A high school athlete typically is a little shy about expressing any goals regarding individual statistics.
Typical isn’t often used as a description for Craig Scott. Park Hill South’s senior receiver laid out several individual goals for 2012. They included receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Above them all, though, Scott had his eyes on the Otis Taylor Award, given to the top wideout in the Kansas City area. Scott won the award last week, announced during the Simone Awards ceremony at Blue Springs High School.
“I planned out everything to win this year,” Scott said after the ceremony. “I worked hard for this, so yeah, I thought I was going to win.”
Scott set the bar high in several areas, but his numbers were plenty lofty to surpass each of his preseason marks. He finished with 71 catches for 1,110 yards and 18 touchdowns and also scored a rushing touchdown for Park Hill South, which won seven games.
Still, the award was anything but a given. Scott found good company in the remaining three finalists for the Otis Taylor Award.
Blue Springs senior Darrius Shepherd tallied 957 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns, in addition to four return scores on special teams. Plus, he totaled those numbers for a team that won the Class 6 state championship. His teammate, Dalvin Warmack, took home the top honor of the Thomas A. Simone Award, given to the most outstanding player.
Platte County’s Scottie Wilson has 1,138 yards and 14 scores, and Shawnee Mission East’s Connor Rellihan had 55 receptions for 785 yards.
“It’s really a blessing to now be mentioned with all of the other guys that have won it before me and with the other guys sitting with me in the crowd,” Scott said. “I’m just blessed.”
Scott has plans to continue his career in college, holding out hopes to play Division I football. Scott said Kansas State, Kansas, Tulsa and Northern Iowa have shown interest, though he is waiting on offers from each of them.
“I’m sure hoping so,” Scott said. “I have lots more in store for the future. I’m not done yet.”
Holden running back Max Mickey took home the Frank Fontana Award for the most outstanding player in Class 1-4, besting two-time finalist Antwynn Beavers of Liberty North, a senior running back that rushed for 1,748 yards to close out his high school career. Mickey set a single-season state record with 3,233 yards to go along with 43 touchdowns.
Blue Springs received a second winner when defensive end Elijah Lee won the Buck Buchanan Award for the top lineman or linebacker. He had 15.5 sacks for the Wildcats after transferring from St. Joseph Central this offseason.
Center defensive tackle Maliek Collins was named the recipient of the Bobby Bell Award for the best linebacker or lineman in Class 1-4. A two-way player, Collins was particularly dominate on the defensive side of the ball, which has led to offers from a variety of Division I schools, including Nebraska and Missouri.
“I didn’t know if I’d have a chance or not coming from a school like Center, but I felt like I worked hard for this award,” Collins said. “I felt like I deserved it on the inside, but I had to see what everybody else thought.”
