The Columbian-Progress awarded four high school athletes Tuesday with player of the year honors for their efforts on the gridiron in 2019.
Columbia High School senior Kentrel Bullock leads the pack as the county’s Most Valuable Player. East Marion’s Devin Daniels was chosen as the Offensive Player of the Year, while West Marion’s Blaten Norris is the Defensive Player of the Year. Columbia Academy freshman Preston Sauls was selected as the Newcomer of the Year.
Bullock had a monster final season for the Wildcats, rushing for 1,881 yards and 30 touchdowns. The Ole Miss signee also added 132 receiving yards and three more scores. Bullock’s selection came down to one simple fact: for the vast majority of the season he was the best player on the field at all times. Blessed with 4.38 speed, Bullock had several long touchdowns and averaged more than 150 all-purpose yards per game.
Daniels had a big final season as well with 823 passing yards and nine touchdowns and 1,078 rushing yards and nine more touchdowns. The Eagles quarterback finished third in the county in rushing and led East Marion to a Region 8-2A title despite being surrounded by freshmen and sophomores at the skill positions. Daniels, who also started at defensive back and was the Eagles’ primary kick and punt returner, had two interception returns for a touchdown, a kickoff return for a touchdown and a punt return for a score.
Norris came back from a back injury last year to lead West Marion’s historic defense as a senior. The nose guard played just one half of football in 2018 while the Trojans went 7-4, missed the postseason and allowed 16.8 points per game. His return sparked a tremendous turnaround as West Marion went 12-2 and allowed less than 150 yards per game and just 7.6 points per game. Despite being undersized at 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds while taking on much bigger guards and centers, Norris had 72 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and forced a safety.
Sauls was thrust into the lineup at running back out of necessity halfway through the season and showcased speed and power that will make him a force for years to come. The freshman had 657 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and three touchdowns on the ground and caught six passes for 142 yards and a score. His 66 yards per game on the ground was fourth best in Marion County despite carrying the ball eight or fewer times in four games.
He also had to fill in at linebacker for five games and had 41 tackles and a fumble recovery.
The awards were chosen by a combination of The Columbian-Progress editorial staff and a fan vote.
