This was a different year for high school football in The Tribune's coverage area.

There were no dominant teams like local fans have gotten used to, and no conference or state champions.

East Wilkes went on the deepest playoff run, moving to the 1A quarterfinals, but that was a Cinderella story considering the Cardinals were 3-8 in the regular season.

Starmount had the best regular season record of 6-5, but the Rams and Elkin -- the traditional local powers -- both bowed out of the post-season in the first round.

The reality was that every school in our coverage area seemed to be going through some stage of rebuilding or retooling of their programs in 2007. Even still, 29 players from Starmount, Elkin, East Wilkes, Surry Central and North Wilkes earned all-conference honors, either first-team or honorable mention. These schools didn't dominate the top awards like 2006, but there was still plenty of talent to choose from when assembling The Tribune's 2007 All-Area Football Team.

For this year's honors list, we picked 24 players to make up our first team, then 12 others as honorable mention. Though it was tough, one stood out to us as 2007's Most Valuable Player.

We looked at stats, all-conference voting, coach's recommendations and our own observations as we covered local football this past season to compile our list.


The MVP RB Aaron Bauguess (East Wilkes) -- The sophomore is one of the littlest guys on our All-Area team, checking in on East Wilkes' official roster at 5-foot-7, 145 pounds (and that might be generous). But Bauguess had a giant heart and a motor that never quit.

In a year when true star players were few and far between in our area, Bauguess shined brightly. Take him out of the East Wilkes offense, and it's unlikely the Cardinals make their magical run through the playoffs.

Bauguess finished the season with 1,896 rushing yards, picking up an average of 7.2 yards per carry. He scored 17 touchdowns on the ground and another two through the air.

His single-game high was 286 yards and four touchdowns against Alleghany, a game that began East's late-season surge. He thrived more and more as the Cardinals made the switch to the Wing-T offense after its bye week.

"He was a hard worker with a big heart," East coach Monty Chipman said. "He loves to play the game."

And for East Wilkes fans, they'll get two more seasons to watch our 2007 MVP play the game in Cardinal red and white.


The First-Teamers

QB/DB Jake Barr (Starmount) -- The freshman not only earned a spot on varsity as a ninth-grader, he became an accomplished starter on both sides of the ball.

Barr earned first-team all-conference on defense, finishing the season as one of the Rams' leading tacklers with 32 solos and 59 hits in all. He also picked off one pass.

Barr started the season as the third-string quarterback. But injuries to the two guys ahead of him, Jerome Gadberry and Shane Bryant, put Barr into the starter's role for most of the last part of the season.

As it turned out, the Rams seemed to excel more with Barr under center and Gadberry and Bryant playing receiver. Barr passed for 537 yards and six touchdowns. He completed nearly half of his passes and was intercepted just five times.

RB Rashaun Gaither (Starmount) -- The Wing-T offense is designed to present multiple threats to opposing defenses. The Rams had that for sure this season, with five guys rushing for more than 300 yards.

Gaither led the way, picking up a team-best 865 yards on 107 carries. The junior first-team all-conference selection scored 13 touchdowns. Gaither had good speed and moves, and was simply tough to bring down.

RB/DB Daniel Swaim (Starmount) -- The senior provided another hard-nosed threat in the offensive backfield. He finished with 740 yards on 108 carries, scoring four times. Swaim may have challenged Gaither for the team lead in rushing yards had injuries not shortened his season.

Swaim was honorable mention all-conference on the offensive side but a first-team pick as a defensive back. Swaim had 18 solos, 33 hits, an interception and a fumble recovery as a defensive back.

OL/DL Luke Shore (Starmount) -- The 5-11, 212-pounder played on both sides of the ball but picked up first-team all-conference honors for his work on the offensive side. The Rams' "O" rushed for 3,001 yards and 31 touchdowns this season, and passed for another 687 yards and eight scores with Shore helping pave the way.

Defensively, Shore finished with 21 hits and four solo tackles.

OL/DL Matthew Walker (Starmount) -- While players like Gaither, Swaim and Barr earned a lot of the headlines for the Rams, Walker quietly went about the business of earning first-team all-conference on the offensive and defensive lines.

