11 Panther Football Players Named All-Region

The Jackson County football team placed 11 players on the All-Region 8-AAAAAA teams on Thursday. Defensive lineman Peyton Scott earned the distinction of the region's Defensive Lineman of the Year. 

Linebacker Daniel Stites was named First-Team Defense, along with defensive lineman Josh Mendoza. Wide receiver Jaydan Hibbert was named First-Team Offense, along with running back MJ Spurlin and offensive lineman Wren Skinner.

Scott finished the season with 77 tackles, the third-most on the team, along with nine tackles for loss and one interception. Stites led the team with 102 tackles, and three sacks, while Mendoza finished with 53 sacks and a team-high 15 tackles for loss to go along with a team-high four sacks. Hibbert finished with a team-best 52 receptions for 683 yards and three touchdowns. Spurlin finished the year with a team-best 1,002 yards rushing on 186 carries, averaging 5.39 yards per carry. Spurlin rushed for 11 touchdowns, caught two touchdowns and threw a touchdown pass on the season. Skinner was part of an offensive line that paved the way for the Panthers to average 185.6 yards rushing and 136 yards passing per game this season. 

Defensive back Elijah Ling was named Second-Team Defense, along with linebacker Abbot Plank-Miller. Ling finished the year with 35 total tackles coming from the Panther secondary, including two for a loss. Ling also recorded one interception, had 11 pass deflections and forced a fumble. Ling also recorded 14 catches for 258 yards receiving and three touchdowns, along with a kickoff return average of 22.12 yards, which includes a 95-yard kickoff return. Plank-Miller finished the year with 96 tackles, 11 of which went for a loss in yards, along with a team-high four sacks.

The Panthers had four players, offensive lineman Blake Burge, defensive back Cooper Galley, place kicker Brice Rogers and linebacker Luke Mobbs, named an All-Region Honorable Mention.