Kane County Republican 2012 all-area football team

Players from Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles East and St. Charles North represented among area's best.

By From staff reports

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In the annual crosstown game, St. Charles East's Joe Hoscheit (No. 34) tackles St. Charles North's George Edlund. Both players are part of the 2012 Republican all-area team. Staff photo by Bill Ackerman | Buy this photo at snapshots.mysuburbanlife.com/1529474 (Bill Ackerman)

The 2012 high school football season featured conference championships, playoff appearances and some memorble moments for players competing for teams throughout the Tri-Cities area. We honor some of the best local players with our 2012 all-area team.

Brannon Barry
YEAR Junior
SCHOOL St. Charles East
Barry helped lead the Saints to their first playoff appearance since 2009 this season. The wide receiver was second in the Upstate Eight River with 41 catches, and he also had five touchdowns and over 500 yards receiving. He was UER all-conference as a receiver. As a defensive back, he had an interception return for a touchdown.

Kyle Brown
YEAR Junior
SCHOOL Geneva
The Vikings were a run-based team, but if they ever needed a big pass play, Brown helped deliver it. He led the team with 24 receptions and six touchdowns, and his 457 receiving yards accounted for over 50 percent of Geneva’s receiving yards. Brown was one of just four receivers to earn Upstate Eight River all-conference accolades.

Mike Candre
YEAR Junior
SCHOOL St. Charles East
One of five East defensive players named Upstate Eight River all-conference, Candre was a physical presence for a Saints defense that surrendered just 80 points in six conference games. East led the area in turnovers, thanks in no small part to Candre’s two interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Micah Coffey
YEAR Junior
SCHOOL Batavia
Faced with the task of replacing an all-state quarterback, Coffey shined in his first varsity season. The Upstate Eight River all-conference selection completed 60 percent of his passes for 1,732 yards, and he had 18 touchdown passes to just five interceptions. Coffey also rushed for nearly 4 yards per carry and five touchdowns.

Reece Conroyd
YEAR Junior
SCHOOL St. Charles North
Conroyd wasn’t in on every tackle for the North Stars this season, but it sure seemed like it. The Upstate Eight River all-conference linebacker was far and away the statistical leader for North’s defense, tallying 84 tackle assists and 47 solo tackles. North’s defense allowed just 160 points (17.7 per game) and held five opponents to 14 points or less.

George Edlund
YEAR Senior
SCHOOL St. Charles North
A two-year varsity standout, Edlund once again powered led the team with 150 carries, 738 yards and eight touchdowns. His rushing attempts accounted for over 52 percent of North’s total, his rush yards were over 58 percent of the total, and he scored more than 53 percent of the North Stars’ rushing TDs to earn Upstate Eight River all-conference honors.

Colin Griffin
YEAR Senior
SCHOOL Geneva
Griffin led the Vikings’ defense with 8.1 tackles per game. Despite missing a mid-season game, he finished fourth on the team with 65 total tackles, but led the team with 21 solo tackles and also recorded half a sack this season. He was one of two Geneva defensive players to be named to the Upstate Eight River all-conference team.

Bobby Hess
YEAR Senior
SCHOOL Geneva
Hess continued Geneva’s tradition of producing prolific running backs. He had a trio of 200-yards-plus and five-touchdown games. On the year, he rushed for 1,496 yards (166.2 per game) and 22 touchdowns. He accounted for more than 65 percent of Geneva’s rushing yards, 60 percent of the touchdowns and nearly 47 percent of the total offense.

Joe Hoscheit
YEAR Senior
SCHOOL St. Charles East
A powerful fullback that came up clutch in short-yardage situations, Hoscheit really made his mark on the other side of the ball as a linebacker. The Saints’ defensive leader was also that unit’s leading tackler, and opposing coaches took notice, naming him Upstate Eight River defensive MVP and Class 7A all-state.

Marquise Jenkins
YEAR Senior
SCHOOL Batavia
A high-energy player who gave offensive linemen all they could handle, this 6-foot-3, 215-pound defensive end finished with 43 tackles (26 solo), many of which came on the other side of the line of scrimmage. The Upstate Eight River all-conference selection had eight tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, and also had 14 quarterback hits and hurries on the year.

Zach Kirby
YEAR Senior
SCHOOL St. Charles North
At 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds, Kirby didn’t have the prototypical wide receiver build, but he was the North Stars’ top wideout nonetheless. He led the team in every major receiving category with 24 receptions, 463 yards, 19.3 yards per catch and four touchdowns. His four scores were half of North’s total through the air, and his receptions and yards were more than one third of the team’s total.

Evan Kurtz
YEAR Junior
SCHOOL St. Charles North
Forming a 1-2 backfield punch with senior George Edlund, this 6-foot-3, 215-pound bruiser was tough to tackle. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry (third on the team) and racked up 454 yards and six touchdowns for the year. After his breakout junior season, he is poised to become a focal point of the offense next year.