PHS’s Javellas, Reece, Tolson garner all-district grid honors
Hayden Javellas did a lot of things, offensively and defensively, for the Pawhuska Huskies during the recently-concluded high school football season, but it was his explosiveness as a kick returner that vaulted the senior defensive back/wide receiver into the gridiron spotlight.
Javellas, who ran kicks back for crucial touchdowns in three straight district contests, was recognized for his special talents Monday when he was named as the Oklahoma District 2A-8 Special Teams Player of the Year.
Two Pawhuska senior standouts — center/linebacker Tyler Reece and defensive end/tight end Marshall Tolson — earned selection to the 2014 All-District Team. PHS seniors Trey Redeagle, a wide receiver/safety, and two-way lineman Dakota Jester received honorable mentions in voting by Oklahoma District 2A-8 coaches.
Announcement of the district honors was delayed until after the Class 2A State Championship Game was played last Friday night at Stillwater. In a battle of 13-0 teams, the District 2A-8 champ Nowata Ironmen lost a 20-13 decision to the defending state champion Davis Wolves.
The Ironmen were appropriately well-represented on the 2A-8 All-District squad. Nowata’s Bryce Bell was voted District Player of the Year and Wyatt Steigerwald and Seth Glasscock of the Ironmen were designated, respectively, as the District’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.
Pawhuska head coach Bob Craig shared District 2A-8 Coach of the Year honors with the head coach of the state runnerup Ironmen, Matt Hagebusch.
Following a rocky 0-3 start, the Huskies went 4-2 in their district games and qualified to the 2A state playoffs for a sixth consecutive year. Key to the turnaround was the leadership provided by Craig’s coaching staff and the Pawhuska seniors. Also, John Bighorse and Caleb Bruce led an outstanding group of PHS sophomores.
The Pawhuska squad finished the campaign with a 5-6 record following season-ending losses to Nowata and the Colcord Hornets, who wound up with an 11-2 mark after advancing to the 2A quarterfinals round.
