Sulphur Springs Wildcats Have Excellent Turnout In All-District Awards

The expectations were high for the Sulphur Springs Wildcats this fall, entering the 2025 season after three consecutive trips to the playoffs and their deepest playoff run in over a decade, making it all the way to the Regional Semifinals in 2024. Coming off their most successful season since 2009, and with a vast majority of their roster returning, the Wildcats had their eyes set on another successful season in 2025. 

Coach Brandon Faircloth and Co. didn’t disappoint, opening their season on an impressive five-game winning streak. In that stretch the Wildcats defeated Mesquite Poteet, Greenville, Bullard, Mount Pleasant and Aubrey, by an average score of 46-9, winning every game by 27 points or more. 

Their first loss of the season finally came at the hands of No. 1 ranked Celina, but that wouldn’t slow the Wildcats down. Despite taking their first loss and losing a number of key players to injury, Sulphur Springs immediately went back to their winning ways. 

The Wildcats finished the regular season with four consecutive wins, including a road victory against the then No. 6 ranked Frisco Panther Creek Panthers, beating them 20-13 and finishing the regular season 9-1 and ranked in the Top 10 of the State. 

After three consecutive season’s of facing Dallas Carter in the opening round, the Wildcats finally drew a new Bi-District opponent, taking on the Dallas Kimball Knights. The Knights were no match for Sulphur Springs, however, as the Wildcats would win in dominating fashion, beating them 62-9 and advancing to the Area Round for the second year in-a-row. 

Despite getting a new opponent in the opening round, Sulphur Springs would go on to face a familiar foe in the second round, the Alvarado Indians, the same team who ended the Wildcats playoff run in the Regional Semifinals last season. 

The Wildcats got off to a slow start, turning the ball over a pair of times and quickly finding themselves down 14-0. From that point on, the Wildcats turned things around, and were able to cut the deficit to 30-22 by the end of the first half. 

Despite falling behind by as much as 44-22, Sulphur Springs finished the game on a very strong note, and even found themselves with the ball, down by eight with a chance to tie the game up and send it to overtime. The Wildcats fought to put together a scoring drive, but ultimately fell short, 51-43, with Alvarado eliminating them for the second year in-a-row. 

For their strong efforts, the Wildcats were well represented in the All-District awards, including a number of players who walked away with superlative awards. 

Defensive MVP 

Senior linebacker Alex King was named the District Defensive MVP, after having the best season of his career. King made his debut on varsity his sophomore season, and made a huge jump in his junior season, becoming one of the leading tacklers on a very good Wildcats defense. 

King then turned around and made an even bigger leap his senior season, going on to lead the team in tackles, sacks and forced fumbles. This Wildcats defense was one of the best in the state in 2025, and King found himself as one of the focal points of the unit. In their 12 games this season, King led the team in tackles five times, while leading the team in sacks four times, and twice leading the team in both QB hurries and tackles for loss. 

The District Defensive MVP ends his career with combined numbers of 174 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, six pass deflections, four QB hurries, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. While he has yet to announce where he will be playing at the next level, whatever program gets him, will be getting a very talented young player. 

Utility Player of the Year 

For the second year in-a-row, the Utility Player of the Year went to Jaxson Haire, who had arguably his best season as a Wildcat yet. Haire entered his senior season with three years of varsity experience already under his belt, and with over 2,300 combined yards and 25 career touchdowns. 

Haire’s senior season was nothing short of incredible, finishing the year with 1,001 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. The four-year starter also played a huge role in the passing game, racking up 443 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns, giving him a total of 1,444 yards and 22 touchdowns. 

Captain Wildcat finishes his varsity career with a total of 3,765 yards and 47 career touchdowns. He has been one of the biggest focal points of the Wildcats offense over the last few season’s, and will look to continue to progress and improve his game at the next level. 

Offensive Lineman of the Year 

Wildcat senior Vincent Johnson was named the Offensive Lineman of the year, rounding out an incredible career for the Wildcats. Johnson began garnering attention from top universities throughout the country in the last couple years, before ultimate deciding to sign with TCU, after receiving offers from Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Arkansas,Texas Tech, Baylor, Kansas State and numerous others. 

Johnson headlined what was one of the best offensive lines in the entire state, even being ranked as the No. 3 best offensive line in 4A, according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine. The 2025 Wildcats offensive line will go down as one of the best in school history, and will leave behind incredibly big shoes to fill. 

Defensive Lineman of the Year 

Senior Truth Holmes was named the Defensive Lineman of the Year, capping off a great career with the Sulphur Springs Wildcats. Cowboy Truth began his varsity career as a sophomore, and was immediately a big contributor. 

Over his three season’s on varsity, Holmes racked up 135 career tackles, along with nine tackles for loss, six sacks and nine QB hurries, with one fumble recovery. Holmes has been a huge focal point of the Wildcats defensive line and drew a ton of attention from opposing teams’s offensive lines. 

Along with his role on the field, Holmes played a huge role in the locker room, providing not only his veteran leadership, but also working with younger players to help them improve their game. After the season ended, Holmes signed his letter of intent to play at UTEP, looking to take his talents to El Paso and provide the Miners with his strong play on the interior defensive line. 

First Team All-District

Mason Cooper, QB (Sr)- Senior quarterback Mason Cooper was named First Team All-District, after starting all but one district game. Cooper was given the tough task of filling in for Deuce Timmons who got injured in the district opener against Celina, and Cooper did a fantastic job in the role. 

Cooper finished the season with 1,304 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns, while completing 64% of his passes. The senior quarterback did all of this while throwing just four interceptions and finished with a QB Rate of 116.3. 

In his starts, Cooper led the team to a 5-1 record, with their playoff loss to Alvarado being the only loss in a game he started for his entire career. From his second start on, Cooper had two or more passing touchdowns in every start, including a huge six-touchdown performance in their 65-7 win over Community. 

