7 Trojans earn postseason honors

After advancing to the Class B quarterfinals for the third time in five years, the Whitehall/Harrison High School football team was well represented with numerous Trojans receiving postseason accolades.

Seniors Dylan Smith and Flint Smith were both named to the 5B All-State Team. Dylan, who committed last week to play at the University of Montana, was also named first-team All-Conference at both offensive and defensive line. Flint was selected second-team All-Conference at both tight end and defensive back.

Whitehall Head Coach Dan Lacey said he is very proud of how far Dylan has come in his time in the program and is the type of player that is the first one to practice and always the last to leave – what he describes as a true example of what Trojan football is all about.

"I also have to congratulate him on his commitment to play for the University of Montana. All his hard work paid off. He truly worked his tail off to get to where he is today. His work ethic and mindset are the reason for his success both in the classroom and on the field. We are truly going to miss his leadership and accountability. I'm excited he gets to team up with another Trojan at the next level and look forward to watching him play in the future," Lacey said.

The longtime Whitehall coach also has plenty of praise for Flint who he said is an explosive wide receiver who really came into his own this year, at the same time putting the team first.

"He was extremely explosive on offense and even when teams were keying on him he made big plays for us time and time again. We asked him to do a lot of things for us during the season and he did all of it with a smile on his face. He carried on a great tradition of football in his family, and I'm very proud of the person and player he has become. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for him and hopefully, it's another 4 more years of football somewhere," Lacey said.

Junior Brendan Wagner was named first-team All-Conference at defensive back and second-team as a kick returner.

Lacey said Wagner had an incredible year for the team

"As a sophomore (2019), we asked him to do so much on the defensive side of the ball and he didn't disappoint. This year we didn't only ask him to shut down the opposing team's best player but we needed him to play receiver and return punts and kicks for us as well. He truly is an all-around great football player. On defense, in my opinion, there isn't a better cover corner in Class B football. Being able to have Brendan lock down one side of the field gave us an opportunity for others in our defense to be freed up and go make plays for us. I'm excited to see what the future holds for Brendan and look forward to watching him matchup against a loaded group of 5-B receivers next year," Lacey said.

Senior Jamus Dubois was named first-team All-Conference at defensive line and second-team at offensive line.

Lacey said it has been an awesome experience to watch Jamus grow as a football player over the last four years.

"He was a huge part of our success this year and is a player that plays with so much passion and emotion. This year he really showed his dominance as an interior defensive player. I wish him the best of luck in the future and it was a pleasure to be able to coach him over the years," he said.

Brody Becker was named to the second team at running back, and Leo Scafani was named second-team All-Conference at offensive line.

Lacey said Becker really came into his own this year and took advantage of his opportunities. "He was a huge part of our offense getting on track during the middle of the season and really helped our running game balance out our offensive attack. He has great vision as a runner and once he gets in the open people have a difficult time catching him. I was very proud of how great of a teammate Brody was. He stayed the course throughout all of the position changes we put him through and when given the opportunity to show what he could do on the field he took advantage of it and the coaches around the league took notice. I'm excited to see what the future has in store for Brody," he said.

Just a sophomore, Lacey said Scafani had a tremendous year for the team on the offensive line.

"He was a consistent week in and week out. Something that really stood out to me with Leo was his attention to detail and the way he would be able to make adjustments during game situations. As a sophomore, he played well beyond his years and I look forward to watching him grow these next few years," he said.

Miles Hoerauf was named second-team All-Conference at linebacker.

"Miles really came into his own this year playing our Hero spot in our defense (hybrid LB, S). He did a great job of making sure our back end was in the position to make plays. It isn't easy to play the position we ask him to play because the responsibilities are constantly changing. He did a terrific job and I look forward to seeing him grow even more with the position as he gets even more comfortable," Lacey said.