Introducing the 2022 Fort Worth Star-Telegram high school football all-area awards
Player of the Year
Owen Allen, Senior, RB, Southlake Carroll
All District: 4-6A MVP
His stats: 250 carries, 2,156 yards, 37 TD
His stats: 152 yards per game, 8.5 yards per carry
His season: Allen finished off one of the most productive high school careers in state history. He leaves Carroll as its all-time leading rusher with 7,600 yards and 120 touchdowns.
The Air Force commit hit 100 yards 11 times and 200 yards four times. He set career highs in TDs and yards per carry this season and had two games with five touchdowns, also a career-high.
He scored at least one rushing TD in all 14 games as he helped the Dragons to another undefeated district championship, a 13-1 record and a trip to the regional final.
Offensive Player of the Year
Jake Wilson, Senior, QB, Byron Nelson
All District: 4-6A Offensive MVP
His stats: 4,143 yards passing, 50 TD, 72% completion
His stats: 407 yards rushing, 8 TD
His season: Wilson put together one of the best quarterback seasons in state history, leading the Fort Worth-area in passing yards and touchdowns. He accounted for 58 TD and threw only four interceptions. Wilson averaged 320 yards passing per game and completed 258 throws on 359 attempts.
Wilson threw multiple touchdowns in all 13 games and had at least three in 11 games. Seven times, Wilson threw four TD and four times he had five, including all three playoff games (6, 5, 5). Wilson led the Bobcats to their first 8-0 start and a trip to the third round for the second straight year.
Wilson threw for over 8,000 yards and 88 TD the past two seasons with Byron.
Defensive Player of the Year
Dustan Mark, Junior, LB, Southlake Carroll
All District: 4-6A Defensive MVP
His stats: 85 tackles, 63 solo tackles, 11 tackles for loss
His stats: 13.5 sacks, 26 QB hurries, 2 FR
His season: Mark was second on the team in solo tackles, total tackles and tackles for loss, but led the Dragons with nearly 14 sacks and 26 QB hurries. Mark had at least eight tackles in four of the final five games.
He was awarded defensive MVP in the toughest district for the Fort Worth-area and helped Carroll to a 13-1 record, district championship and a trip to the Class 6A D2 Region 1 final against Denton Guyer. Mark had at least one sack in eight games with a season-high 5.5 against Frenship in the second round.
Offensive Newcomer
Joseph Williams, Junior, QB, Mansfield Summit
All District: 5-5A D2 Second Team
His stats: 1,105 yards passing, 1,234 yards rushing
His stats: 24 total TD (14 pass, 8 rush, 2 receiving)
His season: Williams came in having to fill some big shoes left by David Hopkins, who graduated in the spring of 2022. Summit would face six playoff teams during the season and nearly pulled off the upset in the first round against now two-time defending champ South Oak Cliff.
Williams did most of his damage on the ground with 100 or more yards rushing in seven games with a season-high 183 in the season opener against Lake Ridge. He averaged over seven yards per carry.
Defensive Newcomer
Jake Gillespie, Junior, DB, Aledo
All District: 3-5A D1 Defensive Newcomer of the Year
His stats: 91 tackles, 69 solo tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss
His stats: 1 QB hurry, 2 INT, 5 PBU, 2 FF, 1 FR
His season: In his first year on varsity, Gillespie shined for Tim Buchanan’s defense. Gillespie would play in all 16 games and made his presence felt in the Class 5A D1 state championship win over College Station.
In the state title game, Gillespie made six tackles with one for loss, had an interception and forced one fumble. He also had a couple of big returns to help set up the Aledo offense.
For his performance, he was voted state champ game defensive MVP.
Utility Player of the Year
Poasa Utu, Senior, LB, Kennedale
All District: 6-4A D1 MVP
College: Oklahoma State
His stats: 98 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 10 QB hurries
His stats: 2 INT, 1 PBU, 1 FF, 2 FR, 1 blocked punt
His season: Utu helped the Wildcats bring in a district championship for the 11th straight year and a bi-district win over Waco La Vega. The OSU bound linebacker played in all three phases for Kennedale.
Utu had 367 all-purpose yards and was a return man with 12 returns for 334 yards, averaging nearly 30 yards per return. He also scored five touchdowns overall on special teams and defense, including a return for a touchdown plus a scoop and score off a fumble against Dunbar in the final regular season game.
Coach of the Year
Doug Wendel, Midlothian
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Record: 12-1
District: 5-5A D1 champs
His season: With the Panthers in a new district and looking for a district title and deep playoff run in 5A Division 1, the season didn’t start off great with the news that assistant coach Clif White had cancer.
Instead of a distraction, Wendel and his players used it as motivation, to play for one of their own. White lost his battle with cancer in the middle of the season and again, instead of falling apart, the Panthers went on to win a big game against Lake Belton, which was the game right after White’s death and then the district championship. They would have their best season in 38 years.
Wendel has changed the football culture with a winning district record since 2017. This is a team that posted two 0-7 district records in the past 15 seasons. The undefeated (8-0) district mark this season is a first in the MaxPreps era (2004). They went to the third round and won their first 12 games for the first time since 1984.
Six times, Midlothian scored 50 points. The Panthers averaged 43 per game.
