By Audrey Dodgen/Staff Writer

While Shawnee’s playoff troubles garnered most of District 5A-2’s postseason attention, seven El Reno High School players quietly picked up All-District nods in recognition of their season.

Quarterback Ross Carter was named the district’s Most Valuable Player.

“This team is voted on by the coaches, and this proves that they think just as highly of our kids as we do. You can say what you want about things, and hindsight is 20/20, but that’s the way other teams looked at Ross, as the guy they had to stop,” head coach Dal Nichols said.

Carter received all of the MVP votes except one.

“It just proves that other people thought as much of him as I did,” Nichols said.

Carter ended the season 142 of 282, for 1863 yards. He passed for five touchdowns. Carter also rushed the ball 160 times for 463 yards and five touchdowns.

Todd Palmer was named to the first team at tight end and Jon Erbar was named to the first team at tackle.

Palmer caught 12 passes for 11 yards and 2interceptions. On defense, he picked up 17 tackles and one sack.

Carter, Palmer and Erbar were also all named All-Star by class.

Preston Grey, Josh Mansfield and Walter Blackowl were all named to the district’s second team.
Grey caught 14 passes for 102 yards during the season.

Bo Powell earned an honorable mention nod at center.

“We went through some ups and downs during the season, installing a new system. It’s difficult for any group to try and learn a whole different way of doing things,” Nichols said.

“They are being rewarded for their effort and the way they went about trying to get better.”

In addition to outside awards, seven EHS seniors were given team awards at the squad’s year-end banquet.

Carter was named the team’s most valuable player.

Blackowl was named Lineman of the Year.

Erbar was named Offensive Player of the Year, and Palmer was named Defensive Player of the Year.

Mansfield was given the award for Most Dedicated.

Nichols handed out two special awards that night.

The Heart and Hustle award was given to senior Steven Royce.

“Steven Royse was one of my favorite players on the team. He’s a kid who’s always going to give you everything he has. He didn’t get upset if he didn’t get to play as much as he wanted, and he always wanted to be on the field,” Nichols said.

“He was always on the field when we needed someone on the scout team. If you needed someone to do something, he was the one who would jump up and do it. Just always looking to help us get better. If you could put his heart in some of these other kids, he’d be playing D-1 somewhere.”

Grey picked up the award for Most Improved.

“Preston really bought into the system. He’s sharp and really understood a lot of why we were doing things the way we were. He’s not the best athlete, in fact his feet were just bad when he started, but he understood he needed to play smarter. He worked really hard at what he did, just working and working and working,” he said.

“He earned an opportunity to play and really did a great job for us.”