DOMINATING DISTRICT LAURELS

After benchmark season, 12th-ranked Iredell Dragons sweep All-District 12-1A, DII superlatives; Walnut Springs claims eight spots on first team, Cranfills Gap two

After an undefeated run through their opponents to capture the District 12-1A, Division II title, the 12th-ranked Iredell Dragons fittingly dominated the all-district selections as well by sweeping the superlative awards.

Led by the District 12-1A, DII Coach of the Year Luis Guereca, Iredell sophomore Cole Heutzenroeder was named the district’s Offensive Most Valuable Player, sophomore Caleb Garland drew the Defensive Most Valuable Player award, while freshman Gavin Vara was named the Newcomer of the Year.

“Well obviously, I am going to be biased,” Guereca said. “But in general, when it comes down to district picks, we will have the upper hand from being district champions. The other teams had some great players and were well deserving of the honors they received. We understand that we do have a good group of young kids, and they definitely showed up in the games during district play.”

In addition to the superlative awards, the Dragons (3-0 in district, 11-2 overall) drew 10 more first-team, all-district spots as well as four second-teamers. After advancing three rounds into the Class 1A, DII playoffs, Iredell was eliminated in the regional quarterfinals by eventual state finalist Oglesby.

“It was a great football season for us,” Guereca said. It was the third time in school history we have reached the regional quarterfinals. I’m extremely proud of our team, our school and our community.

“From the beginning of the year, our expectations and standards were set high. Our guys knew we needed to come together as a team more than ever, and the work needed to be put in throughout the year. With more experience each week, we got better and better. It was great to see how our school and community rallied together to support our football team. I’m looking forward to next year and what it will bring.”

Iredell first-team selections included sophomore tight ends Caleb Garland, sophomore center and defensive lineman Caden Sweat, sophomore running back and safety Jordan Gutierrez, sophomore placekicker Adan Aquilar-Diaz, senior defensive lineman Walker Johnson, sophomore linebackers Cole Heutzenroeder, freshman cornerbacks Gavin Vara, and junior Utility Player Westen Chandler.

Leading the Dragon offensive attack, Heutzenroeder rushed for 1,423 yards and 27 touchdowns, while completing 21 of 46 passes for 458 yards and eight scores.

Providing a dual threat in the running game, Gutierrez ran for 1,103 yards and 17 touchdowns. Garland led the Iredell receiving corps with 12 times for 285 yards and seven touchdowns along with Sweat catching 11 passes for 289 yards and five scoring strikes.

Defensively, Heutzenroeder led the Dragons with 125 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery, followed by Garland with 123 takedowns, two interceptions and four fumble recoveries, Gutierrez with 79 tackles, one interception and five fumble recoveries, along with Sweat with 51 tackles, one interception and three fumble recoveries.

As the district runner-up, the Walnut Springs Hornets (2-1, 4-7) grabbed eight spots on the all-district first team, including senior running back Adrian Chavez, senior center Santos Pina, senior wide receiver Diego Muniz, junior fullback and linebacker Jesse Lamb, senior spread back Bryan Chavez, senior special teams player Luis Fraire, and sophomore defensive lineman Cameron Mitchell.

Despite missing four games due to injury, Muniz led the Hornets with 664 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns while catching 22 passes for 252 yards and five scores, followed by Lamb with 642 rushing yards and 29 receptions for 609 yards for a combined 19 touchdowns.

Defensively, Lamb led the Hornets with 55 tackles, seven fumble recoveries and three blocked PATs, followed by Adrian Chavez with 38 tackles, and Mitchell with 35 tackles.

“We have had to deal with injuries, in some cases season ending injuries, for the last three years and 2023 was no exception,” Walnut Springs head coach Lonnie Flippen said. With that said, our kids never quit even after being soundly defeated for a few weeks in a row. They turned things around with our homecoming game against our nearby rival Morgan.”

While playing in only four games, Bryan Chavez completed 32 of 48 passes for 725 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Adrian Chavez caught 19 passes for 326 yards and four scores, followed by Lina with 18 receptions for 274 yards and four touchdowns.

“We were extremely fortunate to have Bryan Chavez return to play after missing more than two seasons following an injury his freshman year,” Flippen said. “Not only did his leadership help us make the playoffs, but he closed out his career with almost a 1000 yards passing in the last four games.

“I’m just so glad for them that they are going out winners having successfully making the playoffs, which was our goal at the start of the year.”

Cranfills Gap carried their playoff hopes into the final game of the regular season against Walnut Springs, but the Hornets (1-2, 4-6) came up short. Senior utility player and linebacker Blake Allen represented the Cranfills Gap Lions as a two-way selection on offense and defense.

“Overall, it’s unfortunate that we missed out on the playoffs,” Cranfills Gap athletic director Josh Raulston said. “But I know these guys left everything out on the field fighting for a chance. We can hang our heads high knowing we did all we could.”