2023 All-Area football: Meet the first team offense
Dec. 24—Kellen Davis
Junior quarterback
Why he made the first team ... As the Chargers' lone junior captain in his second year as a starter, Davis was one of the top dual-threat QBs in the area, throwing for 1,766 yards and 24 touchdowns and running for 574 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also added one receiving score. Davis was an All-Big 12 Conference First Team selection and an All-State honorable mention.
He needs tickets to see ... an NBA YoungBoy concert.
Before he competes, he eats ... Trolli gummy worms.
His dream career is ... an NFL player.
His favorite school subject is ... English.
His favorite athlete is ... George Pickens.
His favorite movie is ... "The Dark Knight."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Michael Jordan, Antonio Brown and NBA YoungBoy.
Three things on his bucket list are ... skydiving, going to the Super Bowl and playing at a Division I college.
Logan Smith
St. Joseph-Ogden
Senior quarterback
Why he made the first team ... Smith, the 2023 News-Gazette Player of the Year, had one of the more efficient seasons you'll ever see, totaling 2,686 passing yards and 29 touchdowns while completing 75.5 percent of his passes and only throwing three interceptions. He also ran for 639 yards, 13 shy of the team lead, and another 20 touchdowns to earn him a spot on the All-State team.
He needs tickets to see ... a Dallas Cowboys game.
Before he competes, he eats ... a banana and drinks a Gatorade.
His dream career is ... a general manager for an NFL team.
His favorite school subject is ... math.
His favorite athlete is ... Dak Prescott.
His favorite movie is ... "Friday Night Lights."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Jayson Tatum.
Three things on his bucket list are ... attending the Super Bowl, visiting Yellowstone National Park and snorkeling.
Hudson Ault
Prairie Central
Junior running back
Why he made the first team ... Ault was an All-Illini Prairie Conference and Honorable Mention All-State selection, rushing 190 times for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. He eclipsed the 100-yard mark in nine of the Hawks' 11 games this season, averaging 152 per game.
Before he competes, he eats ... bananas.
His dream career is ... a professional football player.
His favorite school subject is ... science.
His favorite athlete is .. . Bo Jackson.
His favorite movie is ... "Remember the Titans."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Barry Sanders, Bo Jackson and Walter Payton.
Three things on his bucket list are ... going skiing, playing Division I football and scuba diving.
Peace Bumba
St. Thomas More
Senior running back
Why he made the first team ... Bumba was a first-team talent on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he averaged 12 yards per carry, amassing 2,070 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also caught 13 passes for 217 yards and six scores. Defensively, Bumba led the I8FA with 177 tackles. His rushing yards and scores also led the state's eight-man competition, earning him First Team All-State honors at running back and linebacker.
He needs tickets to see ... a Dallas Cowboys game.
Before he competes, he eats ... Cheetos and drinks something blue raspberry-flavored.
His dream career is ... an NFL player.
His favorite school subject is ... civics.
His favorite athlete is ... Ezekiel Elliott.
His favorite TV show is ... "Dynasty."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jesus, his grandpa and FaZe Rug.
Three things on his bucket list are ... becoming a millionaire, traveling to the Bahamas with all his siblings and retiring his mom.
Austin Cummings
Tuscola
Senior wide receiver
Why he made the first team ... Cummings was quarterback Jordan Quinn's top target, hauling in 62 passes for 1,207 yards (19.5 yards per catch) and 14 touchdowns. He added two rushing scores on 217 yards and was also a dynamic kick returner, taking three kickoffs and one punt all the way to the end zone.
He needs tickets to see ... a Drake concert.
Before he competes, he drinks ... Liquid I.V.
His dream career is ... an NFL coach.
His favorite school subject is ... agriculture.
His favorite athlete is ... Tyreek Hill.
His favorite movie is ... "Avengers: Endgame."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and his grandpa.
Three things on his bucket list are ... visiting Bora Bora, winning the lottery and buying his dream car.
Ayden Ingram
Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin
Senior wide receiver
Why he made the first team ... Ingram faced constant double-teams all year, but he still managed to have an All-State season and set single-season Blue Devil records of 60 receptions and 1,030 receiving yards. His 17 touchdowns brought his career total to 38, which ranks him in the state's top 15 all time. Ingram was also dangerous on defense, picking off five passes and returning one for a score.
He needs tickets to see ... a J. Cole concert.
Before he competes, he drinks ... a Bodyarmor sports drink.
His dream career is ... a physical therapist.
His favorite school subject is ... math.
His favorite athlete is ... Stephen Curry.
His favorite TV show is ... "The Big Bang Theory."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Stephen Curry, Michael Jordan and Kevin Hart.
Three things on his bucket list are ... playing college football, graduating college and having a successful career.
Coy Taylor
St. Joseph-Ogden
Junior wide receiver
Why he made the first team ... In an offense that had Logan Smith, the Spartans voted Taylor as the team's Offensive Player of the Year. Taylor's 95 receptions were the 10th-most in a season in Illinois history, and he turned them into 1,342 yards and 12 touchdowns. His performance was good enough to earn First Team All-Illini Prairie Conference and Honorable Mention All-State honors.
He needs tickets to see ... a March Madness Final Four game.
Before he competes, he drinks ... lots of water.
