Eleven Warrenton football players were honored by Gateway Athletic Conference North coaches after leading the Warriors to a 9-2 record and share of the conference championship this season.

Alex Vogt, Chris Vogt and Caleb Strauss were first-team all-conference selections for offense and defense.

The Vogts anchored the offensive and defensive lines for Warrenton as seniors.

Chris Vogt led the team with 81 tackles and 12 sacks.

“He was quick off the ball, had a great motor and defended the run well,” Warrenton Head Coach Steve McDowell said. “Offensively, he was an excellent pass-protector who had excellent feet for a big man.”

Alex Vogt added 59 tackles, four sacks and one fumble recovery.

“He shut down a lot inside,” McDowell said. “He was very good at taking on double teams, and both players were great leaders for us.”

As a wide receiver, Strauss led Warrenton with 39 catches, 548 yards and eight touchdowns.

“He was a big target with sure hands, and he picked up a lot of key receptions this year,” McDowell said. “He was tough to defend because he could line up at the tight end position or on the outside.”

Defensively, he was second on the team with 67 tackles and seven sacks, while leading the team with three fumble recoveries.

“He was an outstanding defensive end, too,” McDowell said. “His long arms could take on a quarterback and running back at the same time, and he led the team in batted down passes, too.”

Quarterback Brenden Smith landed on the offensive first team, as well as being named the conference’s offensive player of the year.

He set school records for single-season rushing yards (2,016) and touchdowns (53), as well as career rushing yards (3,348), career touchdowns (77), completion percentage (65.8) and quarterback rating (129.4).

“He was joined on the offensive first team by running back Logan Dowd, who led all Warrenton running backs with 642 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, despite missing three weeks with an injury.

“Logan got off to a great start until getting injured,” McDowell said. 

“He has great speed and is a tough runner to bring down.”

Defensive back Brandon Molinari joined Strauss and the Vogts on the defensive first team after snagging two interceptions and collecting 57 tackles.

“He did an excellent job defending the pass, and he was very good with run support,” McDowell said. 

Molinari also landed on the offensive second team as a wide receiver, catching 21 passes for 344 yards and a touchdown.

“He was always a go-to target,” McDowell added.

Other second-team offensive players included running back Dylan Smith and kicker Zac Blackwood.

Smith was third on the team with 382 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

“He started for us in weeks 8-10 and did a great job,” McDowell said. “He was a threat coming out of the backfield and had great speed and vision.”

Blackwood averaged 46.6 yards on kickoffs while becoming a steady presence on field goals and extra points.

“He had a great leg and was ultra-consistent on PATs and field goals,” McDowell said. “He was dangerous on kickoffs and was a great weapon to have on our team.”

The linebacking duo of Johnny Wiltsch and Tyler Null were second-team all-conference defensive selections after combining for 117 tackles.

Wiltsch finished the season with 67 tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Null added 50 tackles and one fumble recovery.

“He showed great consistency at the linebacker position, and made several key tackles for loss,” McDowell said of Wiltsch. “Tyler was a vocal leader and did an excellent job dropping in pass coverage.”

Defensive backs Dylan Smith and Nolan Chmiel rounded out the defensive second team.

Chmiel led the team with three interceptions, and Smith was fourth on the team with 64 tackles.

“Nolan saw limited action early in the season due to an injury, but he really came along late in the year,” McDowell said. “Dylan didn’t grab any interceptions, but he did an excellent job in coverage and in stopping the run. He just had a nose for the ball.”