On the defensive side, Walker, who tips the scales at just 190 pounds, had 20 solo tackles and 43 total hits. He caused one fumble, sacked the quarterback twice and recorded five tackles for loss.

OL Trent Walters (Elkin) -- The Buckin' Elks' offense began, literally, with Walters. The senior was the team's center and a big -- literally -- component of the offense the past few years.

The 299-pounder paved the way for an offense that rushed for close to 1,700 yards in 2007.

He was the Elks' lone first-team all-conference selection.

OL Joel Blevins (Elkin) -- The 6-2, 250-pounder was another senior leader on the offensive front. One of the few returnees from the Buckin' Elks' high-octane offense from the 2006 state championship team, Blevins picked up honorable mention all-conference this time around.

OL Zach Bullard (North Wilkes) -- The senior offensive guard emerged as the top blocker for the Vikings this season. His work was rewarded by MVAC coaches, who named him first-team all-conference.

TE/DL Stephan Booker (North Wilkes) -- The senior proved one of the best pass-catchers in Wilkes County despite nagging injuries all season. The first-team all-conference selection made 25 catches for 395 yards and two touchdowns. He was a solid blocker as well.

WR Eric High (Surry Central) -- The 6-foot-4 senior had been accustomed to playing quarterback for the Eagles but shifted to wideout full-time this season. He led the Eagles in receptions (24 catches, 330 yards) and was Central's lone offensive player on the MVAC's first-team all-conference list.

"If we were throwing the ball, he was a big-play threat," Central coach Monty Southern said. "He had some really good games for us in the conference against Wilkes Central and North Wilkes."

TE/DL Brian Carter (Elkin) -- The senior, who will likely earn a chance to play baseball in college, was a two-way threat for the Elks on the gridiron. Carter earned first-team all-conference for defense. Offensively, he caught 18 passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns, ranking first or second on the team in each category.

WR/DB Nathan Bryan (East Wilkes) -- Coach Monty Chipman was curious why his senior multi-purpose player was overlooked in the Northwest 1A all-conference balloting. Bryan had a solid resume for sure.

On offense, Bryan finished with 398 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He caught 19 passes for another 343 yards and three TD's, picking up an average of 18 yards per reception.

A key kick returner, Bryan finished with 741 all-purpose yards. He also was a starter in the defensive secondary. "He's a hard worker and dedicated to our program," Chipman said.

PK Daniel Mesimer (East Wilkes) -- The senior, who moved to football full time in 2006 after starting his prep career as a soccer player, converted three of five field goal attempts, with his longest from 38 yards. He hit the game-winner late against Hayesville in the opening round of the playoffs.

Mesimer finished 27 of 31 in PAT's. He put 15 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks (out of 42 tries) and had 20 more come down inside the five-yard line.

DE Logan Pruitt (East Wilkes) -- The 6-1, 230-pound senior piled up a team-high 127 tackles during the season, including nine hits behind the line of scrimmage. He recovered one fumble. In Pruitt's best game he recorded 17 tackles.

He earned first-team all-conference for defense.

DE Josh Nations (East Wilkes) -- The Cardinals were solid at the other end as well, with Nations recording 89 total tackles. The 6-2, 195-pounder had 14 stuffs behind the line of scrimmage and recovered two fumbles.

The honorable mention all-conference pick was credited for the big hit that stopped a late West Davidson two-point conversion and gave East Wilkes a big win to start the season.

"He plays with a lot of speed and heart and probably will play at the next level," Chipman said.

DL Caleb Swaim (Starmount) -- Starmount put four defensive linemen on the all-Mountain Valley 2A all-conference list. Swaim was one of two first-teamers. He did his part by recording 42 hits, 11 solo tackles, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss.

LB/FB Brandon Cox (Elkin) -- The junior already has earned first-team all-conference honors two times. He was a menace at linebacker, finishing as one of the Elks' top tacklers.

Offensively, Cox played fullback and running back, picking up a team-high 598 yards on the ground and scoring seven touchdowns. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry. Cox also caught six passes for 110 yards.

LB Jed Martin (Surry Central) -- The three-year varsity player made all-conference for the second consecutive year and finished as the fifth-leading tackler all-time for the Golden Eagles.

