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The Elgin High School varsity football team was highlighted last week as plenty of Wildcats players were honored with selections to the 5A-2 District 11 team.
The Wildcats had four players who were selected as first-team all-district with senior quarterback Nathen Lewis, senior offensive lineman Aiden Beckett, senior linebacker Derrius Holiday and junior linebacker Jackson Clowdus.
Lewis was a dangerous dual-threat quarterback for the Wildcats throughout 2023 as he finished with 1,466 yards passing on 104-of-191 attempts with 17 touchdowns through the air, 800 yards rushing and 12 scores on the ground.
Beckett helped anchor the Elgin offensive line as a senior, while the linebacker duo of Holiday and Clowdus were consistently all over the field for the Wildcats.
Holiday had a team-high 106 tackles with seven sacks, while Clowdus finished with 66 tackles and one interception.
Elgin had eight players selected as second-team all-district with junior wide receiver Zaire Nuells, senior wide receiver Blake Courtney, junior offensive lineman Joseph Stiggers, senior kicker Paden Maass, senior defensive back Jaydan Alvizo, sophomore defensive lineman Jeffery Love, senior linebacker Rogelio Huitron and senior defensive lineman Dennis Lavigne.
Nuells led Elgin’s balanced wide receiver core with 27 receptions for a team-high 365 yards and four touchdown catches, while Huitron was a high-motor player all season for the Wildcats with 74 tackles, two sacks and one pass deflection.
Also selected as honorable mentions for 5A-2 District 11 were senior running back Darren Harper, senior offensive lineman Hunter Gibson, junior defensive back Noddyn Bailey, senior defensive lineman Payton Grant, sophomore wide receiver Gary Jefferson Jr., senior running back Curtis McFarlin and junior defensive lineman Alfredo Juan.
The Wildcats under Head Coach Heath Clawson finished with a 4-6 overall record and narrowly missed the playoffs in 2023.
With a solid core of players expected to return in 2024, the Wildcats should be able to make a strong postseason push in the future.
