MPSSAA All-State Awards 2023

OPOY, AOY, DPOY, COY 

OPOY – Evan Austin (Oakdale) 6’1 180 SR – Austin had an outstanding season, shining when the lights were their brightest. With Austin at quarterback, the Bears finished 14-0 and as undefeated 3A state champions. Over two seasons, Austin finished with a 25-3 overall record at quarterback, earning title game appearances in each of his two seasons behind center. Austin was part of the Bears ‘Big 3’ in the 2023 class, along with Austin’s top target Hunter Thompson, an Ohio commit and All-State receiver, and All-State defensive end Dominic Nichols, a Michigan commit.  

But, it was Austin who ran (and threw) the show over the last two seasons for the Bears, playing in one of the most competitive leagues in the MPSSAA. Austin did whatever was needed from him, whether through the air or on the ground. Austin finished his Bears career as the only quarterback in MPSSAA history to throw for 3,000 yards or more in a career, while also rushing for 3,000 yards in a career. Last season, Austin became just one of two quarterbacks in MPSSAA history to throw for more than 1,500 yards in a season, and rush for 1,500 yards or more in the same campaign.  

This season, Austin went to the air a bit more often, completing 138 of 206 passes for 2,283 yards and 28 touchdowns, versus just eight interceptions. Austin completed 66.9% of his passes, which ranked fourth in the MPSSAA among quarterbacks with 120 attempts or more. Austin tied for third in the MPSSAA in passing touchdowns, and fifth in passing yards. Austin also ranked third in the MPSSAA in passing yards per attempt, at 11.8. Austin’s 13.6% touchdowns per attempt percentage ranked fourth in the MPSSAA. 

Austin added a team-best 1,244 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns on 149 attempts, averaging 8.4 yards per carry. Austin tied for ninth in the MPSSAA in touchdowns scored. For the season, Austin accounted for 3,539 yards and 50 touchdowns for the state champions.  

Austin overcame two interceptions in the opener, rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears 22-21 win over Milford Mill, including what turned out be game-winning score with 1:07 to play, but not clinching it until his game-winning two-point conversion toss to Thompson. Austin accounted for 265 yards in the win. Austin completed 11 of 15 passes for 283 yards and five touchdowns in the Bears 46-21 rout of Allegany. The following week, Austin rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns in their 28-16 win over Frederick. Austin threw for 190 yards and added 95 yards and a score on the ground in the Bears 21-14 win over Linganore in week six.  

Austin began the post-season by completing 14 of 16 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns (2 int) in the Bears 57-12 win over North Hagerstown in the opening round, adding two rushing touchdowns. Austin rushed for 158 yards and four touchdowns on 14 attempts in their 49-14 win over Sherwood. Austin accounted for five touchdowns in the Bears 56-6 quarterfinal win over Oakland Mills.  

The Charlotte commit accounted for 391 yards and seven touchdowns in the Bears 57-20 win over City College in the semifinals. In the title game, Austin closed his high school career by completing 16 of 21 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns, and adding 185 rushing yards and a score on 25 carries in their 42-35 win over Linganore. The Bears quarterback accounted for 464 yards and five touchdowns in the program’s second state championship game victory.  

For his career, Austin completed 248 of 404 passes (61.4%) for 3,926 yards and 46 touchdowns (18 int) for the Bears, adding 3,228 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns on 427 carries. Austin also registered 16 receptions for 313 yards and four touchdowns, and added 397 yards on kick and punt returns. On defense, Austin added four interceptions and returned a fumble recovery for a score. In all, Austin accounted for more than 7,900 yards and 96 touchdowns for the Bears. Austin committed to Charlotte, choosing the 49ers offer over those from Maryland, Indiana, and James Madison, among others.  

APOY – DeCarlos Young (Wise) 5’11 220 JR – Young did everything asked of him by Coach Parrish and the Pumas, and for the second year in a row, was the best all-around player in the blue, black, and gold. Young was a touchdown machine at running back, a tackling machine at linebacker, and a threat to score any time he lined up to return a kick. Young’s talents this season, in his junior campaign, led the Pumas to their sixth 4A state title in 11 post-seasons, and their first crown since 2019.  

Young displayed the toughness of the ‘old school’ two-way player that served as both a running back and a linebacker, while blessed with the athletic ability of today’s best athletes. Young led the Pumas in rushing yards and scoring for a team that averaged 44.8 points per game, while also leading the team in tackles, on a defensive unit that registered eight shutouts, and allowed just 7.6 points per game. Young was named the Prince Georges County 4A Offensive Player of the Year, while earning Washington Post All-Met first team honors at linebacker.  

Young averaged an astronomical 11.1 yards per carry, taking 126 attempts for 1,395 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns. Young led the MPSSAA in yards per carry among runners with 120 attempts or more, and touchdowns among those with 175 attempts or less. Young returned two of his kickoff returns for touchdowns, including in the overtime win over Flowers, and the state semifinal victory over Eleanor Roosevelt. On defense, the Pumas junior produced 50 solo tackles, 41 assisted tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and four quarterback hurries. 

Young took 27 carries for 211 yards and scored all three of the Pumas touchdowns in their 22-16 week two win over Eleanor Roosevelt, while adding four tackles for loss and two sacks on defense. Over the next four games, where the Pumas posted four blowout, shutout victories, Young had just 25 carries over those four games, but scored nine times. Young furnished eight solo tackles and nine assisted tackles with his kickoff return for a touchdown in the win over Flowers. Young rushed for 177 yards and scored twice on ten attempts in the Pumas 45-0 win over Bowie. 

