Thomas is AA’s top star

RICHMOND — Logan Thomas didn’t get to finish his high school football career hoisting a state championship trophy, but he got a pretty nice consolation prize.

A panel of sports writers from around the state selected the 6-foot-6, 235-pound quarterback and defensive back from Brookville as the Associated Press Group AA player of the year for 2008, and also selected the Virginia Tech-bound Thomas as the first-team quarterback.

Three Jefferson District products made the first team — wide receiver Jake Pelton and offensive guard Wheeler Young of Monticello and Orange County defensive back Quintin Hunter, who has committed to UVa.

Thomas completed 118 of 204 passes for 1,535 yards and 20 touchdowns. He threw the last four of those in a 50-46 loss to James Monroe in the Group AA, Division 3 championship. He also ran for 842 yards on 153 attempts and 11 touchdowns, and was a standout defensive back, taking part in 80 tackles, 51 of them solo stops, and intercepting four passes.

Thomas’ two-way talent made him the top player in Group AA, but he barely edged John Jackson of James Monroe for the first-team quarterback spot. Jackson threw for 1,989 yards and 32 touchdowns, including a Group AA record five in the state championship victory.

The coach of the year is Michael Burnett of Broad Run, who took over in 2006 after the team was 1-9 the previous season and has guided the team to records of 5-5, 12-1 and then 14-0 this year, the last a 13-0 victory against two-time defending champ Amherst in Division 3.

Thomas is joined on the first-team offense by Pelton and fellow receiver DeVontae Atkins of James Monroe. Pelton caught 70 passes for 1,074 yards and nine touchdowns, and Atkins caught 45 for 763 yards and 13 TDs. He caught seven for 163 yards and two TDs in the championship, returned a punt 77 yards for another score and had an interception.

The tight end is Antonio Scott of Prince Edward County, who caught six scoring passes.

The backfield also including backs John Harris of Patrick County, Dominique Wallace of Chancellor and Nubian Peak of Pulaski County, and utility player Dae’Quan Scott of R.E. Lee.

Harris gained 2,613 yards and scored 32 touchdowns in 11 games and finished with more than 6,500 career yards and an 11-yard per-carry average. Wallace ran for 1,893 yards and 31 touchdowns. And Peak, a Virginia Tech commit, ran for 1,436 yards and 22 scores and had 13 catches for 211 yards.

Scott, R.E. Lee’s quarterback, ran for 2,241 yards and 35 touchdowns on just 176 attempts, giving him a 12-7 per-carry average, and passed for 703 yards and eight more touchdowns.

The line includes Young, tackles Derek Christovich of Powhatan and Devin Bolling of Brookville, guard Dennis Wagner of Chancellor and center Shawn Lewis of Broad Run.

Josh Storm of Jefferson Forest, who kicked 11 field goals, is the placekicker, and Broad Run’s Breon Earl, who returned three kicks for touchdowns, is the kick returner.

On defense, the front four is made up of Will Hill of Lafayette, who had 92 tackles and 14 sacks, Andrew Miller of Bassett, who was in on 102 tackles and caused three fumbles, Zack McCray of Brookville, who had 20 sacks, and James Rouse of Harrisonburg, who had nine sacks. Hill has committed to UVa, while Miller is a Virginia Tech commit.

The linebackers are A.J. Parrish of Division 4 runner-up Amherst, Kenny McAdow of Broad Run, Tyler Snow of William Byrd, and Stephen Strowbridge of Rockbridge County.

Parrish had 78 tackles, 43 assists and seven sacks, and McAdow was in on 117 tackles with three sacks, three forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles and an interception.

Snow was in on 109 tackles, with 79 solos, and Strowbridge had one game with 22 stops on his way to finishing with 133 tackles, as well as a game-winning 92-yard fumble return.

The defensive backfield is led by Farkeem French of James Monroe, whose last of 12 interceptions came in the championship victory against Brookville. The secondary also includes Hunter, Kyle Schwizer of Salem and Kyle Linn of Turner Ashby.

The punter is Brad Cox of Christiansburg, who averaged 39.3 yards for 43 punts.