A-J’s Wright named high school football player of the year

Anna-Jonesboro Community High School’s Brady Wright has been honored as the Southern Illinoisan newspaper’s high school football player of the year for 2011.

Wright, a versatile quarterback, led the Wildcats to a 9-3 finish and to the quarterfinals of the Class 3A high school football playoffs.

“He had a heck of a year for us,” A-J coach Brett Detering said. “But one of the things he’s aware of is that it is really a team honor.

“He had to have good receivers to throw to and he had to have a good line for protection. When he made those runs, he had a good line blocking for him, too.”

Wright concurred earlier with Detering in a newspaper article about earning the honor because of a team effort.

The 6-4, 215 pound senior racked up 39  touchdowns. The double threat in the backfield, passed for 2,241 yards and 20 TDs and rushed for an additional 925 yards and added 19 TDs.

Detering said another credit for the award goes to the Wildcats’ defense, which helped put the ball in Wright’s hands because of numerous stops of other team’s offenses.

Wright, a three-sport prep athlete, also competes on the Wildcats basketball and baseball teams.

Wright scored a last second basket earlier this week to lead the A-J basketball team to its first win of the season.

 Wright becomes only the second Wildcats player to receive this honor since Detering’s tenure as coach began. David Sanders and Heston Hase shared co-player of the year honors after the 2006 season.