By Marty Gordon
Alex Wilkens had an incredible year at Christiansburg High School this past season with 10 football wins, the most for the school in seven years and his best at the school including two games into the postseason. For the effort, he was named the River Ridge District coach of the year.
The River Ridge awards were announced Wednesday. Nine Blue Demons were named to the first teams for offense and defense. Offensive linemen Ayden Conley and Eli Brubaker led with teammate Stephan Myrthil being named first-team running back.
On the other side of the ball, defensive end Tyrique Taylor and linebacker Kenyon Johnson-Buchannon were joined by defensive backs Jaxson Clarke and Tanner Evans, who was also named first-team punt returner. Christiansburg’s Drew Lloyd was the first-team punter.
Defensive lineman Brayden Demasi was the lone Blacksburg player named to the first team.
Blacksburg’s Brady Wiatt was a second-team offensive lineman, and linebacker Parker Epperley and defensive end Bryce Ferguson were second-team defense.
Christiansburg’s Lloyd and Johnson-Buchannon were named second-team running backs. Receiver Travis Altizer and kick returner Jayron Thompson were also named to the second team.
On defense, Conley and Nathan Fillipiak were named to the second team defense. Curtis Altizer was second-team linebacker.
Conley was the only Blue Demon named to the first-team offense for Region 3D. Altizer and Evans were named to the positions on the Region 3D first-team defense.
Christiansburg linemen Eli Brubaker and Jonathan Dixon were second-team all-region while Mythril and Travis Altizer were on the second-team offense. Jayron Thompson was second-team all-region kick returner, and Jonah Bremmer was second-team kicker.
Conley was named second-team on the defensive line while Clarke was second-team at defensive back. Drew Lloyd was second-team punter. Evans was named second-team punt returner, and Johnson-Buchannon was second-team all-purpose defense.
Radford placed four players on the Three Rivers District first-team offense: lineman Charles Davis, running back Tyrell Dobson, receiver Darius Wesley-Brubeck, and all-purpose performer Marcell Baylor.
On defense, Wesley-Brubeck was named all-purpose player of the year. He was joined on the first-team by lineman Dawson Martin, linebackers Tyrell Dobson and Nate Wesley, defensive back Marcell Baylor and defensive back Landon Clark.
Second teamers for offense were quarterback Marcell Baylor, lineman Andrew Martin and kicker Vance Steele. On defense, the Bobcats placed linemen Charles Davis and Brandon Thompson. The district’s defensive player of the year was Radford’s Tyrell Dobson.
Eastern Montgomery placed two players on the first-team All Pioneer District team also released this week. Seth Burleson was first-team runningback and Brandon Kingery was first-team defensive line.
Seven Mustangs were named the Pioneer second-team including offensive lineman Xavier Brown, receiver Ben Via, runningback Eli Brown, kick returner Ben Via, kicker Lilly Underwood, defensive end Wyatt Stallard and linebacker Seth Burleson.
Burleson and Kingery were also named to the All-Region C first team for the same positions.
