Celestine named SJAA most valuable player
by TP staff
Dec 01, 2009 | 1167 views | 0 0 comments | 16 16 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Depray Celestine, the SJAA MVP for 2009, and his fellow Bulldogs dominated both league play and the after-season league awards.  Press file photo
Depray Celestine, the SJAA MVP for 2009, and his fellow Bulldogs dominated both league play and the after-season league awards. Press file photo
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After dominating the San Joaquin Athletic Association on the way to its first 10-0 regular season in more than 20 years, the league champion Tracy High varsity football team also dominated the annual all-league awards.

Depray Celestine, the top scorer in the SJAA with 152 points over the 10-game regular season and two playoff games, was named league Most Valuable Player.

Celestine was second in the SJAA for rushing, with 1,123 yards overall, behind 1,377 yards for Lodi’s Jordan Perkins.

Celestine also was a huge threat on punt and kickoff returns for the 11-1 overall Bulldogs, racking up 354 yards on kickoff returns, an average of more than 32 yards per return, and 254 yards on punt returns, nearly 15 yards per return.

After teammate Anthony Wills, Celestine was the Bulldogs’ second-leading receiver with 387 yards for the season.

Celestine scored 25 touchdowns overall this year — 15 on the ground, six as a receiver, and four on kickoff and punt returns. His totals also include a 2-point conversion.

Of 13 special awards, including league MVP, Tracy claimed seven of them.

Senior Jordan Strong was the offensive back of the year and was second only to Celestine among Bulldogs for yards gained, with 893 yards on 152 carries, most of them straight up the middle.

Billy Simon was the defensive back of the year, credited with 89 tackles and five sacks, and senior Kevin Speer was named offensive lineman of the year.

Ricky Diaz is defensive lineman of the year after he logged 6½ sacks for the season, causing opponents to lose a total 53 yards.

Max Garrigan was named kicker of the year with 59 point-after kicks and four field goals.

Bulldogs head coach Mark Stroup was named coach of the year.

Senior Jordan Williams made all-league first team twice — as a wide receiver on offense and as a defensive back.

Other first-team offense players from Tracy include junior quarterback Casey Wichman and offensive linemen Chad Fraga and Mark Lanfranki.

First-team defensive players from Tracy include defensive end Robert Emerson, linebacker D.J. Damon and defensive back Anthony Wills.

Carlos Mendoza and Tyler Huckaby earned honorable mentions for Tracy.
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