There were plenty of awards to go around for the Lone Tree football team as 11 Lions were named to the 8-man district 4 all-district teams.
Brock Smith was the headliner for the Lions nabbing Defensive Player of the Year honors for the district. Opposing quarterbacks feared the senior defensive lineman as he had the most sacks in the district with 10, including five in one game. He also was second in the district in total tackles with 87.
Four other Lone Tree players were also named to the first team including Wes Hotz as a linebacker. The senior was in the top 10 for the district in tackles with 59, including six for a loss. Fellow defender Cale Yoder was also recognized as a defensive end racking up 48 tackles and five sacks in his sophomore year. On the other side of the ball, Bryce Houser was named to the first team as a back. The junior had the second most rushing yards in the district amassing over 1,300 yards and 26 touchdowns. He was often running behind Casey Shalla who was chosen as the center. Shalla helped pave the way to over 2,500 yards on the ground, and he also managed three interceptions.
Four Lions were chosen for the second team, including quarterback Harmon Miller. The sophomore threw for more than 1,100 yards while completing 53% of his passes, and managed 16 touchdowns to only two interceptions. One of Miller’s primary targets was Keegan Edwards. The sophomore had 11 receptions for 245 yards and seven scores. Aaron Slaughter was chosen as a fullback, managing 225 yards on the ground for five touchdowns and one more receiving. The final second-teamer was Avery Knock. As a cornerback he had 53 tackles and an interception, while also running for 396 yards and five scores.
The Lions had Matthew Selck and Trey Shalla named honorable mentions. Selck was a senior receiver that hauled in seven catches for 183 yards and one score. Shalla was a sophomore defensive tackle that had 28 tackles and one for a loss.
The Lions made it back to the playoffs, finishing the year with an 8-3 record.