WO-S LB Brown a WRS Award Finalist
Published 6:35 pm Wednesday, January 22, 2020
BEAUMONT — West Orange-Stark standout linebacker Tyrone Brown is one of four Defensive Finalists for the Willie Ray Smith Awards.
The 28th Willie Ray Smith Awards Banquet will take place Feb. 10 at the Elegante Hotel Ballroom starting at 6 p.m.
The guest speaker will be Damon West.
The Smith Awards is considered Southeast Texas’ Heisman Trophy. It was created in 1992 and first given out in 1993.
Smith won 235 games and two state championships in 33 seasons as coach at Beaumont Charlton-Pollard, Orange Wallace and Lufkin Dunbar.
Brown is one of four linebackers that are defensive finalists for the prestigious award, considered to be the High School Heisman in Southeast Texas.
He will be joined by Port Neches-Groves Santiago Agudelo, East Chambers’ Christian Simien and Beaumont United’s J.K. Wilson.
Brown notched 149 tackles, 88 of them solo, for 10-4A’s top-ranked defense. He had five sacks, seven more quarterback pressures, two deflected passes and four more tackles for losses.
The four Offensive Finalists are Hamshire-Fannett quarterback Marcus Morris, Silsbee running back Dralyn Taylor, West Brook quarterback Troy Yowman and East Chambers running back Nolten Shelvin.
Here are the past Willie Ray Smith Award winners:
1993: Dexter Hebert, Kelly
1994: Jay McGuire, Silsbee
1995: Jeffery Spikes, Burkeville
1996: Elijah Burkins, Thomas Jefferson
1997: Bryan Bock, Bridge City
1998: Offense: Chip Ambres, West Brook; Defense: Charles Sias, WO-S
1999: Offense: Beaux Daville, Orangefield; Defense: Rod Gulley, Newton
2000: Offense: Dustin Long, PN-G; Defense: Gayron Allen, WO-S
2001: Offense: Sean Yoder, Nederland; Defense: Jermaine Hope, WO-S
2002: Offense: Tony Eckert, Lumberton; Defense: Ricky Wilson, Lincoln
2003: Offense: Matt Peebles, Bridge City; Defense: William Bryant, Jasper
2004: Offense: Jamaal Charles, P.A. Memorial; Defense: William Morrissey, Silsbee
2005: Offense: Jamaal Charles, P.A. Memorial; Defense: Brian West, Ozen
2006: Offense: Kenneth Beasley, WO-S; Defense: Sean Weatherspoon, Jasper
2007: Offense: Micah Mosley, Nederland; Defense: Earl Thomas, WO-S
2008: Offense: Cody Hussey, Lumberton; Defense: Tramain Thomas, East Chambers
2009: Offense: Christian Micheal, West Brook Defense: Kevin Robinson, WO-S
2010: Offense: Jeremy Johnson, Silsbee; Defense: Jacoby Hale, Central
2011: Offense: Fred Ford, Kirbyville; Defense: Colin Garrett, West Brook
2012: Offense: Terrence Singleton, P.A. Memorial; Defense: Corbin Carr, Nederland
2013: Offense: Montana Quirante, Vidor; Defense: Montana Quirante, Vidor
2014: Offense: Patrick Reed, Silsbee; DeShawn Washington, Nederland
2015: Offense: Michael Jacquet, Central; Defense: Deionte Thompson, WO-S
2016: Offense: Jack Dallas, WO-S; Defense: Steven Tims, WO-S
2017: Offense: Calvin Tyler, Silsbee; Defense: Kary Vincent, PA Memorial
2018: Offense: Roschon Johnson, PN-G; Defense: Corbin Foster, Newton
2019: Offense: Darwin Barlow, Newton; Defense: Darrell Hawkins, Jr., West Brook