Hill named Defensive MVP in 2-5A with 10 Bearcats on first team

Fresh off playing for respective state championships, Ruston High and Alexandria Senior High rightfully dominated the 2-5A All-District team, with the Bearcats boasting 18 selections between the first and second teams.

Senior linebacker Zheric Hill was named 2- 5A Defensive MVP after leading another strong Bearcat defensive unit in 2024 as the Louisiana Tech signee put up 108 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass breakups — capping off his stellar prep career with another fitting honor.

“There was a lot of pressure put on him this year coming back off of what we did last year defensively as a team, and he took the brunt of that, and I think he did what we asked him to do,” Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh said of Hill. “He went out there and played at a really high level and prepared well all year and really did everything we needed him to.”

ASH running back JT Lindsey won Offensive MVP honors after leading the Trojans to the Division I Select title game.

In all, Ruston had 10 first-team all-district selections – a sign Baugh takes that the Bearcats were respected once again by fellow district coaches this year.

“I think that many guys on the all-district team are representative of how much respect other coaches in our district have towards our football team and the kids and how much work they put in,” Baugh said. “ We’re proud of the ones that made first and second team, but it’s really about how the team is respected overall by some other really good coaches and teams.”

The Bearcats’ firstteam offensive selections include running back Jordan Hayes, wide receiver Joran Parker, tight end Ahmad Hudson, offensive lineman Sam Nations, kicker Jack Elliot, and kick returner Aidan Anding.

Hayes had 1,110 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns this year as Ruston’s primary tailback, while Parker and Hudson combined for 12 TD catches and 1,313 yards. Nations started nearly every game on Ruston’s offensive line, primarily at center, and helped pave the way for Hayes in the backfield. Elliot missed one PAT all season and was 3-of-3 on field goal attempts. Anding returned two punts and a kickoff for a touchdown this season.

Ruston’s first-team selections on defense include defensive line-men Payton Bell and Ra’Keem Potts, along with Anding and Fabian Stringfellow at defensive back and at flex, respectively.

Bell ends his high school career as a fourtime first-team all-district selection, putting him in rare air in the eyes of Baugh and 2-5A coaches.

“ I don’t know if there’s been a player that’s been a four-time first- team all- district selection in our district, someone that started as a freshman like he did. It’s well deserved,” Baugh said. “Much like Zheric, we needed him to play at a high level this year if we were going to be successful and he did. I hated it for him that he wasn’t able to finish the game Saturday, so hopefully we can find somewhere for him to play at the next level so that’s not how he remembers his last football game.”

Bell had 13 tackles for loss and 6 sacks this season while Potts had 3 tackles for loss and 21 tackles. Anding had 5 interceptions and 2 pass breakups while Stringfellow had 3 pass breakups and an interception.

Ruston’s second-team selections include Josh Brantley (QB), Dylone Brooks (RB), Lander Smith (FB), Cam Venzant (OL), Ka’Varion Key (DL), Fabian Stringfellow (DB), and Joaquin Ramos (P).

First Team Offense

QB Karsen Sellers - ASH FB Tanner Townsend - ASH RB Jordan Hayes – Ruston RB Jaylon Nichols - Neville RB Macario Dade Jr. - Ouachita WR Derrius Washington - ASH WR Trendan Dumas - Neville WR Joran Parker – Ruston WR Trez Davis - West Monroe TE Thomas Campbell - Neville TE Ahmad Hudson – Ruston OL Caleb Purl - ASH OL Jakobie Morris - ASH OL Brayden Blade - Neville OL Elias Sellars - Pineville OL Sam Nations - Ruston OL Ty George - West Monroe ATH Wydell Clark - Ouachita K Jack Elliot - Ruston KR Aidan Anding -

Ruston Second Team Offense

QB Josh Brantley - Ruston FB Lander Smith - Ruston RB Dylone Brooks - Ruston RB Ranaldrick Myles - West Monroe RB Kedrian McNeil - West Monroe WR Jimmie Duncan - ASH WR Alex Fontenot - ASH WR Kaleb Vaughn - Neville WR Zeland Young - Neville WR Javari Lockhart - Neville TE Sam Turner - West Monroe OL Peter Lofton - ASH OL Van Martinez - Neville OL Cam Venzant - Ruston OL Hayes Fuqua - West Monroe OL Damien Sanders - West Monroe ATH Ayden Tate - Pineville K Hunter Fox - West Monroe KR Ty Sanders - Pineville

First Team Defense

DT Jordan Mason - ASH DT Dylan Berymon - Ouachita DT Ra’Keem Potts – Ruston DE Brody Whatley - Neville DE Payton Bell – Ruston DE Tyler Roark - West Monroe LB Xavier White - ASH LB Conner Vinson - Neville LB LaMarcus Thirs - Pineville LB Parker Todd - West Monroe CB Cam Riley - Neville CB Aidan Anding – Ruston CB Orlando Webber - West Monroe S Jaden Lewis - ASH S Julian Burns - Neville S Jayden Reed - Neville S Jacob Miranda - Pineville Flex Robert Graves - Neville Flex Fabian Stringfellow Ruston P Daniel Lane - West Monroe LS Daniel Cheveallier - West Monroe

Second Team Defense

DT AJ Washington - Ouachita DT Ka’Varion Key - Ruston DT Shances Stewart - West Monroe DE Grayson Thibodaux - ASH DE Malik Grayson, Neville DE Jeremy Jones - Ouachita LB Jackson Townsend - ASH LB Jamarcus Jacobs - Ouachita LB JQ Turner - West Monroe CB Jay Frazier - ASH CB Richard White - Neville CB Donovan Shine - Ouachita CB Fabian Stringfellow - Ruston S Orlando Freemont - Ouachita S Deandre Mansfield - Ouachita S Zac Folmar - West Monroe P Joaquin Ramos - Ruston