Fetter, Antonini share MVP honors for St. Vincent

The players who led the St. Vincent High School football team to a successful season in Trent Herzog’s first year as head coach stood up, were recognized and honored Sunday night at an awards banquet held on campus.

Herzog stressed that the spotlight for the night should be on the seniors and the foundation they put down for the future success of the St. Vincent program.

After several years of struggling for survival as school enrollment and football participation declined, St. Vincent rebounded to a 6-5 record and a spot in the North Coast Section playoffs.

One of the successful links to past St. Vincent glory, Cullen Carroll (Class of 2009), was guest speaker for the evening.

Now the assistant director for football performance at Stanford University, Carroll told today’s Mustangs how important it was for him to play for legendary coach Gary Galloway at St. Vincent and how it felt to be part of the Mustangs’ 2008 championship team.

He used Stanford football great and now all-pro running back with the Carolina Panthers Christian McCaffrey to illustrate what it takes to be a success in football and in life.

“I learned a lot from that young man,” Carroll said of McCaffrey, mentioning among many attributes the fun he had playing the game and being a part of a team, attention to detail, his work ethic and his discipline.

“There is a difference between having a bad day and having a bad attitude,” Carroll told the attentive young athletes.

Herzog thanked several individuals and businesses that helped the Mustangs throughout the season.

But the night belonged to the players, and all were acknowledged for their contributions during what turned out to be a successful season.

Several received special recognition, including all four senior team captains - Daniel Burleson, Marcus Mathias, AJ Fetter and Connor Yowell. Each received a Four Year Award for playing Mustang football for each of their four years at the school.

A new award, the Mustang Award, was presented to a player who did not play a down of football for the team this season.

Morgan Morarity, potentially one of the best linemen in the area, had to sit out his entire junior year because of a North Coast Section transfer rule. He still showed up for every game and practice, worked out in the weight room and helped the team in every way possible.

Andrew Kohler, called by his offensive coordinator “a coach’s dream,” received the Coaches’ Award for his dedication to the team. He was a St. Vincent standout as both a receiver and a defender.

Yowell was honored as Lineman of the Year. He played where ever needed on the offensive line and was a strong run stopper on defense, finishing with 47 tackles (a very big number for a defensive lineman), 11 tackles for loss and eight sacks.

Matthias was chosen Defensive Lineman of the Year. He was credited with 47 tackles and seven pass interceptions, among the top total thefts in the nation.

Burleson was the choice as Offensive Player of the Year. He carried the St. Vincent rushing load, running for 764 yards and nine touchdowns. When he wasn’t carrying the ball, he helped make the St. Vincent passing attack work with his blocking. Although he was honored for his play on offense, he was also among the team’s top defensive players.

Most Valuable Player honors were shared by junior Gio Antonini and senior Fetter.

Herzog called Antonini “one of the best football players I’ve ever coached.” Herzog said Antonini was the toughest, biggest hitter and the most respected player on the team.

The junior finished with 92 tackles, 23.5 tackles for losses, seven sacks and six forced fumbles.

Fetter was the St. Vincent team leader.

At 6-feet, 1-inch, 185 pounds, he played much bigger on both sides of the football.

“He showed no fear,” said Herzog. “He wasn’t afraid to hit anyone.”

On offense, Fetter caught 16 passes for 244 yards and five touchdowns.

On defense, he had 44 solo tackles, including 14.5 tackles for loss, and finished with 77 total tackles.

It was not only his talent, but also his character that impressed the coaches. According to his coaches, he represents the best of St. Vincent’s student athletes.

He finished his football career at St. Vincent with a major splash, earning Defensive Player of the Game honors in last weekend’s Tri-County All-Star game.