High school football: Callaway puts 14 players on media all-district football teams

Fourteen players - led by six from the South Callaway Bulldogs in Class 1 - represent Callaway County on the media's 2020 Central Missouri all-district football teams released this past week.

The North Callaway Thunderbirds followed with five players chosen to the Class 2 squad. The Fulton Hornets had three players picked on the Class 4 team.

South Callaway senior running back Hayden Vaught and senior lineman Tanner Vaughan were selected to the Class 1 first-team offense. Senior lineman John Hecktor and junior linebacker Jasper Rees were named to the first-team defense for the Bulldogs.

South Callaway junior running back Trace Helsel was chosen to the second-team offense and junior cornerback Brendon Mealy was selected to the second-team defense.

The Bulldogs' Zack Hess was also named the Class 1 coach of the year.

Senior running back-free safety Cody Cash topped North Callaway's picks as a two-way choice on the Class 2 offense and defense. Senior lineman Josh Selby was also a two-way selection.

Cash and Selby were joined by three teammates from the Thunderbirds - junior lineman Zeke Gilman on offense and senior linebacker Christian Griffith and junior strong safety-outside linebacker Manny Moreno on defense.

Fulton sophomore quarterback-safety Courtland Simmons was a two-way pick on the Class 4 offense and defense. Simmons was joined on offense from the Hornets by junior lineman Curtis Humphreys and junior wide receiver Brynn Bynum.

The 5-foot-10, 155-pound Vaught - a first-team all-Eastern Missouri Conference choice - directed South Callaway with 1,235 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. He shared the team lead with 10 catches for 283 yards and five scores.

Vaughan (5-8, 245) - a unanimous first-team all-EMO selection - anchored an offensive line that helped the Bulldogs average 233.9 yards rushing per game.

The 6-1, 175-pound Hecktor - a first-team all-EMO pick - posted 44 tackles and two fumble recoveries. Rees (6-1, 200) - a unanimous first-team all-EMO choice - led South Callaway with 113 tackles and also came up with 3.5 sacks and two interceptions.

The 5-8, 185-pound Helsel - a first-team all-EMO pick - gained 830 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. Mealy (6-3, 180) - a second-team all-EMO selection - finished with two interceptions and 52 tackles.

Hess, in his sixth season with the Bulldogs, guided South Callaway to a 7-4 record and its second straight appearance in the state playoffs. The Bulldogs secured the District 2 title with a 26-6 victory over Mark Twain on Nov. 13, before falling to third-ranked Thayer 42-15 in the Class 1 quarterfinals Nov. 21.

Cash (5-7, 155) - the EMO offensive player of the year - led North Callaway with 782 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns, while adding a team-high 43 catches for 775 yards and five scores. A unanimous first-team all-EMO defensive choice, Cash was third on the team with 91 tackles and topped the Thunderbirds with both five interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Selby (5-10, 185) - a first-team all-EMO pick - and Gilman (6-1, 225), a second-team all-EMO selection, sparked an offensive line that helped North Callaway rush for 202.3 yards per game. Selby - also a first-team all-EMO choice on defense - guided the Thunderbirds with five sacks and finished with 51 tackles.

The 6-0, 200-pound Griffith (6-0, 200) logged a team-high 101 tackles for North Callaway and had 1.5 sacks. Moreno (5-11, 175) was second on the team with 93 tackles and recorded two sacks and a fumble recovery.

Griffith and Moreno were both unanimous first-team all-EMO picks.

North Callaway ended the season at 7-3 overall. The Thunderbirds lost to Hallsville 36-14 for the District 5 championship Nov. 13.

The 5-11, 175-pound Simmons - a first-team all-North Central Missouri Conference selection on both offense and defense - passed for 1,240 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, while rushing for 1,434 yards and seven scores.

Humphreys (6-1, 294) was also a first-team all-NCMC choice.

The 5-11, 142-pound Bynum - a second-team all-NCMC pick - had 22 catches for 374 yards and two touchdowns.

Fulton finished the season with a 1-9 record.

The all-district teams were selected by members of the Central Missouri media.

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Ryan Boland can be reached at (573) 826-2422, or on Twitter @FultonSunSports.