Nineteen players from Callaway County - featuring eight from South Callaway in Class 2 - were selected to the media's 2016 Central Missouri all-district football teams announced this past week.
The Fulton Hornets landed six players on the Class 3 squad, while the North Callaway Thunderbirds also had five players chosen in Class 2.
Junior running back-linebacker Kaden Helsel and senior lineman Ben Shumate led South Callaway as two-way picks on the Class 2 first-team offense and defense. The pair were joined on the first-team defense by sophomore teammate Peyton Leeper at defensive back.
Junior Landon Horstman was also a two-way, second-team selection for the Bulldogs on offense at quarterback and defense as a lineman. Horstman was joined on the second-team offense by junior wide receiver Jarrett Livengood and senior lineman Brandon Aggus.
Also making the second-team defense from South Callaway were senior linebacker Bennett Hager and senior defensive back Brandon Ashley.
Named to the Class 3 first-team offense from Fulton were senior quarterback Devin Masek as an all-purpose player and junior wide receiver L'Trevion Vaughn. Junior Makygh Galbreath was a first-team choice at defensive back.
Senior wide receiver Alec Fleetwood and senior lineman Jared Peery were second-team picks for the Hornets on offense and senior linebacker Will Dunn was a second-team selection on defense.
North Callaway senior running back-lineman Wyatt Branson was a two-way choice on the Class 2 first-team offense and defense. Junior wide receiver Adam Reno and junior linebacker Tanner Pezold were also first-team picks for the Thunderbirds on offense and defense, respectively.
Senior lineman Matt Salisbury and junior defensive back Austin Edwards were second-team defensive choices from North Callaway.
The 6-foot, 180-pound Helsel - a second-team all-Eastern Missouri Conference selection on offense - topped South Callaway with 827 yards rushing (10.7 average) and 12 touchdowns, while adding 17 catches for 488 yards (28.7 average) and five scores. A first-team all-EMO pick on the defensive side, Helsel logged a team-high 80 tackles (34 solo) and recorded one sack, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Shumate (6-2, 240), a first-team all-EMO pick on both offense and defense, was a component of an offensive line at guard and helped the Bulldogs average 283 yards rushing and 125.5 yards passing per game. He finished with 69 tackles (31 solo) and 3.5 sacks at his nose guard spot.
The 5-10, 175-pound Leeper - a first-team all-EMO choice - played free safety for the Bulldogs, posted 78 tackles (33 solo) and had four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns.
Horstman (6-2, 185) directed the South Callaway offense as a dual threat, completing 58-of-111 passes (52 percent) for 1,227 yards, 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions, while also rushing for 510 yards (6.6 average) and nine scores. A first-team all-EMO defensive selection, Horstman was a linebacker and compiled 61 tackles (24 solo), one sack, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
The 6-0, 160-pound Livengood - a first-team all-EMO pick at tight end - lined up at wide receiver and paced the Bulldogs with 25 catches for 416 yards (16.6 average) and five touchdowns. Aggus (6-1, 180), a tackle, was a second-team all-EMO choice on the offensive line.
The 6-1, 180-pound Hager, a second-team all-EMO selection, recorded 53 tackles (16 solo), 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. Ashley (5-11, 170) - a first-team all-EMO choice - came up with 25 tackles (11 solo) from his cornerback position and equalled Leeper with four interceptions, returning one for a score.
Masek (5-9, 145), a first-team all-North Central Missouri Conference pick for Fulton, was 197-of-351 passing (56 percent) this season for a career-high 2,639 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was also a vital part of the Hornets' rushing attack, gaining 633 yards (6.8 average) and scoring six times.
The 5-11, 187-pound Vaughn - a second-team all-NCMC selection - topped Fulton with 52 catches for 869 yards (16.7 average) and nine touchdowns. Galbreath (5-10, 140), also a second-team all-NCMC choice, pulled off a team-high six interceptions and had 36 tackles (25 solo).
The 6-1, 165-pound Fleetwood - a first-team all-NCMC pick - finished with 37 catches for 607 yards (16.4 average) and eight scores, but missed the last two games of the season because of an ankle injury. Peery (6-0, 225), a second-team all-NCMC selection, anchored the offensive line at center as the Hornets averaged 149.4 yards rushing and 243.3 yards passing.
The 5-11, 200-pound Dunn - a second-team all-NCMC choice - sparked Fulton with 127 tackles (73 solo) and also had two sacks and two interceptions.
Branson, a first-team all-EMO pick on both offense and defense, rushed for 602 yards (8.6 average) and seven touchdowns for North Callaway, pairing that with a team-high 25 catches for 473 yards (18.9 average) and four scores. Defensively from his end position, Branson posted 37 tackles (29 solo), four sacks and four fumble recoveries.
Reno - a first-team all-EMO selection at wide receiver despite playing running back - accumulated a team-high 614 yards rushing (15.7 average) and 12 touchdowns for the Thunderbirds, and supplied 23 catches for 414 yards (18.0 average) and three scores. Pezold, a first-team all-EMO choice, tallied 89 tackles (50 solo), one sack and four fumble recoveries.
Salisbury was also a first-team all-EMO pick at guard as the North Callaway offense averaged 178.5 yards rushing and 159.9 yards passing. Edwards - a first-team all-EMO selection who actually played linebacker - logged 62 tackles (43 solo), one sack, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
South Callaway - which was ranked ninth in the final Class 2 regular-season poll - ended the season with a 10-1 record. Fulton finished with a 5-6 mark and North Callaway completed the season at 7-3.
The all-district football teams were selected by members of the Central Missouri media.