USA TODAY High School Sports is naming the ALL-USA Coach of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, First and Second Team Offense and First and Second Team Defense for football.
The team was chosen by the USA TODAY Sports staff in consultation with high school coaches and recruiting analysts.
OFFENSE: First Team | Second Team
OFFENSIVE POY: Bryce Young, Mater Dei
DEFENSE: First Team | Second Team
DEFENSIVE POY: Justin Flowe, Upland
COACH OF THE YEAR: Reginald Samples, Duncanville
COACH PROFILE:
Reginald Samples
School: Duncanville (Texas)
A Hail Mary to end last year’s championship game prevented Duncanville (Texas) from going 15-0 and winning the title.
After that heartbreak, the Panthers have worked through the Texas playoff gauntlet once again. After allowing more than seven points in just one regular season game, they flew threw the playoffs and are one win away from vengeance.
With another dominant season, Reginald Samples has been named the 2019 ALL-USA Football Coach of the Year.
In the 10 regular season games, Duncanville outscored opponents 444-33 — meaning the defense allowed an average of 3.3 points per game.
Through five playoff games, Duncanville has been winning by an average score of about 51-19.
South Grand Prairie, Flower Mound and Martin didn’t stand a chance. Southlake Carroll made it close in the fourth quarter, but Duncanville had control through. Rockwall’s explosive offense was stymied. All that’s left is a rematch of last year’s title game vs. North Shore.
It will be the biggest challenge thus far as quarterback Ja’Quinden Jackson will be out due to a torn ACL he suffered in the second quarter of the game vs. Rockwall. That didn’t slow Duncanville down in the semifinals, as the Panthers scored 21 points in the third quarter.
Duncanville has also managed this season without Kendrick Blackshire, the highly-anticipated transfer who was injured in the offseason.
If Samples can lead Duncanville to two consecutive seasons in which perfection was missed by a mere Hail Mary, it will be one of the great Texas football accomplishments.
This season, Samples has a chance to lead the team to its first championship since 1998. Getting to this point for the second straight year has shown how impressive a coach he is.
PRESEASON: ALL-USA Offense | ALL-USA Defense
LOOKBACK: 2018-19 ALL-USA Offensive Football Team