Ten Cougars Named to Concorde Football Teams

With the conclusion of the football season, in which the Oakton Cougars went 7-4, comes the Concorde District coaches' selections for the All-Concorde first and second team honors. The Cougars had 10 players in the first and second teams, and three honorable mentions.

Leading the Cougars' attack, senior quarterback Jimmy Boone completed 73 of 165 passes and threw 11 passing touchdowns which earned him All-Concorde first team offense and the honor of being the best quarterback in the district. Boone also was the team's second leading rusher with 609 rushing yards.

"It helps that he was talented and wanted the ball in his hands to make a play during the most important points in the game," said Head Coach Joe Thompson. "[The coaches] ask a ton of the QB in this system. But the skill that allowed him to be most successful was his maturity. As a QB, he never let his emotions overwhelm him, and he stayed focused each snap."

Assisting Boone, wide outs Luke Willis, who was named to first team offense, and Tuck Masker, who earned second team offense, were two extremely versatile players who worked well in Oakton's spread offense.

"For us offensively, we felt that we needed to get the ball in [Luke's] hands to be successful," said running back coach John Hetman. "Whether we put him at slot or in the backfield, the [district] coaches had to come up with a game plan to defend him."

Masker's versatility was also showcased in the Cougars' offense and made him a focal point for Oakton's attack. Masker had 292 receiving yards, 111 rushing, and scored three touchdowns.

"I think Tuck made teams think twice about how they defended us," Thompson said. "He was a threat to run, catch, throw and kick. That is pretty amazing versatility in an offensive player. He had to be accounted for all over the field, and this opened up the game for some of his teammates as well."

Giving the protection upfront, All-Concorde first team offensive lineman Jake Farrar had the ability to change the game on vital scoring drives.

"Jake is physically stronger than any other person on the field at anytime," said defensive line coach John Glufling," and because he is physically imposing and because of his strength, he is hard to block."

The junior lineman was able to bench around 395 and squatted well over 400 pounds. And Farrar's talents extended beyond the offense, as he received second team defense for his work on the defensive line.

Accompanying Farrar, defensive lineman Geoff McLaughlin received second team defense as well. McLaughlin led the team in sacks with seven and was one of the best pass rushers on the team.

"I think he achieved a level of respect from other coaches in the district," Gluffling said. "He was game changing at times, could make tackle after tackle, and could get into the backfield."

Backing up McLaughlin and Farrar, junior linebackers C.J. Reimann and Mike Terminello were among those honored from the defense. All-Concorde Reimann was the only player on Oakton's defense to make first team and he led the team in tackles with 95, and had four sacks, second only to McLaughlin.

"[C.J.] has grown and matured into a nice football player," said defensive coordinator Jason Rowley. "He's really good in terms of diagnosing a play, has a knack for finding the seam and finding the run and he has the ability to chase down plays."

Terminello, like Reimann, anchored the defense and earned himself All-Concorde second team defense.

"Mike played a ton as a sophomore and surprised us. So he came into his junior year as a starter after coming off a hamstring injury in two-a-days," Rowley said. "He's sneaky athletic, he's more athletic than you would think he is. He's a physical football player and a smart one."

The final line of defense, was anchored by defensive backs Akil Jones and Ian Hartin who both received All-Concorde second team defense. Jones led the team in interceptions with six.

"Akil had a great senior year," Rowley said. "He led the team and the district in interceptions. He was reliable and a guy I never worried about because I knew he would always be in coverage."

Hartin suffered an injury at the close of the regular season, preventing him from playing in the postseason. But his impact wasn't missing during the regular season.

"Ian is just an intelligent player, just really smart," Rowley said. "He got us into the correct formation on every play and he did that nearly to perfection all season. His [best] ability was to fill in the run and he was the hardest hitter on our team."

Rounding out the All-Concorde honors, junior kicker Eric Goins was selected as the best kicker in the district, receiving first team honors. Goins' longest kick went for 58 yards, and his average was more than 37 yards per kick.

"Eric has the poise and talent to be a true leader in this program. He has a great work ethic and huge potential. I am looking for him to put us in the playoffs again next year," Thompson said. "All [the district coaches] saw his talent for kicking the ball. It should also be noted that Eric led the district with a punting average of over 37 yards a punt. More than one coach approached me pregame to talk about the strengths they saw in Eric kicking the ball."

Other honorable mentions for the Concorde district from Oakton were lineman Jonathan Rivas, defensive back Andy Boone and running back D'Andre Johnson.

Statistics are reflective of the regular season records.