early
6-2, 160, Senior
Stats: Had 103 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pick six.
Troy Doran
Defensive back
Jim Ned
5-9, 170, Junior
Stats: Had 50 solo tackles and 27 assists for 77 total tackles. Doran also had nine pass breakups, an interception and a tackle for loss.
Austin Ellis
Defensive back
Jim Ned
6-0, 170, Junior
Stats: Had 37 solo tackles and 32 assists for 69 total tackles. Ellis also had three tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two interceptions, a sack, a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries.
Francisco Villarreal*
Kicker
Early
5-9, 150, Senior
Stats: Made both of his two field goal attempts and made 51 of 57 extra point attempts. Earned a First Team All-District spot.
Pedro Altamirano
Punter
Clyde
5-8, 165, Junior
Stats: Averaged 44 yards per punt.
SECOND TEAM
Jaxyn Price
Quarterback
Early
6-1, 170, Junior
Stats: Threw for 2,106 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions on 147 of 252 passing. Price also rushed for two touchdowns.
Luke Wilson
Running back
Comanche
5-7, 150, Senior
Stats: Rushed for 1,002 yards and 12 touchdowns on 188 carries. Wilson also caught seven passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
Jud Beard
Running back
Eastland
5-9, 165, Senior
Stats: Rushed for 772 yards and nine touchdowns on 87 attempts.
John-Stewart Gordon
Wide receiver
Early
5-8, 159, Junior
Stats: Caught 43 passes for 648 yards and nine touchdowns.
Braden Lewis
Wide receiver
Jim Ned
5-10, 170, Senior
Stats: Caught 31 passes for 563 yards and seven touchdowns.
Blaine Palmer
Wide receiver
Jim Ned
6-1, 170, Senior
Stats: Caught 20 passes for 506 yards and six touchdowns.
Jared Cruz
Wide receiver
Eastland
5-10, 145, Senior
Stats: Caught 42 passes for 687 yards and six touchdowns.
Nate Nunez
Offensive line
Jim Ned
6-4, 225, Senior
Stats: Graded out at 95% and had 94 knockdowns and 66 pancakes.
Dominique Rios
Offensive line
Comanche
6-0, 210, Junior
Stats: Had 35 pancakes.
Chris Fernandez
Offensive line
Early
5-10, 220, Junior
Stats: Graded out at 81% with 40 knockdowns, 10 cuts and nine pancakes.
Cooper Wright
Utility
Eastland
6-3, 190, Senior
Stats: Had 45 solo tackles and 19 assists for 64 total tackles. Wright also had six tackles for loss and an interception. He won District 5-3A Division II Utility Player of the Year.
DEFENSE
Gatlyn Cooper
Defensive line
Jim Ned
5-11, 270, Senior
Stats: Had 27 solo tackles and 10 assists for 37 total tackles. Cooper also had four tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 0.5 sacks.
Chris Fernandez
Defensive line
Early
5-10, 220, Junior
Stats: Had 40 total tackles and a tackle for loss.
Tanner Hussman
Linebacker
Jim Ned
6-1, 185, Junior
Stats: Had 57 solo tackles and 38 assists for 95 total tackles. Hussman also had seven tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, three pass breakups and 1.5 sacks.
Dominique Rios
Linebacker
Comanche
6-0, 210, Junior
Stats: Had 34 solo tackles and 43 assists for 77 total tackles. Rios also had three blocked kicks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, six tackles for loss, three sacks and nine quarterback hurries.
Francisco Villarreal
Linebacker
Early
5-9, 150, Senior
Stats: Had 80 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Cooper Wright
Linebacker
Eastland
6-3, 190, Senior
Stats: Had 45 solo tackles and 19 assists for 64 total tackles. Wright also had six tackles for loss and an interception.
Braden Lewis
Defensive back
Jim Ned
5-10, 170, Senior
Stats: 32 total tackles, three tackles for loss, a half-sack, two quarterback hurries, three interceptions and nine pass breakups.
Jud Beard
Defensive back
Eastland
5-9, 165, Senior
Stats: Had 54 solo tackles and 21 assists for 75 total tackles. Beard also had a tackle for loss, interception and forced fumble.
Kyler Beaty
Defensive back
Comanche
6-1, 160, Sophomore
Stats: Had 37 solo tackles and 27 assists for 64 total tackles. Beaty also had two interceptions, 10 pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Colt Lindsey
Defensive back
Jim Ned
6-0, 175, Sophomore
Stats: Had 19 solo tackles and 14 assists for 33 total tackles. Lindsey also had two tackles for loss, an interception and eight pass breakups.
Pedro Altamirano
Kicker
Clyde
5-8, 165, Junior
Stats: Made 19 of 22 extra point attempts and had 16 kickoffs go for touchbacks.
Blaine Palmer
Punter
Jim Ned
6-1, 170, Senior
Stats: Punted 19 times for an average of 37.1 yards. Palmer’s longest punt went for 53 yards, and he pinned seven punts inside the 20.
HONORABLE MENTION
Quarterback — Tate Yardley, Sr., Jim Ned; Hudson Welch, Sr., Comanche.
Linebacker — Sergio Hernandez, Jr. Jim Ned; Austin Rodgers, Sr., Eastland; Hunter Lee, Sr. Eastland.
Defensive back — Hudson Welch, Sr., Comanche; Luke Wilson, Sr., Comanche; Blaine Palmer, Sr., Jim Ned.
Utility — Colt Lindsey, Jr., Jim Ned.
Kicker — Carlos Esquivel, Jr., Comanche.
Punter — Ayden Fishback, So., Comanche.
Carson Field is the area sports reporter for the Abilene Reporter-News. He covers primarily Big Country high school sports. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to reporternews.com.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Jim Ned's Wishert wins 3A All-Big Country Player of the Year
