Lots of Wylie names on All 6-3A Team, including coach

By MARK WILSON / Staff Writer

District 6-3A football champion Wylie had the Player of the Year, the Offensive Most Valuable Player and the Coach of the Year for the 1996 season.

Cody Barr of Clyde, the district runner-up, earned the Defensive Most Valuable Player honor in results of voting by league coaches released Monday.

Sandifer's Bulldogs won their first 11 games this season before bowing out of the Class 3A playoffs in the area round with a 28-14 loss to Aledo Friday in Stephenville. His teams have won 15 of their last 17 contests dating back to last season, and have won 13 consecutive regular-season games and 10 straight district games.

Todd Barnett, a 5-10, 165-pound Wylie senior, was voted Player of the Year after being a three-way standout for the second year in a row. Barnett started at wide receiver and defensive back, and also was Wylie's place-kicker. Barnett led Wylie in receiving with 38 catches for 768 yards, and scored six touchdowns. He also kicked eight of 11 field goals, including distances of 50, 46 and 43 yards.

Jacob Pruitt, the offensive MVP, led Wylie in rushing with 1,366 yards on 182 carries, but had to sit out the Aledo game with a severe bruise near his left knee. He also led the Bulldogs in scoring, with 17 touchdowns, and was second in receiving with 32 catches for 427 yards.

Barr, a 6-0, 225-pound senior, was one of the top defensive players for coach Greg Edwards' Bulldogs, who won their first nine games of the season before falling to Wylie in the final game of the regular season. Clyde ended its season the following week with a 63-23 loss to top-ranked Vernon.

Repeating this year on the first team are linebacker Aaron Calhoun of Wylie and defensive back Josh Collins of Clyde. Barnett was a first-team pick at wide receiver, defensive back and place-kicker.

Six Clyde players were named to the first team on offense and four were on the defensive first team, in addition to Cody Barr. Wylie placed three players on the offensive first team and three on the defensive first team.

The complete all-district first and second team selections are listed on Page 2B.