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Jackson Smith of Boyle County kicks a 29-yard field goal Dec. 3 during the Rebels’ victory over Johnson Central in the Class 4A championship. Smith was voted to The Advocate-Messenger All-Area Football Team for the fourth consecutive season. - Photo by Mike Marsee

Jagger Gillis throws a touchdown pass in the 2021 Class 4A UK Orthopaedics State Football championship game at Kroger Field in Lexington. - Photo by Jeff Moreland

Avery Bodner of Boyle County reacts after scoring a touchdown earlier this season. - Photo by Mike Marsee

Cole Lanter eludes a Johnson Central defender. - Photo by Mike Marsee

Boyle County linemen Daulton Peetz and Zach Mason pose with the KHSAA Class 4A state championship trophy. - Photo by Mike Marsee

Dalton Stone celebrates a big play in the fourth quarter. - Photo by Jeff Moreland

Corydon Crawford (2) of Danville runs through a hole in the line. - Photo by Mike Marsee

Xzavion Brown (32) of Danville tackles Bullitt East running back Mason Gauthier. - Photo by Mike Marsee

Boyle County’s Tommy Ziesmer (36) pursues Johnson Central quarterback Grant Rice in the 2021 KHSAA Class 4A State Football Championship game. Ziesmer was voted The Advocate-Messenger Area Lineman of the Year for the second consecutive season. - Photo by Jeff Moreland

It should come as no surprise that the All-Area team once again has a very Boyle County flavor.

For the fifth year in a row, Boyle has the most players on The Advocate-Messenger 2021 All-Area Football Team of any of the six local schools.

There are nine players from the Boyle team that won its second consecutive Class 4A championship three weeks ago on the 27-man All-Area roster — ties in voting for the 24 spots on the ballot were not broken — followed by six players from Lincoln County, four from Mercer County, three each from Danville and Garrard County and two from Casey County.

Coaches from those six schools voted for the team, casting votes for a total of 42 players.

Eight players who were on the 2020 All-Area team and a total of nine players who have previously received All-Area recognition were selected this year.

One of them, Boyle kicker Jackson Smith, was voted to the All-Area team for the fourth consecutive year. Smith made the team as a punter in 2018 and as a kicker in 2019 and ’20.

Three of Smith’s Boyle teammates returned to the All-Area team for the second straight season: quarterback Jagger Gillis, wide receiver Cole Lanter and defensive lineman Tommy Ziesmer.

Others making their second consecutive appearance are Lincoln running back Lee Amon (voted at linebacker last year), Lincoln linebacker Trace Bowman, Danville defensive back Corydon Crawford (voted at wide receiver last year) and Mercer County running back Brayden Dunn.

Lincoln wide receiver Clayton Davis also returned to the team after receiving All-Area recognition in 2019.

The Advocate-Messenger 2021 All-Area Football Team
OFFENSE
Pos   Name                          School                Hgt / Wgt / Yr
QB     Jagger Gillis            Boyle County            6-3       210     Sr.
RB     Avery Bodner         Boyle County             5-9       130     So.
RB     Lee Amon               Lincoln County          5-11      178     Sr.
RB     Brayden Dunn       Mercer County           5-10     165     Sr.
WR    Clayton Davis        Lincoln County          5-11      185     Sr.
WR    Cole Lanter            Boyle County              5-11      175     Sr.
WR    Thaddeus Mays     Mercer County          5-10      135     So.
OL     Andrew Hardwick  Boyle County            6-3       280    Jr.
OL     Benton Hayes         Casey County            6-7       330     Jr.
OL     Holden Stamper    Lincoln County         6-2       300     Sr.
OL     Nicholas Fletcher  Mercer County          5-11      172      So.
OL     Zach Mason           Boyle County              6-0      280     Sr.
K       Jackson Smith       Boyle County              5-11     180     Sr.

DEFENSE
Pos   Name                              School                   Hgt / Wgt / Yr
DL     Dominique Ford             Danville                     6-2       210     Sr.
DL     Tommy Ziesmer              Boyle County           6-2       240    Jr.
DL     Daulton Peetz                  Boyle County            6-1       245    Sr.
DL     Canaan Linville               Lincoln County        6-2       276    Sr.
DL     Bennett Sparks                Garrard County       5-11      200   Sr.
LB     Xzavion Brown                Danville                     5-8       160    Jr.
LB     Logan Stephens               Casey County           6-1        225    Sr.
LB     Trace Bowman                 Lincoln County        5-11      217    Sr.
LB     Dalton Stone                    Boyle County            5-10      190   Jr.
DB    Montavin Quisenberry   Garrard County        5-9       130    Fr.
DB    Zach Duncan                    Lincoln County         5-9       152    Jr.
DB    Corydon Crawford          Danville                      5-8       160   Sr.
DB    Austin Adams                  Garrard County         6-1       170   Jr.
P       Trosper Buchanan          Mercer County           5-11     165   Sr.

HONORABLE MENTION
• Boyle County — Will Alexander, DB; Sage Dawson, DB; Cole Lanter, DB; Nathaniel Rush, OL; Cole Sims, LB; Jackson Smith, P; Keenan Stewart, DB
• Danville — DeMauriah Brown, RB; Caleb Burns, RB; Corydon Crawford, WR; Chris Grier, OL, Brady Morse, QB; Keegyn Wilcher, K-P
• Garrard County — Maishaun Baker-Thomas, WR-DB; Chase Burkhart, LB; Mason Sulla, OL-DL
• Lincoln County — Zane Mullins, OL
• Mercer County — Brayden Dunn, LB; Wyatt Sanford, LB

AREA LINEMAN OF THE YEAR
Tommy Ziesmer, Boyle County

AREA COACHES OF THE YEAR
Bret Baierlein, Garrard County
Justin Haddix, Boyle County

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