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Finalists announced for Carr Trophy, Derland Moore Award
Players from Caruthersville, Cape Central, Dexter and Farmington have been selected as finalists as the most outstanding football players in the SEMO Conference.
Jermonte Alexander of Caruthersville, Jett Grams of Dexter and Zai’Aire Thomas of Cape Central are in the running to take home the Carr Trophy, given to the conference’s most outstanding player, while Nolan Alford of Dexter, Oscar Dominguez of Caruthersville and Kaesen McClain of Farmington are finalists for the Derland Moore Award as the top defensive players in the conference.
The award winners will be announced at the 79th annual Gridiron Banquet to honor the All-SEMO Conference team presented by the Poplar Bluff Letter Club on Wednesday, Dec. 4, at the Black River Coliseum.
The evening will end with the presentation of the Derland Moore Award and the Carr Trophy after the top linemen and scoring champions are also honored. Other awards to be presented that night include the conference champions, SEMO Football Officials Association’s Sportsmanship Award and the Sam Giambelluca Lifetime Achievement Award.
The All-SEMO Conference teams will be announced when the season ends for all conference teams.
Here’s a look at each finalist in alphabetical order:
Alexander, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound senior from Caruthersville, was all over the field for the Tigers, who claimed the South Division title. During the regular season Alexander averaged 10.3 yards per run, 13.6 yards per catch and scored 16 touchdowns, including a punt return and three on defense. He ran for 608 yards to go with 476 receiving yards and had a 77-yard punt return for a score. The defensive back led the conference with eight interceptions and had 51 tackles during the regular season with eight deflected passes.
Grams, a 6-foot, 235-pound senior running back from Dexter, reached 1,018 rushing yards during the regular season on 84 carries and scored every 5.6 attempts. He averaged 12.1 yards per carry and 113.0 per game, scoring 15 times with six two-point conversions. The Bearcats averaged 44.8 points per game during an undefeated regular season and outscored their Central rivals 177-8.
Thomas, a 5-foot-6, 165-pound senior from Cape Central, averaged 13.1 yards per run, 25.4 yards per catch, scored 24 times and threw a touchdown pass for 1,513 all-purpose yards during the regular season. He ran for 851 yards and 13 touchdowns, 558 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns while completing a 53-yard touchdown pass, his only attempt of the season. The Tigers averaged 43.2 yards per game during the regular season.
The Carr Trophy, first presented in 1979, was awarded to Portageville’s Jamarion Smith last year.
Alford, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior linebacker at Dexter, led the conference with 12.5 sacks among his 16.5 tackles for a loss. He had 52 total tackles during the regular season along with a forced fumble, two recovered fumbles, three pass deflections and a pair of blocked punts. The Bearcats defense allowed just eight points in four conference games as Dexter won the Central title and completed its first undefeated regular season since 1986 by allowing 63 points in nine games.
Dominguez, a 5-foot-11, 225-pound senior linebacker at Caruthersville, led the conference with 128 tackles during the regular season with 14 for a loss. He recovered two fumbles, intercepted a pass and scored. He was also a finalist for the Derland Moore Award last year. The Tigers defense allowed 15.8 points per game during the first nine games as Caruthersville won the South Division title, outscoring their five rivals 218-60.
McClain, a 5-foot-8, 195-pound senior linebacker at Farmington, tied for third in the conference with 92 tackles during the regular season. He had six tackles for a loss, including a sack, forced two fumbles, recovered two and led the Knights defense during a 5-4 regular season.
The Derland Moore Award, won last year by Poplar Bluff’s Logan Hite, was first presented in 2011.
The All-SEMO team is selected by the coaches in each division while the Carr Trophy and Derland Moore Award are determined by a committee of nine area officials.