Rathen Ricedorff Earns WSFL Offensive Player of the Year; T-Birds Pack All-WSFL, ACCAC Teams

The awards keep coming for the #8 Mesa Thunderbirds and right fully so with the incredible season they're having.  The All-Western States Football League and ACCAC Teams have been announced and many T-Birds have found themselves on teams.

Earning WSFL Offensive Player of the Year was Rathen Ricedorff.  In a record setting season for the sophomore quarterback from Showlow, Ricedorff has broken the school records in touchdown passes in a season (37), career touchdown passes (47), passing yards in a season (3291), most completions in a season (245), with a few more records that are bound to fall in Mesa's final game.  

Along with Ricedorff on the All-WSFL 1st Team is sophomore wide receiver Dionte Sykes, who finished the regular season with nine touchdown receptions on 31 catches for 375 total yards.  Rounding out the offensive side is left tackle Isiah Moore.

Amonai Itaaehau headlines the defensive side of the ball for the T-Birds.  Itaaehau had 107 total tackles (58 solo) on the season, with seven sacks (-32 yards) and 14 tackle for loss (-56 yards).

Defensive tackle Bruce Hester also earned first team with 53 total tackles (38 solo) with four and half sacks (-35 yards) and 10.5 tackles for loss (-45 yards).  He has one fumble recovery and one block.  Sophomore safety, Marcus Brantley, rounds out the defensive side for the first team.  Brantley had 103 total tackles (66 solo) with one sack (-10 yards), three force fumbles, four interceptions with 18 pass breakups.

On the 2nd Team All-WSFL is freshman Darius Aguirre who had seven touchdown receptions on 38 catches for 430 yards.  Aguirre also had two punt returns for touchdowns for 293 total punt return yards.  Wideout Aaron Molina had four touchdown receptions on 20 catches for 484 yards, the longest going for 95 yards against Pima.  

Linebacker Kenneth Steele had 63 total tackles (43 solo) with six sacks (-32), 11.5 tackles for loss (-48 yards), four force fumbles with five breakups.  Defensive end Rashun Parker had 35 total tackles (17 solo), eight and half sacks (-65 yards), 12 tackles for loss (-75 yards), three force fumbles, one fumble recovery and one block.  Cornerback Shakial Taylor had 34 total tackles (22 solo), one interception with 17 pass breakups.

Earning honorable mention for Mesa was offensive lineman Nick Courinos and center Jasiah Booth, tight end Skylor Clinton, defensive end Jameer Outsey, defensive tackle Aaron Blackwell and linebacker Santana Sterling.

On the All-ACCAC 1st Team is QB Rathen Ricedorff, WR Dionte Sykes, WR Darius Aguirre, OL Isiah Moore, DL Rashun Parker, DL Bruce Hester, LB Amonai Itaaehau, DB Marcus Brantley, and DB Shakial Taylor.  

On the All-ACCAC 2nd Team is OL Marquez Tucker, LB Kenneth Steele, DB JT Nettleton, Returner Darius Aguirre.

All the stats that were mentioned are regular season stats.  Many of those stats will change in the final game of the season December 3rd.