615 Preps Iron Brigade Team

Our second-annual Iron Brigade team, highlighting outstanding two-way players from the area, has been determined, with some slight changes for this team.

We added a second team and a third team to recognize more players, however, in order to distinguish the top 13, the first team was invited to participate in a photo shoot honoring their efforts. Thanks to John Rowland for conducting the shoot.

(Editor’s note: not all players were available to participate in the photo shoot when it was conducted in late January.)

A minimum of four linemen were selected on the first and second teams, with the third team being completely open to all positions. Players must have been nominated by coaches to be eligible for this team and all games, including playoffs, were taken into consideration statistically.

Thirteen players are being recognized on this year’s first team, and here they are in alphabetical order:

Gabe Borders, Macon County

Borders – who also received our Medium Class Most Valuable Player honors for the 2022 season – earned a Mr. Football finalist nod for his stellar sophomore season. He rushed for 1,035 yards and 17 touchdowns in addition to catching 24 passes for 795 yards and nine touchdowns for the Tigers. Defensively, he finished with 45 tackles, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown. He also returned three kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns in 2022.

Arion Carter, Smyrna

Carter won Class 6A Mr. Football honors for the Bulldogs, rushing for 1,184 yards and 19 touchdowns, recording 92 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception. He also returned a kickoff for a score.

JP Courtney, Beech

Courtney ran for 1,317 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Buccaneers in 2022, caught a touchdown pass and threw two more. Defensively, he had 81 total tackles and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Osize Daniyan, Mt. Juliet

Daniyan was one of the area’s top pass defenders in 2022, not allowing a reception in man coverage all season. In addition to his 80 tackles and nine tackles for a loss, he also forced seven fumbles and recovered four. On offense, he caught 42 passes for 770 yards and seven touchdowns, and returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

Gabe Fisher, MBA

Fisher anchored an MBA offensive line that helped guide the Big Red to a runner-up finish in Division II-Class AAA. Defensively, 20 of his 53 total tackles resulted in lost yardage and he racked up nine sacks during the 2022 season. Fisher also forced three fumbles and recovered another.

Darius Johnson, Beech

Johnson took home our Large Class Most Valuable Player honor for the 2022 season, rushing for 1,873 yards and 23 touchdowns for the Buccaneers. Defensively, he delivered 67 total tackles, two sacks, three interceptions (returning two for touchdowns) and two fumble recoveries. He also blocked a punt for a touchdown in Beech’s Class 6A semifinal victory.

Devin Lively, Friendship Christian

Lively anchored the offensive and defensive lines for the Division II-Class A state champion Commanders. Of his 71 total tackles, 31 of them ended up in lost yardage, and he racked up 11 sacks in the 2022 season. Lively also recovered two fumbles, one for a touchdown.

Josh Mailander, Pope Prep

Mailander had a big hand in the Knights’ offensive exploits in 2022, catching 48 balls for 944 yards and 11 touchdowns. Defensively, his hands did quite a bit of damage as well, intercepting six passes and returning four of them for touchdowns in addition to 39 total tackles.

Bralynn Morris, Ensworth

Morris was a key piece along the Tigers’ offensive line in addition to collecting nine sacks in 2022. He had 45 total tackles with 11.5 stops for a loss, and a fumble recovery as well.

Brady Russell, DCA

Russell was a key blocker in DCA’s offense from the fullback position, and he finished as one of the area’s leading tacklers with 92 total stops – 25 for a loss. Russell also intercepted four passes and returned one for a touchdown.

Mason Swindle, Macon County

Swindle is on this team for the second consecutive year after posting 112 tackles, 19.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks for the Tigers’ defense, while also anchoring the Macon County offensive line that led the way for Gabe Borders to become a Mr. Football finalist.

Eric Taylor, Oakland

Taylor overcame an injury that caused him to miss the first half of the regular season, and he still managed to rush for 738 yards and 18 touchdowns on just 61 carries. He also had 77 tackles and two sacks for the 6A champion Patriots.

Tyson Wolcott, Friendship Christian

Wolcott piled up 1,435 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground for the Commanders in 2022. On defense, he had 79 tackles (17 for a loss), two sacks, two blocked kicks, a fumble recovery and two interceptions – both of which he ran back for touchdowns.