Young rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries in the Pumas 42-14 quarterfinal win over Walter Johnson, adding six solo tackles, four assisted tackles, and 1.5 tackles for loss. In addition to his 83 yard kickoff return for a score in the Pumas 62-21 win over Roosevelt in the semifinal, Young amassed 212 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns on just nine carries. Young touched the ball ten times in the game, totaled 295 yards and scored four times. For an encore, Young rushed for 146 yards and scored twice in the Pumas 21-0 win over Broadneck in the 4A state championship game, adding five solo tackles, two assisted tackles, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hurry.  

In two seasons, Young has scored 38 touchdowns on 205 touches. The junior has rushed for 2,127 yards and 35 touchdowns on 189 attempts, averaging 11.3 yards per carry over two seasons. Counting the four games he played on defense as a freshman, Young has produced 125 solo tackles, 76 assisted tackles, and 28.5 tackles for loss. That’s to go with two kickoff returns for touchdowns, and a touchdown reception. He also has completed his only pass for a touchdown. Young holds offers from Michigan and Maryland, among others.  

DPOY Carter Hess (Fort Hill) 6’2 285 SR – No defensive player was more dominant than the Sentinels Hess was at defensive tackle this season. The massive sized senior destroyed offensive game plans, disrupting of not destroying plays just after the snap on the interior. Hess sewed up his brilliant Sentinels career by winning a third straight championship, and finishing his four year career with a 40-2 record with Fort Hill. In a program with such a rich tradition, Hess is arguably not only the best lineman in school history, but Allegany County history. Certainly most dominant. 

Hess was a dominant force on the interior line on both sides of the ball for the Sentinels in each of their last three state championship seasons. Hess won the Cumberland Area Lineman of the Year award as a sophomore, then earned MPSSAA All-State first team honors and won the Cumberland Area Defensive Player of the Year award as a junior. Now, the Sentinels senior takes the MPSSAA All-State Defensive Player of the Year crown. Hess has committed to play at the next level at Fordham.  

In twelve games this season, Hess produced 74 solo tackles, 71 assisted tackles, and 23 tackles for loss. Hess totaled 13 sacks, 64 quarterback pressures, and four forced fumbles. At offensive tackle, Hess helped power the Sentinels to 307.2 rushing yards per game this season, and 55 rushing touchdowns. Hess produced 48 pancake blocks this season. Hess paved the way for an offense that averaged 40.1 points per game, and headlined a defense that held high-powered Mountain Ridge to seven points through three quarters in the title game.  

Hess produced seven solo tackles, four assisted tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and six quarterback hurries in the Sentinels 37-14 week six win over Mountain Ridge. Hess totaled 13 tackles and a sack in the Sentinels 47-21 Homecoming victory over Allegany. Hess delivered 16 tackles, two sacks, and nine quarterback hurries in the Sentinels state semifinal win over Cambridge South Dorchester. In the state title game, the Sentinels third straight, the Sentinels senior produced 13 tackles, nine quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, and a sack. Over his last two seasons, Hess totaled 297 tackles, including 45 for loss.  

COY – Michael Carter Sr (Dunbar) – Carter led the Poets to their MPSSAA-best 13th state championship after a turbulent beginning, a start that put Carter into the helm on an interim basis in week two. Carter, the Poets defensive coordinator, took over after eight-time state champion coach Lawrence Smith had to step down after being being charged with tax fraud tied to overtime pay as a Baltimore City policeman. Carter joined the Dunbar staff in 2010, after serving as the tight end coach at Morgan State for four seasons.  

The Poets never finished either of their first two games, after gunfire across the street from their home field ended their week one game with Loyola, and a heavy rainstorm put an end to things at Dunbar of DC in week two. Still, while neither game yielded an official result, no one came away after the two first weeks thinking the Poets were going to runaway and win the third straight state championship, and #13 overall. Except Smith, who told me, “Folks better catch us early, cause once the ship gets moving, its going to be special.” 

There was nothing special about their opener, after trailing 21-0 to the Dons late in the second quarter, before gunfire erupted across the street, ending the game. The Poets were trailing 14-0 when they appeared to be cutting the margin to one score, but as the ball was extended to reach the goal line, a Dons defender snatched the ball and went 99 yards for a score. Week two, the Poets were tied at 8-8 in a slugfest with the Crimson Tide, before the game was called after playing one half, and after rain two delays. 

Days after Coach Smith said “folks better catch us early”, Carter was the head coach of the Poets, who headed into week three with an 0-0 record, but having been outscored 29-8 in 47 minutes of action.  

There was reason to believe the Poets weren’t going to have a cakewalk to #13. Never mind emerging threats like Patuxent and Calvert, the Poets had to replace nine starters on defense from their ‘22 title team. Not only that, they had to replace one of the best ‘QB1/RB1’ rushing combinations in MPSSAA history in Devin Roche (Old Dominion) and Tristen Kenan (Maine), as well as their top two receivers, including All-State selection Tony Hart (Elon). In addition, the Poets lost the leader of their ‘o-line’, All-State center Ebubedike Nnabugwu (Delaware State). In all, the Poets had to replace 17 of 22 starters on offense and defense.  

After the rocky start in the first two weeks, the Poets snapped back into it, thumping Poly 50-6 in week three, and pummeling City College, 60-0, the following week, handing the Black Knights their only shutout of the season. The Poets survived another battle with Mervo, a fellow state champion, and dominated the rest of the regular season. Carter and the Poets had two stiff tests to close out #13, with a rematch of the ‘22 game with Patuxent in the semifinals, and then Calvert in the 2/1A state title game. The Poets pulled through, surviving a 36-29 shootout with the Panthers in the semis, and winning a 8-0 slugfest with the Cavaliers in the final. Like they had all season, the Poets and Carter persevered.