Leflore County High School’s Willie McCline and Amanda Elzy’s Dephabian Fant have been selected as Most Valuable Players in their respective districts for the 2018 football season.
McCline has been tabbed as the MVP in Region 2-2A as part of the Super 25 team, which is chosen by the league’s head coaches. The 5-foot-8 senior tailback ran for 1,897 yards and 12 touchdowns on 173 carries. He also had 326 receiving yards and three scores on 14 receptions, and he returned one punt for a touchdown during Leflore’s 5-7 campaign, which ended with a first-round playoff loss to South Delta.
Fant, a running back/return specialist, was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player in Region 3-3A. He was also selected to the second team of the Mississippi Association of Coaches all-state team in Class 3A.
The 5-foot-8 junior ran for 1,213 yards and 12 touchdowns on 133 carries despite missing two games with an ankle injury. He also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and had two receiving TDs and five 2-point conversion runs.
McCline is joined on the Region 2 Super 25 team by three Tiger teammates — senior center Will Gates, senior running back Royce Jackson, and freshman wide receiver Dekari Johnson.
No Leflore player was selected on the defensive side of the ball.
An All-Region 2 team was also selected, and five players from Leflore County made that squad. They are senior Avery Jackson and juniors Maurice Edwards, Christopher Bruce, Emanuel Stanley, and Kwalique Swinney. Elzy senior Norman Polk and sophomore offensive lineman Artravius Gillis were chosen to the Super 22 team in Region 3-3A on offense. Polk, who played quarterback for Elzy, made this squad as the kicker.
On the defensive side of the ball for Super 22, senior defensive back Devin Donley, sophomore linebacker Tim Wilson, and freshman lineman William Greer represent the Panthers.
The Panthers were well represented on the Region 3 first team. Senior Travontey Jefferson made it on the offensive line, while senior Marquez Cary, junior Smitdarius Wright, sophomore Le’Andre Pittman, and eighth-grader Ladarius Ghoston were chosen on the defensive side of the ball.
n J.Z. George: The Jaguars’ Nathan Carpenter made the Region 3 Super 22 team. Carpenetr, a sophomore, played offensive line this season for the Jaguars.
Two other players — freshman linebacker Jordun Normal and freshman punter Lance Mullen — were on the Region 3 Super 22 team on defense.
The Jags placed three players on the all-region team. They are senior tight end Chris Rias, junior offensive lineman Cory Clay, and sophomore fullback Jacob Johnson.
n Delta Streets Academy: The Lions were represented by three players on the All-District 2E team recently selected by the head coaches.
Senior quarterback/defensive end Emanuel “DJ” Alston put together a monster season for Delta Streets as the starting signal caller. He ran for 1,786 yards and 30 touchdowns on 132 carries.
Alston is joined on the first team by sophomore running back/linebacker Markavius Foreman and freshman running back/linebacker Jalyn Lewis.
Receiving honorable mention are senior wide receiver Quad Fuller and freshman linebacker M.J. Davenport.
nContact Calvin Stevens at cstevens@gwcommonwealth.com.
