Fonda picks up Carr Trophy

2011 Carr Trophy winner Elbie Fonda

See photos from the event.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Elbie Fonda set high goals for his 2011 season.

The Caruthersville senior wanted to run for 3,000 yards and lead his team to a state championship. For a shot at one, however, he had to sacrifice the other.

"We believed he could do it but as things progressed we wanted to take care of his body because we were hoping for 15 games," Caruthersville coach Nathan Morgan said. "He understood that and did exactly what was needed, without question."

Still, Fonda had an outstanding season.

One good enough to earn him the Carr Trophy as the most outstanding player in the SEMO Conference.

Fonda was presented the award Wednesday night during the 66th annual Poplar Bluff Letter Club Gridiron Banquet.

He is the fourth Caruthersville player to win the award, given annually since 1979, and the first Tiger since Kendrickus Reed in 2006.

Jimmy Jackson, Caruthersville's first Carr winner in 2003, was an assistant coach for the Tigers this year and held the school record Fonda was shooting for, 2,564 yards.

"He's like an inspiration to me," Fonda said of Jackson. "Made me want to win it. I wanted to be better than him."

The 5-foot-9, 180-pound running back ran for 1,889 yards and 25 touchdowns in the regular season, leading the conference, and averaged 12.6 yards per carry. He finished with 2,602 total yards, rushing and receiving, and scored 33 times to go with 31 tackles on defense.

Fonda said he had no problem sharing the ball with Darrell Monroe, who was also named to the all-conference backfield. Monroe, a sophomore, ran for 1,019 yards during the regular season.

"I had no problem with it," Fonda said. "I wanted to win."

The Tigers did just that, losing 56-55 to Dexter for the conference title and to Maplewood-Richmond Heights 36-29 in the Class 2 state quarterfinals to finish 11-2.

Fonda also won the scoring award in the Central and was one of five finalists for the Carr Trophy announced at the banquet.

As for his future, Fonda would like to again follow Jackson, who played for the University of Missouri.

"I want to play college ball somewhere," Fonda said. "It doesn't really matter (where)."

The Carr finalists included Sikeston's James Watson, who rushed for 1,485 yards; Dexter quarterback Cody Stevens, who threw for 1,375 yards and ran for 1,184 yards; Farmington quarterback Chase Busenbark, who threw for 1,698 yards; and Chaffee's Tyson Estes, who ran for 1,431 yards and earned the scoring award for the South.

"All great athletes," Morgan said. "It was a good class so Elbie has something to be proud of to win it this year."

The defensive side also got an award for the top player in the conference this year.

Farmington linebacker Roper Garrett was presented with the first-ever Derland Moore Award.

The 6-1, 201-pound senior had 82 tackles and 45 assists, six sacks and two forced fumbles and one recovered for the Knights, who finished 12-2 by reaching the Class 4 semifinals.

Moore, who presented the award to Garrett, was a 14-year NFL player for the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets who was named a second-team SEMO Conference player as a senior at Poplar Bluff and walked on at the University of Oklahoma and became an All-American defensive linemen.

"I'm very honored to have this award," Garrett said. "I was pretty inspired by his story and I hope that half the things that he did happen to me."

Farmington's Connor Davault won the scoring award for the North and Knights coach Todd Vaughn was named coach of the year along with Dexter's Aaron Pixley and Hayti's Justin Peden.

Farmington, Dexter and Hayti won the conference titles by going undefeated.

The linemen award went to Farmington's Ethan Hennes, Zach Lacey of Dexter and Zach Estes of Scott City.

"I probably couldn't have this trophy right here without having him in front of me," Garrett said of Hennes, an all-conference lineman on both sides of the ball.

Bob Sink was presented with the Sam Giambelluca Lifetime Achievement Award for his service to high school athletics over a 41-year coaching career at Jackson.

New Madrid County Central was presented with the Sportsmanship Award for the area's referee association.

ALL-SEMO CONFERENCE TEAM

Here is the All-SEMO Conference teams as selected by the conference coaches:

North Offense

QB -- Chase Busenbark, Farmington, sr.

RB -- Connor Davault, Farmington, sr.; James Watson, Sikeston, sr.; Kyland Gross, Sikeston, jr.

WR -- Doug Warren, Farmington, sr.; Evan Dunivan, Farmington, jr.; Brian Hicks, Poplar Bluff, sr.

OL -- Brendan Amsden, Farmington, sr.; Ethan Hennes, Farmington, sr.; Cody Owens, Cape Central, sr.; Eduardo Godinez, Poplar Bluff, sr.; Clayton Driskill, Sikeston, sr.

K -- Logan Bradley, Farmington, sr.

North Defense

DL -- Brendan Amsden, Farmington, sr.; Ethan Hennes, Farmington, sr.; Chris Word, Sikeston, so.; Hunter Shantz, Cape Central, sr.

