2011 ILLINOIS ALL-AREA FOOTBALL TEAM
First Team
OFFENSE
Marcus Terrell
QB, Jr., Crete-Monee
Stats: 199-of-301 passing, 2,822 yards, 29 TDs, 4 INTs; 44 carries, 193 yards, 5 TDs.
Bio: Terrell entered the 2011 season as an unknown, but he exited it as an all-area quarterback who led the Warriors to their first undefeated regular season in 59 years. Accuracy was his calling card -- Terrell completed 66 percent of his throws and boasted an amazing 7-to-1 TDs-to-interceptions ratio. It became evident a big year was in store for Terrell when he was nearing 1,000 passing yards after just three weeks.
Jeruel Taylor
RB, Sr., Marian Catholic
Stats: 194 carries, 1,460 yards, 13 TDs.
Bio: Taylor's 2011 rushing total was the sixth-highest ever recorded by a Spartans runner for a single season, and his 162.2 yards-per-game average was fourth-best. He finished as Marian's No. 2 all-time ground gainer behind Terence Marable with 3,337 yards while scoring a total of 31 rushing TDs. In 499 career carries, Taylor fumbled only 11 times. He was the 2010 ESCC Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time all-league pick.
Brandon Greer
RB, Sr., Mount Carmel
Stats: 175 carries, 1,692 yards, 17 TDs.
Bio: The latest in a seemingly endless line of productive Caravan tailbacks, Greer put up his 2011 statistics while missing one game completely and logging minimal minutes in a couple others. Greer, who was Mount Carmel's leading scorer with 102 points, ended his high school career by being named MVP of the Prep Bowl. He was also the Lawless Award winner in the Catholic League Blue. In 2010, Greer was an all-area first-teamer as a DB.
Jamal Towns
RB, Jr., Thornton
Stats: 207 carries, 1,252 yards, 14 TDs.
Bio: Jamal Towns and his twin brother, Jason, emerged as key cogs in a youthful Wildcats offense that developed some teeth as the season progressed. In addition to his rushing exploits, Jamal Towns averaged almost 14 yards per catch on nine receptions. He'll be one of the area's premier runners in 2012.
Austin Rosenfeldt
OL, Jr., Crete-Monee
Bio: The Warriors needed some able bodies to protect QB Marcus Terrell and clear the way for a bevy of productive receivers and runners, and Rosenfeldt was Crete-Monee's top dog along the O-line, which allowed just six sacks. Rosenfeldt and his mates also helped the Warriors' offense amass 4,596 total yards.
Nick Roach
OL, Sr., Mount Carmel
Bio: Roach was Mr. Versatility along the line for the Caravan, playing guard, tackle and tight end at one time or another this season. The 295-pound Western Michigan recruit also has brains to go along with his brawn -- he is No. 4 in his class and a National Honor Society member.
Payson Wick
OL, Jr., Homewood-Flossmoor
Bio: No offense can function properly without an adequate line, and the most high-powered units benefit from having an above-average blocking corps. Wick was the main man up front for H-F, which amassed more than 4,500 total yards and scored 498 points en route to the Class 8A quarterfinals.
Phil Faso
OL, Sr., Marian Catholic
Bio: A two-time All-East Suburban Catholic Conference choice, Faso made sure Jeruel Taylor had plenty of running room. As Marian's leading man up front, Faso helped his teammate eclipse the 1,400-yard mark in rushing this season and finish as the school's No. 2 all-time ground gainer.
Kevin Zwier
OL, Sr., Washington
Bio: As the area's biggest lineman, the 300-pound Zwier was an imposing physical presence for the seven-win Patriots. He was more than just large, however -- Zwier was credited with five pancake blocks and did not allow any sacks of QB John Perez.
LaQuon Treadwell
WR, Jr., Crete-Monee
Stats: 75 catches, 1,391 yards, 18 TDs; 45 total tackles, 10 TFLs, 8 sacks.
Bio: An Illinois Football Coaches Association Class 6A All-State selection and The Times Offensive Player of the Year, Treadwell's receiving numbers were almost off the charts. Named an all-area receiver for the second time, Treadwell already has 133 career receptions for 2,202 yards and 25 touchdowns. Another season similar to this one will place Treadwell among Illinois' career leaders in catches. He has been offered by Notre Dame and Michigan.
