Gage Posey’s shoulders seemed to grow larger and stronger as the Brookhaven Academy Cougars advanced in the MAIS Class AA State Football Playoffs. The senior quarterback shouldered much of the offensive load when standout running back Landon Nettles suffered a concussion in the second round of the playoffs. Posey guided the Cougars with his strong left arm and passed them to the state championship, a 49-40 win over the Marshall Academy Patriots.

     In the title game, Posey passed for six touchdowns and ran for another. His overall performance in 2012 has earned him The DAILY LEADER’s Most Valuable Player honors on the All-Lincoln County Football Team.

     On the season, the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Posey completed 213 of 334 passes for 3,217 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also rushed the football for 794 yards and 18 touchdowns, giving him 36 TDs and the Mr. Football title.

     Brock Roberts, another prolific quarterback, guided the Bogue Chitto Bobcats to a 13-1 record. His 1,532 passing yards accounted for 22 TDs. He also rushed for 668 yards and 7 TDs. That effort has earned him the DL’s Offensive Player of the Year recognition.

     Quarterback Zach Smith of Brookhaven also earned a berth on the Dream Team. Running backs are Deon Moore of West Lincoln, Justin Blue of Brookhaven, Brandon Wells of Bogue Chitto and Landon Nettles of Brookhaven Academy.

     Wide receivers are Seth Rushing of Brookhaven Academy, Fred Trevillion of  Brookhaven and Germie Martin of Bogue Chitto. Brookhaven’s Genoa Sartin is the tight end.

     All-purpose stars are Matthew Evans of Brookhaven Academy and James “Piro” Blackwell of Bogue Chitto.

     Offensive linemen are Travis Thornton and Cody Thornhill of Brookhaven Academy, Jermaine Blackwell of Bogue Chitto and B.J. Robinson, Rashun Smith and Anthony Wilson of Brookhaven.

     Brookhaven’s Noah Allen is the team’s placekicker. J.J. Stepney of Brookhaven is the return specialist.

     “Gage Posey picked us up and carried us offensively when Landon Nettles got hurt,” said BA head coach Tripp McCarty. “Gage has a strong arm and he worked hard to improve his accuracy. He’s a student of the game, too.”

     Posey, who wears jersey No. 15 in honor of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow, quickly shares his accomplishments. “My offensive line did a great job blocking for me. All of my receivers run good routes.”

     Offensively, Posey amassed over 4,000 yards of offense. He often was called upon to play safety in the defensive secondary in critical situations.

     Posey wants to play college football but where he winds up remains to be seen. He’s also a standout basketball and baseball player for the Cougars.

     Brock Roberts (5-11, 190, jr.) was a key player on offense and defense for the Bobcats. At quarterback, he was a threat as a runner and a passer. On defense, he played linebacker and cornerback.

     “Brock is a hard-nosed player who doesn’t mind sticking his nose in there to get things done,” said BC coach Gareth Sartin.  He had two fleet-footed receivers in Wells and Martin this season as the Bobcats reached the South State 1A title game before losing to Stringer, the eventual state champion.

     Zach Smith (6-1, 185, sr.) ran Ole Brook’s offense. He completed 107 of 180 passes for 1,499 yards and 17 touchdowns, helping the Panthers reach the Class 5A state playoffs.

     Deon Moore (5-10, 185, sr.) rushed for 998 yards in 8 games as the Bears posted a 5-4 worksheet, their first winning record in the program’s 14 years. He made a major comeback from ACL surgery.

     Justin Blue (5-9, 185, sr.) accounted for 1,108 rushing yards and 11 TDs for the Panthers.

     Brandon Wells (6-1, 180, sr.) used us blazing speed to gain 1,133 yards and scored 10 TDs for the Bobcats.

     Landon Nettles (5-11, 190, jr.) rushed for 1,043 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Cougars. He also was a leader on defense.

     Seth Rushing (5-9, 145, sr.) used his speed and good hands to catch 80 passes for 1,336 yards and 9 TDs.

     Fred Trevillion (6-3, 195, jr.) was Brookhaven’s leading receiver with 45 catches for 654 yards and 10 TDs. He also saw time at quarterback.

     Germie Martin (6-0, 180, sr.) was Bogue Chitto’s leading receiver with 53 receptions for 1,051 yards and 16 TDs.

     Genoa Sartin (6-0, 180, sr.) was a blocker and a receiver for the Panthers. He caught 31 passes for 618 yards and 6 TDs.

     Matthew Evans (6-0, 155, sr.) was Brookhaven Academy’s second leading receiver with 49 catches for 856 yards and 12 TDs. On defense, Evans intercepted 2 passes and made 21 tackles.

     James Blackwell (6-0, 230, sr.) rushes for 910 yards and scored 12 TDs. He caught 3 passes for 29 yards and 2 TDs. On defense, Blackwell accounted for 109 tackles as a defensive end.

     J.J. Stepney (5-6, 165, jr.) brought plenty of excitement to the gridiron with his kickoff returns. He averaged 25.5 yards on 12 returns.

     Noah Allen (6-0, 230, sr.) was an accurate kicker, making 37 extra points and 3 field goals.

     Travis Thornton (6-0, 245, jr.) was a leader on BA’s offensive line. “Travis has great feet for his size and he’s a very intelligent blocker,” said BA coach Tripp McCarty.

     Cody Thornhill (5-10, 230, jr.) worked at center in BA’s spread offense. “Cody never made a bad snap in 15 games,” said McCarty.

     Rashun Smith (6-0, 200, sr.). was a veteran in the BHS line. “Rashun plays with an extremely high motor,” said BHS boss Tommy Clopton. “He graded over 90 percent each week of the season.’

     B.J. Robinson (6-3, 240, sr.) was another BHS veteran in the trenches. “B.J. is strong and he has a great work ethic,” said Clopton.

     Anthony Wilson (5-8, 280, sr.) was instrumental in the BHS rushing attack. “Anthony is our best drive blocker,” said Clopton.