Q&A with Stump from the Sunday newspaper in Longview, TX.
Stump Q&A
This is some pretty impressive stuff!!!!
ALL-EAST TEXAS FOOTBALL
The full list: Check out who got what and how they looked.
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2009 ALL-EAST TEXAS FOOTBALL TEAM
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The season produced spectacular team and individual performances from all classifications, and the challenge of selecting a few players from a rich East Texas talent pool to produce the annual All-East Texas Football Team was a daunting one.
The Longview News-Journal's sports staff accepted the challenge, and heading up the list are coach of the year Robert Manley of Pittsburg, offensive MVP Darian ''Stump'' Godfrey of Gilmer, defensive MVP DeShun Williams of Carthage, offensive newcomer of the year Ladarius Anthony of Kilgore and defensive newcomer of the year Demarcus Brown of Henderson.
ROBERT MANLEY
The Pittsburg Pirates flew under the radar heading into the 2009 season.
Despite carving out a 7-4 playoff season in 2008 and returning several key pieces to the puzzle on both sides of the ball, the Pirates weren't even picked to win their own district when the preseason polls were released.
Pittsburg, under veteran head coach Robert Manley, opened the season with a 21-3 win over Jefferson and then reeled off impressive victories over Winnsboro, Princeton and Queen City before suffering a 43-33 loss to Class 4A Lindale to close out the non-district portion of the schedule.
The Pirates then caught fire, scoring at least 31 points in wins over District 16-3A rivals Atlanta, New Boston, Liberty-Eylau, Mount Vernon and Pleasant Grove. Liberty-Eylau at No. 12 and Pleasant Grove at No. 24 were both ranked in the initial preseason Top 25 poll by Dave Campbell's Texas Football Magazine.
Pittsburg defeated Quinlan Ford and Kennedale in the playoffs before meeting district foe Pleasant Grove again and defeating the Hawks 55-34.
The season ended with a 27-20 setback to Graham, but the Pirates were 12-2 and Manley ran his career record to 84-38.
Manley's son, Mitch, will return at quarterback in 2010 after passing for 4,070 yards and 36 touchdowns the past two seasons.
DARIAN GODFREY
Godfrey beat teams with his legs and his arms in 2009, rushing for 848 yards and 22 touchdowns and passing for 3,581 yards with 42 touchdowns and six interceptions in leading the Buckeyes to a state championship.
In week four of the season, Godfrey earned statewide recognition when he was named the Built Ford Tough Class 3A Player of the Week after passing for 384 yards and four touchdowns and adding three rushing scores in a win over Kilgore.
His signature wins, however, came in the final two games of the season.
In the Class 3A Division I state semifinals against Cuero, Godfrey rushed for 149 yards and five touchdowns. His fifth rushing score of the night came on a 68-yard sprint after Cuero had taken a 36-34 lead with 3:41 to play. Godfrey's touchdown run gave the Buckeyes a 40-36 lead, but he capped the evening in spectacular fashion when he leaped over the Gobbler defense and did a complete flip into the end zone for the two-point conversion and a 42-36 Gilmer win.
A week later in the state title game against Abilene Wylie \— a 43-26 Buckeye win \— Godfrey passed for 273 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 149 yards and two more scores to cap his high school career and bring the championship hardware back to Gilmer.
DESHUN WILLIAMS