Sean Jones
WR, Sr., Homewood-Flossmoor
Stats: 55 catches, 1,294 yards, 13 TDs.
Bio: In a normal, non-LaQuon Treadwell season, Jones' receiving statistics would have made him the area's No. 1 pass-catcher. He's still No. 2, and that occurred even though Jones was part of a talented stable of wideouts that QB Tim Williams wasn't afraid to fully utilize. Jones' finest outing came against Lockport in a second-round playoff game, when he caught seven passes for 257 yards and two TDs in a Vikings win.
Jamel Frazier
WR, Sr., Thornton
Stats: 43 catches, 599 yards, 7 TDs.
Bio: When football fans think of Thornton, they typically think of a run-dominated offense. That's understandable, given the Wildcats' history of elite rushers, but Frazier made sure Thornton was not one-dimensional this fall. His catch total was bettered by only LaQuon Treadwell and Sean Jones among area receivers.
Tim Williams
ATH, Sr., Homewood-Flossmoor
Stats: 167-of-254 passing, 2,628 yards, 31 TDs, 10 INTs.
Bio: Arguably the area's finest two-sport athlete, the 6-foot-7 Williams couldn't wrest the all-area QB position from Marcus Terrell's grasp, but he was too good to be anything but a first-team member. Williams actually had a hand in 41 touchdowns, scoring 10 himself as the Vikings' best short-yardage weapon. He was also one of 12 basketball players chosen for The Times Preseason All-Area squad.
Anthony Crescenti
K, Sr., Homewood-Flossmoor
Stats: 61-of-65 XPs, 1 FG
Bio: When a team puts up a lot points, its kicker gets plenty of chances, and Crescenti failed only four times to cap a Vikings touchdown with a successful conversion. Due to Homewood-Flossmoor's potent offense, Crescenti was called upon just twice to attempt a field goal.
DEFENSE
Michael Anyiwo
DL, Sr., Homewood-Flossmoor
Stats: 47 solos, 14 assists, 9 ½ sacks, 8 TFLs.
Bio: Anyiwo frequently made himself an unwelcome visitor in opposing backfields, as evidenced by his sacks and tackles for loss totals. Those plays resulted in 111 negative yards for foes. Anyiwo also forced three fumbles, recovered three and had one pass breakup.
Damar Collins
DL, Sr., T.F. South
Stats: 49 solos, 18 assists, 11 TFLs, 4 sacks.
Bio: The Rebels missed the playoffs in 2011, but Collins didn't miss a beat as he ranked as T.F. South's second-leading tackler from his defensive line position. The All-South Suburban Blue selection paced the Rebels in both tackles for loss and sacks.
Jerome Jenkins
DL, Jr., Thornton
Stats: 30 solos, 26 assists, 15 sacks, 10 TFLs.
Bio: On a Wildcats prevention unit that stayed steady pretty much the entire season, Jenkins was a force up front. His ability to disrupt opponents' offensive plans was illustrated by his impressive sacks and tackles for loss stats. Jenkins also recovered a pair of fumbles.
Jason Knight
DL, Sr., T.F. North
Stats: 38 solos, 6 assists, 7 ½ TFLs.
Bio: Knight trailed only LB Shannon Gatewood among Meteors tacklers. In addition to his listed statistics, Knight registered 3 ½ quarterback pressures, 2 ½ sacks and one pass breakup.
Vontrell Williams
DL, Sr., Mount Carmel
Stats: 39 tackles, 16 TFLs.
Bio: Headed to Illinois next year, Williams understandably drew plenty of attention from opposition blockers in 2011 and had enemy ball carriers steering clear of him as much as possible. Nevertheless, he tied for the team lead in tackles for loss, which resulted in 52 negative yards.
Derrick Bryant
LB, Sr., Mount Carmel
Stats: 100 tackles, 10 TFLs.
Bio: Once upon a time, Bryant was a freshman "B"-teamer at Mount Carmel. In 2011, he was an A-1 defender and the Caravan's top tackler. For his efforts, Bryant was tabbed as The Times Defensive Player of the Year. His tackles behind the line of scrimmage amounted to 36 lost yards for foes, and Bryant also recovered three fumbles and had two pass breakups.