LB -- Roper Garrett, Farmington, sr.; Connor Davault, Farmington, sr.; Lorenzo Dailey, Poplar Bluff, sr.; Blake Flannigan, Sikeston, jr.

DB -- Kyle Hartrup, Farmington, sr. Kyland Gross, Sikeston, jr.; Keldon Warfield, Sikeston, sr.; Christian Cavaness, Cape Central, sr.

P -- Christian Cavaness, Cape Central, sr.

Central Offense

QB -- Cody Stevens, Dexter, sr.

RB -- Elbie Fonda, Caruthersville, sr.; Darrell Monroe, Caruthersville, so.; Darius Warren, Kennett, so.

WR -- Tyler Miller, Dexter, sr.; Chase Young, Dexter, jr.; Sumner Foster, Charleston, jr.

TE -- Jake Lee, Dexter, sr.

OL -- Zach Lacey, Dexter, sr.; Kendric Bradley, Caruthersville, sr.; Jay Stricklin, Caruthersville, jr.; Brandon Moore, Dexter, sr.; Jacob Stephens, Dexter, sr.

K -- Alex Cliff, Dexter, sr.

Central Defense

DL -- D.K. Wilson, New Madrid Central, sr.; Lamar Gray, Caruthersville, sr.; Joseph Lovins, Dexter, sr.; Krushon Scott, Charleston, sr.

LB -- Alex Cliff, Dexter, sr.; Nick Summers, Dexter, sr.; Jamar Oliver, Caruthersville, sr.; Deiontrail Winston, Charleston, so.

DB -- Tyler Miller, Dexter, sr.; Garrett Wray, Dexter, sr.; Tyler Cobb, Caruthersville, sr.; Jamaul Gray, Charleston, sr.

P -- Krushon Scott, Charleston, sr.

South Offense

QB -- Tanner Murphy, Malden, jr.

RB -- Tyson Estes, Chaffee, sr.; Romello McCoy, Malden, jr.; Dylan Riddick, Hayti, so.; Travis Phillips, Scott City, jr.

WR -- Jansen Darst, Portageville, sr.; Austin Atchley, Scott City, sr.; Zach Cotner, Scott City, sr.

OL -- Chris Whitaker, Chaffee, sr.; Zach Estes, Scott City, sr.; Hunter Cox, Scott City, sr.; Draike Barnett, Hayti, sr.; Shae Rudd, Portageville, sr.

South Defense

DL -- Jordan Yahn, Chaffee, sr.; Demetrius Luster, Hayti, so.; Willie Peoples, Hayti, sr.; Heath Pobst, Scott City, sr.

LB -- Alex Davie, Chaffee, sr.; Michael Thomas, Hayti, jr.; Robert Clay, Hayti, jr.; Brett Dirnberger, Scott City, jr.

DB -- Zach Dannenmueller, Chaffee, sr.; Jerome Thomas, Hayti, sr.; Dominque Walker, Portageville, sr.; Austin Atchley, Scott City, sr.; Shawn King, East Prairie, sr.

P -- Dalton Golightly, East Prairie, sr.

Here's the list of former Carr Trophy winners. The award is named in honor of the late E.E. "Bus" Carr, an early member of the Letter Club who devoted 50 years of service to area athletics serving as an announcer for radio station KWOC in Poplar Bluff. A special committee composed of area high school football officials makes the selection.

2011 -- Elbie Fonda, Caruthersville

2010 Trey Lewis, Sikeston

2009 Juqualin Wiggins, Sikeston

2008 M.C. Williams, East Prairie

2007 Matt Lang, Jackson

2006 Kendrickus Reed, Caruthersville

2005 Alex Becker, Dexter

2004 Adam Cecil, Caruthersville

2003 Jimmy Jackson, Caruthersville

2002 Matt Burnett, Dexter

2001 Mario Whitney, Jackson

2000 Stan Revelle, Poplar Bluff

1999 Ricky Smith, New Madrid

1998 Frank McGinty, Cape Central

1997 Devree Flint, Jackson

1996 Glen Brunke, Jackson

1995 Nathan Norman, Jackson

1994 Rodney Kennedy, Poplar Bluff

1993 Britt Mirgaux, Scott City

1992 Joe Thomas, Portageville

1991 Raphael 'Tiger' Boyd, Sikeston

1990 Travis Clark, Cape Central

1989 Lamont Frazier, Charleston

1988 Carlos Cain, New Madrid

1987 Earl Wheeler, Dexter

1986 Earl Wheeler, Dexter

1985 Rany Miller, Kennett

1984 Allen Gilmore, Poplar Bluff

1983 Jimmy Gladney, Poplar Bluff

1982 Boris Whiteside, Kennett

1981 Dennis Sievers, Jackson

1980 Undra Lane, Sikeston

1979 Kip Hamby, Cape Central