Meet the Sun Herald All-South Mississippi Football Team for the 2020 season
D’Iberville senior running back/defensive back Justin Walley is the Sun Herald’s Player of the Year and Pascagoula’s Lewis Sims is the Coach of the Year, highlighting the All-South Mississippi Football Team for the 2020 campaign.
Throughout a season that was made difficult by COVID-19 through quarantines and cancellations, Walley was unquestionably the MVP of high school football in South Mississippi.
The Minnesota commit made an impact on both sides of the ball, but it was his improved play on offense this season that helped put D’Iberville over the top as a Region 4-6A champion with an overall mark of 10-1.
As for Sims, he put Pascagoula back on its feet as one of the Coast’s top championship contenders.
Following a 1-2 start to the season, the Panthers rebounded to win Region 4-5A and make a postseason run to the Class 5A South State title game — the program’s first since 2012.
Coach of the Year
About Sims: In his 10th season at Pascagoula, Sims did one of his best coaching jobs. His young squad progressed throughout the season and was playing its best in the final weeks of the campaign.
The Panthers stunned previously undefeated Picayune 42-35 on Oct. 31 and they continued that strong play into the postseason, beating Hattiesburg 35-32 to earn a spot in the state title game.
Eventual 5A state champion West Jones ended the Panthers’ season in an 18-16 game in a torrential downpour at War Memorial Stadium.
2020 record: 8-5.
Quotable: “We put ourselves in position to have a chance and the group really played hard. I couldn’t be more proud of the way we battled. To be 1-2 to start the season and come back and have back-to-back losses and end up the No. 1 seed, and to play in the South State championship, what a story for these guys that are seniors.” — Sims
Fans’ Choice Coach of the Year
About Dolan: His second year on the job at D’Iberville proved to be an impressive one as the Warriors won Region 4-6A and finished with a 10-1 record. The Warriors weren’t the most talented team in Class 6A, but they played hard and mostly avoided big mistakes every Friday night. With a 19-4 mark so far, Dolan has proven to be a perfect fit to lead the D’Iberville program.
Player of the Year
About Walley: He was one of D’Iberville’s better players after the varsity squad as a freshman, but his play as a senior placed him among the best high school players to ever suit up in South Mississippi.
The Minnesota commit was named Mr. Football in Class 6A and was voted the Mississippi Association of Coaches Player of the Year in Class 6A.
Walley, who was better known as a standout defensive back headed into his senior year, was dynamic on offense — averaging close to a touchdown for every five carries.
When his team needed a big play on special teams, offense or defense, Walley always seemed to come through.
2020 stats: He ran 106 times for 1,005 yards and 19 touchdowns. As a receiver, he caught 28 passes for 329 yards and one touchdown.
On special teams, he blocked six kicks — two on punts and four on field goals and extra points.
As a defensive back, he had 55 tackles and two interceptions.
Quotable: “He’s such a strong athlete. He power lifted last year and he got so much stronger. He works so hard. He’s a special kid to coach. He stays late every day at practice. We have to make him leave the field house. He’s one of those ones that come around every now and then that you like to have. They make you a better coach for sure.” — D’Iberville coach Larry Dolan.
Fans’ Choice Player of the Year
Jacobi Moore, Harrison Central
Even though he only saw significant action in seven games, Moore put up 43 catches for 831 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Mississippi State commit dominated opposing defensive backs with his combination of size and speed. It’s easy to see Moore making an early impact in Mike Leach’s air raid offense.
2020 All-South Mississippi Football Team
OFFENSE
QB — Ruben Lee, Moss Point senior — Senior named 4A First-Team All-State, holds multiple Div. I offers, threw for 2,204 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions.
QB — Christian Turner, Harrison Central sophomore — Completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 2,248 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions.
QB — Kaden Irving, Gautier sophomore — Ole Miss baseball commit earned Region 4-5A Offensive MVP, threw for 2,399 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
FB — D.J. Richardbey, Poplarville junior — Junior named Class 4A First-Team All-State, ran for 1,360 yards and 19 touchdowns.
RB — K.K. Kendrick, Biloxi senior — Class 6A First-Team All-State, Region 4-6A Offensive MVP, ran for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns.
RB — Carlos Brown, Stone High junior — Class 4A Second-Team All-State, ran for 1,469 yards and 21 touchdowns.
TE — Oscar Hampton, Vancleave junior — Class 4A First-Team All-State, caught 22 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns.
WR — Chanton Millender, Moss Point senior — Class 4A First-Team All-State, caught 60 passes for 928 yards, 12 touchdowns.
