Burnette named state player of year

As he ponders his college choice, Brent Burnette can add another line to his resume.

The Maryville High School senior quarterback was named the Tennessee Player of the Year on the Orlando Sentinel’s All-Southern Football Team. The team selects an elite collection of players from 12 southern states, with the player of the year for each state chosen from the group.

Maryville tight end Aaron Douglas and Alcoa quarterback Randall Cobb were both named finalist for Tennessee.

“That was an honor,” Burnette said. “I didn’t even know I was up for something like that.”

Burnette broke Maryville single-season records for yards, touchdowns and completion en route to being Mr. Football last month. The undecided college prospect was also named BlueCross Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player in December as Maryville won its fourth consecutive Class 4A state championship, winning its 60th consecutive game in the process.

The Orlando Sentinel All-Southern Football Team was compiled by recruiting guru Bill Buchalter, Sentinel staff writer Buddy Collings and Peter Thomson, and Jody Demling of the (Louisville) Courier-Journal.

All-Southern team Tennessee finalists

• QB - Brent Burnette, 6-3, 193, Sr. Maryville, College Undecided (Player of the Year)

• DL - LaDarrius Verge, 6-3, 235, Sr., Riverdale, College Undecided

• WR - Marlon Brown, 6-5, 205, Jr., Memphis Harding Academy

• ATH - Deaunte Mason, 6-4, 215, Sr., Pearl-Cohn, Kentucky

• ATH - Randall Cobb, 5-11, 176, Sr., Alcoa, Kentucky

• OL - Barrett Jones, 6-5, 271, Sr., Evangelical Chr., Alabama

• LB – Don’ta Hightower, 6-3, 215, Sr., Marshall Co, Alabama

• OL - David Spurlock, 6-4, 280, Sr., Riverdale, Florida State

• WR - Rodriguez Wilks, 6-1, 195, Sr., Smyrna, Tennessee

• OL - Preston Bailey, 6-5, 315, Sr., Montgomery Bell Acad., Tennessee

• TE - Aaron Douglas, 6-6, 245, Sr., Maryville, Tennessee