Philadelphia highlights 5-2A's All-Region football honorees
By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
Dec. 18, 2003
Philadelphia High School's perfect 5-0 mark in 5-2A play this season helped catapult a number of Tornadoes into position to receive individual honors on the All-Region football team.
Three Philadelphia players earned top player honors and six were selected to the 5-2A squad, and the Tornadoes coaching staff was selected as the region's Staff of the Year for guiding the team to an 8-3 mark this season.
Desmond Murray was named the 5-2A Offensive Player of the Year. The senior running back ranked 10th in Class 2A in rushing, with 1,268 rushing yards on 204 carries. He scored 12 touchdowns for the Tornadoes.
Tornadoes linebacker Jamaal Peebles was awarded Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Eric Lyons earned Special Team Player of the Year honors .
Philadelphia head coach Mike Brown and assistant coaches Marcus Autry, Barry Boler, David Huffman, Steven Mose and Bob Posey were awarded the Staff of the Year award for the work they did with the team.
Newton senior running back Cornelius Caraway was named the All-Region Most Valuable Player for 5-2A.
Caraway rushed for over 700 yards this season, and he tallied 107 tackles (77 solo and 30 assists) as a linebacker for the Tigers. He also returned an interception for a touchdown, recovered a fumble and kicked off on occasion for Newton.
The Tornadoes placed six players on the All-Region squad, thanks to their first-place finish. The second-place team had five members on the team, the third had four, the fourth had three, the fifth placed two and the sixth placed one member on the team.
Defensive tackle Anthony Gray, offensive lineman Antoine Smiley, defensive end James Seales, place kicker Porter Johnson and linebacker Jeremy Boler were all named to the All-Region squad from Philadelphia.
Lake, which finished second in 5-2A play with a 3-2 mark, 5-6 overall, was represented on the postseason team by wide receiver/defensive back Danny Towner, linebacker Calvin Patrick, offensive and defensive lineman Leon Fountain, fullback/defensive end Paul Burrage and offensive lineman/linebacker Marcus Ickom.
Newton placed four on the team after finishing third with a 3-2 division mark, 4-7 overall. Tigers offensive guard Leroy Bowden, who was also an All-State 2A team selection, offensive tackle Calem Berry, strong safety/running back Travaone Evans and defensive end Eddie Washington were selected to represent the team on the All-Region squad.
Newton linebacker Phillip Evans was an honorable mention for the All-Region team.
Kemper County tight end/linebacker Kevin Rush, running back/defensive back Derek Welch and offensive and defensive lineman Jarvis Coles were selected to the 5-2A team.
The Clarkdale Bulldogs placed linebacker/offensive guard Jeremy Street and running back Cedric Burns on the All-Region team, and William Sullivan's Maarcello Greer was also selected to the squad.
