A total of 31 area high school football players were selected to the 2024 all-state team last week by the Missouri Football Coaches Association.
The Blair Oaks Falcons led the area with 12 all-state honorees and swept all three superlative awards at the Class 3 level.
Junior quarterback Tyler Bax was named the Class 3 offensive player of the year. It is the fourth time in the past seven seasons a Blair Oaks quarterback has earned offensive player of the year honors. Nolan Hair took home the Class 2 honors in 2018, then Dylan Hair won the Class 3 honor in 2020 and the Class 2 honor in 2022.
Senior defensive end Bryson Varner was voted the Class 3 defensive player of the year. It is the third straight season the Falcons have taken home a defensive player of the year honor. Brady Kerperin won named the defensive player of the year for Class 2 in 2022 and for Class 3 in 2023.
Ted LePage was selected as the Class 3 coach of the year after leading Blair Oaks to a state title with a 13-1 record. It is the fourth time in the past seven years LePage has been named coach of the year. The other three times came during the Falcons' state championship years in 2018, 2020 and 2022.
Joining Bax and Varner on the Class 3 all-state first team for Blair Oaks are senior wide receiver Jaxon Engelbrecht, senior offensive linemen Carson Rustemeyer and Justin Koetting, junior defensive lineman Carson Luebbering, sophomore linebacker Wyatt Libbert, junior defensive backs Shay Linhardt and Warren Davis and junior returner Brady Dapkus.
Also making the all-state team for the Falcons were senior kicker Nolan Laughlin, who made the second team, and junior running back Hayden Lackman, who made the third team.
The Helias Crusaders had seven players selected to the Class 5 all-state team after having a state runner-up finish with a 12-2 record.
The Crusaders had four players selected to the Class 5 all-state first team: senior offensive lineman Will Kemna, junior linebacker Eli Homan, junior defensive back Logan Hillman and senior returner Alex Marberry.
Senior defensive lineman Easton Lueckenhoff and senior defensive back Sam Lopez made the all-state second team for the Crusaders. Junior linebacker Ben Lanigan was an all-state third-team selection.
The Capital City Cavaliers and the Jefferson City Jays each had one Class 5 all-state honoree.
Junior running back Jaylen Thomas made the all-state second team for the Cavaliers, who finished the season with a 7-4 record.
Senior defensive back Kendric Johnson was an all-state third-team selection for the Jays, who ended the year with a 3-7 record.
The Tipton Cardinals had five players voted on the Class 1 all-state team. The Cardinals advanced to the state semifinals, ending the year with a 11-2 record.
Senior running back Lucas Cashman, junior offensive lineman Sam Duke and sophomore kicker Cooper Doss were all named to the all-state first team for the Cardinals.
Sophomore Paxton Pyle made the all-state second team as an offensive athlete and junior offensive lineman Nick Wolf also made the second team for the Cardinals.
The California Pintos had a pair of Class 3 all-state honorees.
Senior defensive back Brooks Volkart made the all-state second team and senior linebacker Lance Clevenger made the all-state third team for the Pintos, who ended the season with a 3-7 record.
The School of the Osage Indians also had two all-state players at the Class 4 level.
Junior kicker Brady Clark made the all-state second team and senior linebacker Jason Colonius made the all-state third team for the Indians, who finished the year with an 8-3 record.
The Southern Boone Eagles had one Class 3 all-state honoree. Senior defensive end Aidan Yung made the all-state second team for the Eagles, who had a 6-5 record this season.