Introducing the 2022 Star-Telegram high school football preseason all-area team

The 2022 Texas high school football season is almost here and Fort Worth-area players are ready to shine. Last season’s all-area offensive and defensive players of the year, Ollie Gordon and Ahmaad Moses, are no longer here, so you will be the next man up?

Southlake Carroll senior Owen Allen is among the top running backs in the state. Can he have another 2,000 yard season and lead the Dragons to a state title?

How about highly-recruited 5-star cornerback Javien Toviano from Arlington Martin. He has an offer from nearly every top football program in the country. Will be all-area defensive MVP?

Offensive Player of the Year

Owen Allen, Senior, RB, Southlake Carroll

The reigning District 4-6A MVP returns for his fourth and final varsity season, already among the best area running backs of all-time. Last season, Allen rushed for 2,145 yards and 32 touchdowns. He averaged over 150 yards per game and surpassed the century mark in 12 games.

Expect Allen to put in another big workload and hit the 2,000-yard mark again as he leads the Dragons offense.

Defensive Player of the Year

Enow Etta, Senior, Colleyville Covenant

Standing at 6-5 and 260 pounds, Etta is among the best defensive players in the country. The 4-star Michigan commit is rated as the No. 10 defensive lineman among the Class of 2023, according to 247Sports and is the 12th best football player in Texas.

Etta led the area last season with 22 1/2 sacks and finished with 124 tackles, 92 solo tackles and was second with 40 1/2 tackles for loss. Over the past two years, Etta has registered 40 sacks for the Cougars.

Utility Player of the Year

Javien Toviano, Senior, Arlington Martin

The 5-star highly-recruited prospect is as versatile as anyone in the country, playing in all three phases of the game. Toviano stars at cornerback, where he is the fourth-ranked corner in the state for the Class of 2023.

Toviano has offers from 28 Power Five schools and has narrowed his decision to Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and LSU.

Last season, he had 22 solo tackles, one interception and four break-ups (teams just don’t throw in his direction). He also rushed for 415 yards and eight touchdowns, and returned kicks on special teams.

First Team

Offense

Quarterbacks

Kaden Anderson, Senior, Southlake Carroll

Wyoming commit

3,036 yards passing, 34 TDs, 41 total touchdowns

First-team all-district

Jake Strong, Senior, Justin Northwest

Texas Tech commit

2,334 yards passing, 29 TDs, 918 yards rushing, 9 TDs

District MVP

Weston Smith, Senior, Colleyville Heritage

Princeton commit

2,608 yards passing, 28 TDs

61.4 completion percentage, 103.8 QB rating

All-area Offensive Newcomer of the Year

Running backs

Ezra Carter, Senior, Boswell

1,563 yards rushing, 18 TDs

First-team all-district

Landen Chambers, Senior, Keller Fossil Ridge

BYU commit

1,757 yards, 25 TDs

District 4-6A Co-Offensive MVP

Jarvis Reed, Senior, Mansfield Timberview

1,418 yards, 21 TDs

First-team all-district

Fullback

Buddy Leota, Junior, Euless Trinity

Last season, blocked for 2,500-yard rusher Ollie Gordon, the all-area offensive player of the year

Helped the Trojans rush for more than 4,000 yards

First-team all-district

Wide Receivers

Amari Henry, Senior, Keller

78 catches, 1,229 yards, 14 TDs

Most catches among 2022 returners

First-team all-district

Landon Ransom-Goelz, Senior, Byron Nelson

Rice commit

75 catches, 1,428 yards, 15 TDs

Most yards among 2022 returners

District 4-6A Utility MVP

Lonnie Johnson, Senior, Keller Timber Creek

SMU commit

62 catches, 854 yards, 11 TDs

First-team all-district

Tight End

Jaden Platt, Senior, Haslet Eaton

Stanford commit

31 catches, 623 yards, 6 TDs

First-Team all-district

Offensive Line

Isaiah Robinson, Senior, Arlington Lamar, 6-7, 290: 4-star Baylor commit

Andre Cojoe, Senior, Mansfield Timberview, 6-6, 330: 3-star Texas commit

Wes Tucker, Senior, Argyle, 6-5, 260: 3-star Baylor commit

Drew Perez, Senior, Southlake Carroll, 6-8, 330: 3-star Colorado commit

Makai Saina, Junior, Arlington Martin, 6-4, 275: 3-star, 10 offers

Kicker/Punter

Tyler White, Senior, Southlake Carroll

The Texas A&M commit hit 89 of 93 attempts (PATs, field goals)

Made 10 field goals and accounted for 109 points

36 punts, 42 yards per punt, 62 long, 21 inside the 20

Utility

Hauss Hejny, Junior, Aledo

District newcomer of the year

Lined up at QB, RB and WR last season

154 yards passing, 3 TDs, 1 TD rush

648 yards receiving, 7 TDs

Defense

Defensive Line

Riley Van Poppel, Senior, Argyle

Nebraska commit

40 tackles, 14 tackles for loss

7 sacks

Kaleb James, Senior, Mansfield

Arkansas commit

115 tackles, 25 tackles for loss

15 sacks

Garrett Finley, Senior, Colleyvile Heritage

76 tackles, 27 tackles for loss

18 sacks, 28 QB hurries

First-team all-district

Legend Journey, Junior, Mansfield Summit

72 tackles, 29 tackles for loss

9 sacks, 8 offers

All-area Defensive Newcomer of the Year

Linebackers

S’Maje Burrell, Senior, North Crowley

Texas commit

104 tackles, 13 tackles for loss

5 sacks, 4 FF, 3 FRs

First-team all-district

Poasa Utu, Senior, Kennedale

Oklahoma State commit

97 tackles, 41 tackles for loss

19 sacks, 4 deflections

Led the area in tackles for loss

Logan Anderson, Senior, Southlake Carroll

73 tackles, 3 INTs

6 deflections, 2 FRs

First-team all-district

Jake Landrum, Junior, Arlington Martin

89 tackles, 35 solo tackles

5 sacks, 6 QB hurries, 1 FR, 1 INT

District defensive newcomer of the year

Defensive Backs

Brenden Jordan, Senior, Mansfield

Texas Tech commit

Rated as the No. 10 safety in the country (2023)

First-team all-district

Jamel Johnson, Senior, Arlington Seguin

Texas commit

Rated as the No. 16 safety in the country (2023)

First-team all-district

Jordan Sanford, Senior, Mansfield Timberview

Texas Tech commit

34 tackles, 1 sack

7 deflections, 2 INTs

Jaden Allen, Junior, Aledo

Texas commit

Has started at cornerback since his freshman season

28 tackles, 2 INTs, 6 deflections

Utility

Zachary Brewster, Senior, Brock

123 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, 5 INTs

Took snaps at RB, 5.2 yards per carry

28 catches, 408 yards, 3 TDs

First-team all-district

This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 5:25 AM.