WR — Larry Simmons, Moss Point junior — Class 4A Second-Team All-State, caught 45 passes for 747 yards and 10 touchdowns’ holds offers from Alabama, Auburn and Florida State.
WR — Houston Johnson, Pascagoula junior — Class 5A Second-Team All-State, 41 catches for 700 yards, six touchdowns.
OL — Robert Cook, D’Iberville junior — Class 6A Second-Team All-State, Region 4-6A All-MVP Team.
OL — Tyler Knight, Poplarville senior — Class 4A Second-Team All-State
OL — Derek Howell, George County senior — Class 6A First-Team All-State.
OL — Cade Bedenfield, East Central senior — Class 5A Second-Team All-State.
OL — Tyrus Burton, Pascagoula junior — Class 5A Second-Team All-State.
Athlete — Keilon Parnell, Pascagoula sophomore — Mississippi State baseball commit, Region 4-5A Player of the Year, threw for 1,348 yards, 13 touchdowns and 5 interceptions; ran 118 times for 779 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Athlete — Brayson Hubbard, Ocean Springs sophomore — Southern Miss baseball commit, First-Team Region 4-6A; completed 53.2 percent of his passes for 1,022 yards, 7 touchdowns, 4 interceptions; ran 143 times for 1,026 yards and 10 touchdowns.
K/P — Ethan Hunt, Ocean Springs senior — Converted on 11 of 17 field goal tries, 33 of 34 extra points, Region 4-6A All-MVP Team.
DEFENSE
DL — Marcus Dickey, Biloxi senior — Class 6A First-Team All-State, Army commit, 61 tackles, 3 sacks.
DL — Kam Williams, D’Iberville junior — Region 4-6A All-MVP Team, 39 tackles.
DL — Khalid Moore, Poplarville junior — Class 4A First-Team All-State, 80 tackles as a defensive end/linebacker.
DL — Hassan Kamara, Harrison Central senior — Region 4-6A All-MVP team; registered 70 tackles, 10 sacks, three forced fumbles.
LB — Blake Bilich, St. Stanislaus senior — Class 4A First-Team All-State, 95 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 interception.
LB — Ricky Willis, Harrison Central senior — Class 6A First Team All-State, Region 4-6A defensive MVP, 110 tackles, 4 sacks.
LB — Jamarious Brown, Moss Point sophomore — Class 4A Second-Team All-State, holds offers from Ole Miss and Florida State, registered 77 tackles and 12 tackles for negative yardage.
LB/DB — Ray Lias, D’Iberville senior — Region 4-6A All-MVP Team, 55 tackles, 2 interceptions.
DB — Will Clemens, Resurrection senior — Led RCS in several statistical categories, including 121 tackles and four interceptions on defense. He had 1,283 all-purpose yards and accounted for 134 total points — 16 touchdowns and 34 points as a kicker.
DB — Torry Polk, Poplarville senior — Class 4A First-Team All-State, 21 tackles, 4 interceptions.
DB — Elijah Sabbatini, Biloxi senior — Ole Miss football signee, Class 6A First-Team All-State, 47 tackles and two interceptions.
DB — M.J. Daniels, George County senior — Ole Miss football signee; ran 72 times for 594 yards, 6 touchdowns; 23 tackles and an interception on defense.
DB — Austin Samples, Picayune senior — Class 5A First-Team All-State, ran 164 times for 1,259 yards and 13 touchdowns. On defense, had 22 tackles and an interception return for a TD.
Honorable Mention
Biloxi DB Chance Keith, Biloxi DL R.J. Moss, Poplarville OL Conner Davis, Vancleave RB Dayan Bilbo, Vancleave OL Conner Mallette, Pascagoula DB Antonio Sanford, Pascagoula LB Karon Leverette, Gautier OL Bryson Hurst, St. Patrick TE Jackson Kostmayer, St. Patrick OL Tristan Marchioni, East Central DL Raidon Williams, East Central DL Jaheem Packer, Gautier athlete Kolby Packnett, D’Iberville LB Amarion Fells, D’Iberville RB Justice Davis, D’Iberville DL Gabe Bosarge, Bay High RB Noah Cutter, Ocean Springs RB David Humphries, St. Martin OL Will Baggett, Picayune OL Collin Penton, Picayune OL Garrett Hunter, Harrison Central RB Atavian Ray, Harrison Central LB Eric Hopkins, Harrison Central WR Isaiah Atkins, Gulfport DB Isaiah Washington, Stone High DB Mike Hall, Pearl River Central LB Brady Johnson.
This story was originally published December 22, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