Keith Carter
LB, Jr., Homewood-Flossmoor
Stats: 73 solos, 29 assists, 11 TFLs.
Bio: With lineman Michael Anyiwo providing inside pressure, Carter was able to zero in on opposing ball carriers and bring down over six dozen of them without any assistance. He was H-F's leader in solo tackles by a wide margin. Carter forced one fumble and recovered another.
Jonathan Fasel
LB, Sr., Crete-Monee
Stats: 51 solos, 36 assists, 8 TFLs.
Bio: With the Warriors' offense attracting so much attention this fall, it was easy to forget their defense was no slouch, and Fasel was one of main reasons why. Crete's tackles leader also recovered three fumbles, forced two and broke up a pass.
Tre'von Hughes
LB, Sr., T.F. South
Stats: 57 solos, 16 assists, 6 TFLs.
Bio: Hughes had a tough act to follow at linebacker, where three-time all-area selection Rob Sterling previously roamed. While he couldn't quite duplicate his predecessor's difference-making feats, Hughes was still the Rebels' top defender and ranked No. 1 in both solo and total tackles.
Wesley Jones
LB, Jr., St. Francis de Sales
Stats: 91 total tackles, 5 TFLs.
Bio: Jones operated in anonymity this past season, but his numbers couldn't be ignored. The Pioneers' No. 1 tackler also recorded three sacks, made two fumble recoveries and had three pass deflections.
Anthony Standifer
DB, Sr., Crete-Monee
Stats: 32 solos, 11 assists, 4 INTs.
Bio: Understandably, opponents threw away from the Michigan-bound Standifer, meaning that a repeat of his nine-interception junior year was a long shot. He still finished with four, to go along with three pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and tackle for loss.
Frank Kelly
DB, Sr., Mount Carmel
Stats: 26 tackles, 3 INTs, 3 TFLs, 3 PBUs; 36 catches, 444 yards, 6 TDs.
Bio: Kelly gave the Caravan solid work on both sides of the ball. In Mount Carmel's veer offense, no receiver's stats will ever be eye-popping, but Kelly was Caravan QB Don Butkus' go-to guy and the former also excelled in the secondary. Kelly won four games last spring as a pitcher on Mount Carmel's Class 4A Final Four baseball squad.
David Sowell
DB, Sr., Marian Catholic
Stats: 29 solos, 49 assists, 4 ½ TFLs, 2 INTs.
Bio: An All-ESCC performer, Sowell put up numbers almost identical to those of the previous year. In two varsity seasons, he produced 57 solo stops, 99 assists, nine tackles for loss, three interceptions and two caused fumbles. He also blocked three kicks in 2011.
John Perez
P, Sr., Washington
Stats: 38.4 punting average; 54-of-93 passing, 774 yards, 3 TDs; 29 carries, 263 yards, 4 TDs.
Bio: Perez might have been the area's busiest football player in 2011. His listed numbers are only part of the story -- he also caught six passes, made 15 tackles, blocked two punts and returned three kickoffs an average of 32.3 yards. As the Patriots' punter, Perez landed 10 kicks inside opponents' 20 and had a long of 60 yards.
HONORABLE MENTION -- BLOOM TWP. -- Lavonte Blackful. CRETE-MONEE -- Jordan Ewing, Kenneth Kidd, Lance Lenoir, Nyles Morgan. HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR -- Sheldon Jones, Anfernee Roberts, Jake Thompson. MARIAN CATHOLIC -- Byron Munoz, Randall Wells. MOUNT CARMEL - Don Butkus, D.J. Romero. ST. FRANCIS DESALES -- Paul Ivy, Willie Orange. THORNRIDGE -- Steven Davis, Devonte Stewart, Terrence Thomas. THORNTON -- Jeff Myles, Jason Towns. T.F NORTH -- Dion Beecham, LeByron Collins, Shannon Gatewood, Claude Garrett, Demetrius Lewis. T.F. SOUTH -- Cameron Brown, Giovanni Canty, Brandon Thomas. THORNWOOD -- P.J. Bolton, Raheem Gardner, Tyshon Waller. WASHINGTON -- Jamie Gaeta, Gabriel Lopez, Hector Ochoa, Jaime Prado, Alfredo Ramirez.
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