Everett, Bafus earn top award

A banner number of area football players were named to this year’s Washington Associated Press All-State football teams, released Thursday.

Included were players of the year Eric Everett of State B-11 champion Reardan and Jeff Bafus from four-time State B-8 titlist LaCrosse-Washtucna.

The Greater Spokane League had four defensive first-team selections.

The 4A first team included University of Washington-bound lineman Cameron Elisara from Ferris, as well as defensive back Andy Mattingly, recruited by Washington State, and linebacker Paul Senescall, headed to Idaho, both from state quarterfinalist Mead.

East Valley’s Tyler Jolley, ticketed to play at Eastern Washington, was a 3A defensive line first-team choice.

Honorable mention selections were Central Valley offensive lineman C.E. Kaiser and EV junior running back Ryan Campbell.

State 2A champion Pullman had five honorees, including two-way first-team member Mike Thomas, chosen at running back and defensive line. Joining him on the first team are lineman Jeff Jones, a converted quarterback, and linebacker J.C. Sherritt.

Quarterback J.T. Levenseller and receiver Ashton Gant were honorable mention selections for Pullman.

Freeman defensive lineman Nate Kjack and defensive back Andrew Wilkerson were 1A first-team selections.

Reardan’s Everett was a two-way choice at quarterback and defensive back. He rallied Reardan to the B-11 state title over DeSales and during the year accounted for 22 touchdowns passing and running.

He is one of six Bi-County League players to earn first-team berths. The others were offensive lineman Joel Zwainz and defensive lineman Alan Colvin of Reardan, and defensive lineman Michael Villa, linebacker Tommy Guhlke and kicker Gabriel Ferrarato of Davenport.

Named honorable mention were: Villa, offensive line; Nick Ashley, running back, Lind-Ritzville; Brad Alberts, receiver/defensive back; Reardan; Bob Christerson, linebacker, Reardan; and Derek MacArthur, all-purpose, Selkirk.

Bafus shared B-8 player of the year with Andrew Jefferson of Lummi, who threw for almost 3,000 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Bafus, an all-state offensive lineman/linebacker, helped the Tigercats match Bellevue’s four-title feat from a year ago. L-W ran its winning streak to 48 games, tying the state record set by Toledo from 1965-70.

The B-8 team was top-heavy with players from L-W and others from the Northeast and Southeast leagues.

L-W players were Mike Martin, on both sides of the line; Matt Martin, receiver/defensive back; and Kellen Hays, defensive line.

Also on the first team were Columbia (Hunters) running back Miles St. John and offensive lineman Shawn Hughes, and linebacker Heath McKinney of Sprague-Harrington. All-purpose Vader Castillo, Touchet, also made first team.

Hughes, on the defensive line, and Colton-Pullman Christian wide receiver Joe Smetana were honorable mention.