He led Central with 107 tackles in 2007. He recovered three fumbles, including two for touchdowns. Martin is one of the toughest kids at Surry Central, as evidenced by his current No. 1 state ranking at 171 pounds on the wrestling mats.

"He was our biggest team leader. Defensively he was by far our leader," Southern said.

LB/RB M. Adam Shumate (North Wilkes) -- The senior, who led North Wilkes in tackles in 2006, repeated the feat this season. He amassed 118 hits in all, picking up honorable mention all-conference.

Offensively, Shumate rushed for more than 500 yards and scored four touchdowns.

LB/RB Bryan Gray (Starmount) -- The two-time first-team all-conference player found himself around the football a lot. He made 77 hits, with 26 solo tackles. He had two sacks and two other tackles for loss.

Gray was a bullish fullback type on the offensive end, powering for 310 yards and three touchdowns on 42 carries. He was the perfect counter move when opponents ganged up on halfbacks Swaim and Gaither.

DB/RB Ryan Johnson (Starmount) -- Opposing quarterbacks learned to be careful when testing Johnson. The senior picked off two passes and broke up three others. He had 14 solo tackles.

Johnson was yet another threat in the Rams' diverse offense. He rushed for 344 yards and four touchdowns. Three of his five pass receptions went for touchdowns. Johnson finished with 109 receiving yards in all.

DB/QB/P Russell Stewart (Elkin) -- The junior rarely came off the field in his first full year on varsity. He earned honorable mention all-Northwest 1A as a defensive back.

Stewart also made significant progress at quarterback in his first season as the varsity starter. He passed for 1,009 yards with six touchdown strikes.

As Elkin's punter, Stewart had a 30.5 yards-per-kick average.

FS/WR Charlie Sale (East Wilkes) -- The senior played big in the playoffs, smothering receivers on numerous routes. He finished the season with 68 tackles, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions and an amazing 26 pass break-ups.

"He was a big reason for us winning in the second round," Chipman said, noting Sale's work in the playoff win at North Stokes.

Offensively, Sale earned about 250 yards in receptions.


Honorable Mention RB Israel Murphy (Elkin) -- The lone freshman to play full-time on varsity at Elkin, Murphy rushed for 494 yards and three touchdowns.

RB/LB Kyle Whitman (Elkin) -- The junior rushed for 360 yards and three TD's on offense and was one of the top hitters on defense.

WR Damon Smith (Elkin) -- The sophomore led the Elks in receiving yards (232) and average yards per catch (16.6).

TE/DL Caleb Pardue (Starmount) -- The junior earned honorable mention all-conference for defense, recording 35 hits and two tackles for loss. As a tight end, Pardue caught four passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns.

TE/DL Ronnie Adams (Starmount) -- The senior was an honorable mention all-conference pick on defense. He finished with 44 hits, with five solos. He had three tackles for loss, two fumbles caused and one pass break-up.

PK Gabriel Valdez (Starmount) -- The junior kicker hit 31 of 34 PATs and made three field goals, resulting in 40 points for the Rams this season.

OL/DLCaleb Poplin (Starmount) -- Curiously left off all-conference lists, Poplin was the biggest player on the Rams' front lines and came into the season as the most heralded.

QB David Bare (North Wilkes) -- Though coach Roy Carter was a fan of smashmouth football, he wasn't afraid to open up the passing game at times. Bare threw for more than 1,000 yards with 10 touchdowns.

DL/OL Keith Royal (North Wilkes) -- He was named honorable mention all-conference by MVAC coaches.

DL Alan Alva (North Wilkes) -- Checking in at 270-pounds, Alva was tough to move from his tackle spot. He, too, earned honorable mention all-conference.

DB/RB Matt Thomas (Surry Central) -- The honorable mention all-conference pick had a YouTube moment in the Forbush game, breaking a Falcon running back's helmet with a hard hit that was captured by Fox 8.

LB/RB Marvin Spicer (Surry Central) -- Jed Martin's partner at linebacker picked up honorable mention all-MVAC. Spicer also ran the ball well for the Eagles' offense, posting an 80-yard effort, for example, against Ledford.