By Kory CarpenterRecord Sports EditorEight Wright City football players were named to All-Eastern Missouri Conference team after leading the Wildcats to an 8-4 record this season.Senior running back DeRenzo Blanks led the way as a first-team selection after piling up 1,325 rushing yards on 214 attempts. He finished the season with 15 rushing touchdowns and caught two passes as well.“DeRenzo is a very powerful runner with great feet and patience,” Wright City Head Coach Jeff Sargent said. “The best quality that he showed this year was his leadership toward the younger guys.”Blanks was joined on the first team by senior wide receiver Troy Muse, senior linebacker Austin Buchheit, senior defensive back LaTravian Saddler and junior defensive tackle David Ortega.Muse led the Wildcats with 61 catches, 1,201 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns despite being double-teamed most of the second half of the season.Sargent said Muse is one of the best receivers he has ever been around.“For only his second season ever playing football, he proved to be a superior athlete on the field,” Sargent said.On defense, Buchheit led the team with 216 tackles. He added five sacks, three fumble recoveries and one interception.“Austin is an incredible kid that just loves to hit people,” Sargent said. “He is the kind of kid you wish you had 22 of to field an entire team.”Saddler roamed the secondary for Wright City, collecting 91 tackles and a team-high four interceptions.Sargent called him his best cover guy.“We matched him up on the other team’s best receiver, and he normally shut the receiver down,” Sargent said. “He is a great athlete and was a huge part of our success this season.”Ortega was the lone Wright City defensive lineman to earn first-team honors. The junior was second on the team with seven sacks, recorded 61 tackles and recovered two fumbles.“David is a natural leader,” Sargent said. “People follow him because of his personality, and he gives everything he’s got on every play. He has the potential to be a big-time player next season.”Wright City senior quarterback Andrew Pfuhl earned second-team honors thanks to his 2,638 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns. He completed 54 percent of his 278 pass attempts in his first year playing quarterback.“When he was on, there were few players around that were better,” Sargent said.Senior wide receiver Tyler Brittain was a second-team selection after catching 34 passes for 673 yards and five touchdowns. He also scored on a kickoff and punt return.“Tyler was our do-everything guy,” Sargent said. “He did a great job as a safety as well, with three interceptions and a couple of fumble recoveries.”Senior linebacker Kyle Tuepker also returned kicks and made the second team for his efforts.Tuepker was second on the team with 150 tackles and had a team-high 10 sacks.“Kyle was a one of our biggest play-makers in the conference,” Sargent said. “It was was extremely difficult to believe that he was not on the first team as a linebacker with the type of year he had.”And making sure players like Brittain, Pfuhl, Muse and Blanks had time to make plays were sophomore offensive linemen Robert Benoist and Jaime Malta, who earned second-team honors.“Robert was a run-blocker that also blocked the blind side for a 2,600-yard passer,” Sargent said. “He has great feet and explosion at the point of attack.”Of Malta, Sargent added, “He was our best lineman that pulled. He loves contact, and was one of the most physical guys at the point of attack.”
David Ortega wraps up a ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage in a game earlier this season. Ortega finished the season with 61 tackles and seven sacks. Tim Schmidt photo.