Mount Airy coach J.K. Adkins speaks with the Bears following the team’s West Regional Semifinal loss to Mitchell.
Cory Smith | The News
The Northwest 1A Conference recently released its All-Conference selections for the 2021-22 football season.
The Mount Airy Granite Bears won the NW1A Conference with a 6-0 record. The Bears averaged 47.2 points in conference games, only allowed an average of 2.0 points and won each of its conference games by at least 43 points.
The Bears’ finished third in the state and No. 22 in the nation in scoring with 680 points this season. According to Mount Airy football historian Doug McDaniel, this is the third-highest season total in school history.
The “Granite Wall” defense recorded a school record nine shutouts, and the Bears’ 46 points allowed is the program’s lowest since 1942.
Starmount finished second in the conference with a 5-1 record, and South Stokes was next at 4-2. Starmount’s only conference loss was against Mount Airy, and the Sauras were defeated by both teams ahead of them in the rankings.
Elkin and East Wilkes were next tied at 2-4. Elkin’s two conference wins came against East Wilkes and North Stokes, and East Wilkes defeated North Stokes and Alleghany.
North Stokes and Alleghany tied for last in the conference with 1-5 records. North Stokes defeated Alleghany, while Alleghany got its lone conference win against Elkin.
All six NW1A teams qualified for the 1A State Playoffs: Elkin, North Stokes and Alleghany were defeated in the opening round, East Wilkes was taken out in the second round and Starmount in the third round. Both Starmount and East Wilkes were eliminated by Mount Airy.
Mount Airy reached the Regional Semifinal game as the No. 2 seed in the 1A West. The Bears were defeated 21-14 by eventual 1A State Runner-up, No. 3 Mitchell.
Coach/Players of the Year
COACH
Mount Airy’s J.K. Adkins was named NW1A Conference Coach of the Year. This is Adkins’ second time being named NW1A Coach of the Year, with the other instance coming in his first season with the team in 2018. The Bears also reached the Regional Semifinal that season.
Adkins holds a 37-9 overall record in his four seasons with Mount Airy, including a 19-2 record in conference play. The Bears boast a 4-4 playoff record under Adkins.
OFFENSE
Starmount High School junior Zack Dezern was named NW1A Offensive Player of the Year.
Dezern rushed 275 times for 1,610 yards and 21 touchdowns in 13 games. He had seven games rushing at least 100 yards and three games of at least 200 yards.
Dezern’s 1,610 yards rushing was No. 4 in the 1A West and No. 26 in the state overall. He was third in the 1A West and tied for No. 10 in the state with 275 carries, and his 21 rushing touchdowns was No. 3 in the 1A West and tied for No. 29 in the state.
He also completed six passes for 115 yards, and match 27 receptions for 269 yards and one touchdown.
DEFENSE
Mount Airy senior Reece Deaton was named NW1A Defensive Player of the Year. Statistics included for Deaton are from 13 of Mount Airy’s 14 games. Statistics for the Bears’ game against Mitchell were not available at the time of publication.
Even without the final game, Deaton, a linebacker, still managed to lead the conference with 132 total tackles; 93 of those tackles were solo, and 39 were assisted. Deaton was also the conference leader in tackles for a loss with 28.0. He averaged 10.2 tackles per game.
Deaton also recorded 3.0 sacks, one QB hurry, six fumble recoveries, two passes defensed and one punt block.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Elkin senior Thomas McComb was named NW1A Specialist of the Year.
McComb was the punter and placekicker for Elkin. Statistics were no available on MaxPreps at the time of publication.
All-Conference Selections
Only eight players in the conference were named All-Conference on both offense and defense: Elkin OL/DL Cole Longworth; North Stokes RB/DB Elijah Cone; South Stokes RB/LB Jesse Carrick; Starmount’s WR/DB Davion Coleman, OL/LB Zack Armstrong and OL/DL Caden Abernathy; Mount Airy WR/DB Zeb Stroup and WR/DB Walker Stroup.
Mount Airy’s repeat All-Conference selections will have the number of teams for which they’ve been selected, including 2021-22, in parentheses.
OFFENSE
Alleghany: OL Mitchell Crouse
East Wilkes: QB Briggs Gentry, WR Titus Miller, RB Brody Martin
Elkin: OL Cole Longworth
Mount Airy: QB Ian Gallimore, WR Zeb Stroup (2), WR Walker Stroup, RB Tyler Mason, OL Mason Hill (2), OL Sao Lennon, OL Landon Cox
North Stokes: RB Elijah Cone, OL Garret Smith
South Stokes: QB Junior Hairston, WR Brendan Bradford, RB Jesse Carrick, OL Carson Hall
Starmount: WR Davion Coleman, RB Zack Dezern, OL Zack Armstrong, OL Caden Abernathy
DEFENSE
Alleghany: none
East Wilkes: LB Brennan Arnder
Elkin: DL Cole Longworth, DB Raejay Hincher
Mount Airy: DL Deric Dandy (2), DL CamRon Webster, DL Payten Fonville, LB Reece Deaton (3), LB Nic Isom (HM in 2020-21), LB Kasen Taylor (HM in 2020-21), DB Zeb Stroup (2), DB Mario Revels, DB Walker Stroup
North Stokes: LB Ethan Puckett, DB Elijah Cone
South Stokes: DL Nic Heavener, LB Jesse Carrick, DB Matthew Waters
Starmount: DL Caden Abernathy, DL Mason Anthony, LB Zack Armstrong, LB Jared Stokes, DB Davion Coleman
Honorable Mentions
Alleghany: Landon Andrews, Austin Love
East Wilkes: Ethan Cass, Kole Lambert
Elkin: Jackson Sturdivant, Ryan Nance
Mount Airy: Jonah Bilyeu, Caleb Reid
North Stokes: Brayden Ring, Jamison Wood
South Stokes: D.J. Goolsby, Dez Galloway
Starmount: Ryan Kimmer, Steven Sullivan
Reach Cory on Twitter @MaNewsSports