His dream career is .... starting his own business.
His favorite school subject is ... history.
His favorite athlete is ... CeeDee Lamb.
His favorite Netflix series is ... "Quarterback."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Michael Jordan, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.
Three things on his bucket list are ... attending a Dallas Cowboys game, learning to play the guitar and building his dream home.
Noah Bass
Clinton
Senior offensive lineman
Why he made the first team ... Bass was a unanimous All-Central Illinois Conference pick and a First Team All-State honoree on the offensive line and will play in the Illinois High School Shrine Game in June. He also made Second Team All-Conference as a defensive lineman on a Clinton team that finished 6-4 and reached the Class 3A playoffs.
He needs tickets to see ... a Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers game.
Before he competes, he drinks ... a Gatorade Pedialyte.
His dream career is ... a pilot.
His favorite school subject is ... math.
His favorite athlete is ... Bo Jackson.
His favorite movie is ... "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Walter Payton, Nolan Ryan and Jason Kelce.
Three things on his bucket list are ... skydiving, seeing the Northern Lights and bungee jumping.
Kolton Metcalf-Poulos
Mahomet-Seymour
Junior offensive lineman
Why he made the first team ... Metcalf-Poulos sat out the Bulldogs' Class 5A first-round playoff game with an injury, and the unanimous First Team All-Apollo Conference lineman's absence was evident in a season-ending loss. M-S cocach Jon Adkins said Metcalf-Poulos reminds him of "The Blind Side" with the number of pancake blocks he has every game.
He needs tickets to see ... the Super Bowl.
Before he competes, he eats ... a Chipotle bowl and drinks a Gatorade Fast Twitch.
His dream career is ... an NFL player.
His favorite school subject is ... science.
His favorite athlete is ... Trent Williams.
His favorite movie is ... "The Waterboy," and his favorite TV show is 'The Rookie."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Jason Kelce, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski.
Three things on his bucket list are ... attending the Super Bowl, visiting Yellowstone National Park and giving back to his parents.
Jace Pankey
Iroquois West
Senior offensive lineman
Why he made the first team ... Pankey was "by far" the Raiders' best lineman this year, earning All-Vermilion Valley Conference and All-Kankakee Area honors. The Illinois State signee was Iroquois West's offensive MVP and Raider Award winner.
He needs tickets to see ... a Luke Combs concert.
Before he competes, he eats ... Subway.
His dream career is ... owning his own business.
His favorite school subject is ... English.
His favorite athlete is ... Jason Kelce.
His favorite TV show is ... "The Office."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Elvis Presley, Mike Ditka and his grandpa.
Three things on his bucket list are ... winning a college football national championship, climbing Mount Everest and traveling the world.
Jacob Tighe
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond
Junior offensive lineman
Why he made the first team ... Tighe was a dominant run-blocker for a Knights' offense that rushed for nearly 300 yards per game and went 9-1. He was just as effective on defense, racking up 47 tackles, six of them for a loss, and three sacks. Tighe only played seven games due to injury, but that didn't stop coaches from unanimously voting him to the All-Lincoln Prairie Conference First Team on the offensive line and making him a First Team defensive lineman.
He needs tickets to see ... a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field.
Before he competes, he drinks ... water and Pedialyte.
His dream career is ... an NFL player.
His favorite school subject is ... chemistry.
His favorite athlete is ... Reggie White.
His favorite movie is ... "The Waterboy."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Warren Sapp, Lawrence Taylor and Jack Youngblood.
Three things on his bucket list are ... killing a 200-inch whitetail deer, benching 404 pounds and playing college football.
Braxton Waller
St. Joseph-Ogden
Senior offensive lineman
Why he made the first team ... The Spartans voted Waller the team's Lineman of the Year, and Illini Prairie Conference coaches named him to the first team. He was a four-year starter on the offensive line and was never called for a holding penalty in his last three years. Waller was also SJ-O's Defensive Player of the Year, too, recording 63 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble for a team that went 8-3 and advanced to the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.
He needs tickets to see ... a Riley Green concert.
Before he competes, he eats ... a banana and drinks Liquid I.V.
His dream career is ... a project manager.
His favorite school subject is ... math.
His favorite athlete is ... LeBron James.
His favorite TV show is ... "The 100."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Johnny Cash, Si Robertson and Denzel Washington.
Three things on his bucket list are ... traveling outside the United States, going skiing and duck hunting.
Robert Boyd-Meents
Paxton-Buckley-Loda
junior all-purpose player
Why he made the first team ... A unanimous All-Illini Prairie Conference pick and All-State honorable mention, Boyd-Meents was one of the most dynamic running backs in the area. He rushed 142 times for 1,259 yards and 22 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 459 yards and five touchdowns.
He needs tickets to see ... a Rod Wave concert.
Before he competes, he drinks ... a Gatorade.
His dream career is ... an NFL player.
His favorite school subject is ... AP psychology.
His favorite athlete is ... Alvin Kamara.
His favorite TV show is ... "All American."
If he could have dinner with any three people from any time period, he would pick ... Rod Wave, Alvin Kamara and Justin Jefferson.
Three things on his bucket list are ... attending another NFL game, continuing his football training and visiting Jamaica.