Quin Harris, TE (Jr)- Tight end Quin Harris entered his junior season, already with one year of varsity experience under his belt and looking to make an even bigger contribution this time around. That’s exactly what the junior tight end was able to do, cementing himself as one of the most reliable options for Timmons and Cooper in the passing game.

Harris finished the season with 336 yards and four touchdowns on 39 catches, all of which were major improvements from his sophomore season. Harris has proven himself as a player with great hands, who can be trusted in third down and red zone situations, as well as a playmaker who can break off a big play. 

The Wildcats tight end has already earned the trust of his coaching staff and quarterback Deuce Timmons, and will be looking to play an even bigger role in his senior season. If Harris can continue to make the type of leap he’s made between each season, Harris could be one of the most dangerous tight ends in the state in 2026. 

Jamorian Jeffrey, WR (Sr)- Senior Jamorian Jeffrey was the leading receiver for the Sulphur Springs Wildcats in 2025, going out strong with an impressive senior season. Jeffrey led the team in receiving yards (562), yards per catch (18.7), as well as receiving touchdowns (8), helping add a huge dynamic to the Wildcats passing game. 

For his career, Jeffrey was a game changer, helping lead the Wildcats to a 5-1 record in games where he had one or more touchdowns. Jeffrey added reliability, as well as quickness and the threat of a deep ball to the Wildcats offense. 

After the season ended, Jeffrey announced his decision to go to Southeastern Oklahoma State University to continue his playing career. Jeffrey will leave behind big shoes to fill, and will look to continue improving his game at the next level. 

Jaxon Virgel, WR (So)- Sophomore Jaxon Virgel had an incredible campaign in his debut season for the Sulphur Springs Wildcats. The 6’4” receiver looked comfortable and made his presence felt almost immediately, and had a huge breakout game in Week 3 at Bullard, when the sophomore had 101 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 

Virgel went on to finish second on the team in both receiving yards (446) and receiving touchdowns (7), all while garnering attention from college coaches along the way. Virgel, still with two full season’s on varsity ahead of him, has already received a scholarship offer from UTEP, as well as taken visits to multiple other D1 universities. 

Virgel immediately made a huge impact in the Wildcats passing game, regularly being a huge deep-ball threat for quarterback’s Deuce Timmons and Mason Cooper. The 6’4” receiver should only continue to improve and play a bigger role in the Wildcats offense as he gets more experience and opportunities. 

Jeffrey Stevenson, C (Sr) and Aidan McCarroll, G (Sr)- Senior offensive linemen Jeffrey Stevenson and Aidan McCarroll were each named First Team All-District after the stellar season’s they had. Stevenson and McCarroll each played huge roles in making the Wildcats offensive line one of the very best in the state, and their efforts did not go unnoticed. 

Not only did McCarroll and Stevenson each make the First Team All-District team, but they each had their abilities noticed by coaches at the next level, with each of them looking to play on Saturday’s. McCarroll has already signed with Midwestern State University, and Stevenson is still weighing his options, but has received numerous scholarship offers from multiple D2 universities. 

Grayson Hardy, Safety (Sr)- You can look all across the entire state of Texas and you will have a hard time finding players with better career numbers than Wildcats safety Grayson Hardy. Hardy finished his career as a four-year varsity player, and consistently put up video game like numbers along the way. 

Hardy got plenty of experience his freshman season, but it was his sophomore season when he really broke out, leading the Wildcats in tackles with 123. He followed that up with an even more impressive junior season, upping his total to 179, earning him All-State Honorable Mention.

Before his senior season, Hardy was tasked with switching positions, moving to outside linebacker after playing safety for the first three years of his career. Hardy did a good job with the position change, but midway through the season was moved back to safety and immediately improved the Wildcats secondary when he did so. 

Hardy finished his Wildcat career with a ridiculous 364 tackles, along with three tackles for loss, six fumble recoveries, four interceptions and two forced fumbles. Hardy will be taking his talents to Ruston, Louisiana, as he has already signed his letter of intent with Louisiana Tech University. 

TJ Bolden, OLB (Sr)- TJ Bolden played a huge role in the Sulphur Springs Wildcats linebacking core, which was one of the best in the state of Texas in 2025. After a nice breakout season in 2024, the expectations were high for Bolden coming in to 2025, and he did not disappoint.

In his senior season, Bolden led the team in tackles for loss with 9.5, consistently getting into opposing team’s backfields and creating pressure. Bolden also tied for second on the team in sacks and even had a pair of fumble recoveries, cementing himself as a true playmaker and game changer on the defensive side of the ball.

While Bolden has yet to announce where he will be playing at the next level, he has already starting receiving scholarship offers. Whichever program is lucky enough to land Bolden, will be getting a dominant force who can swing the momentum of a game on any given play on the defensive side of the ball. 

Alex McCormick, ILB (Sr)- Speaking of defensive playmakers and game changers, look no further than inside linebacker Alex McCormick. McCormick is the definition of clutch and consistent, always coming up with a huge play, exactly when you need him to. 

Throughout the course of his career, McCormick was able to deliver dagger after dagger, putting games away with a huge play, including his huge interception in the final minute of the Wildcats 20-13 win over No. 6 ranked Frisco Panther Creek. The Panthers had driven all the way into the red zone, before the senior linebacker was able to force an interception and put the game away, something he did on a very regular occurrence. 

In his career, McCormick was able to rack up 243 tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, four interceptions and one forced fumble. McCormick has yet to announce where he will be playing at the next level, but has been one of the most dominant and consistent forces on one of the best defenses in the state over the last few seasons, and will certainly be a player who can continue doing so at the next level. 

Jio Ibarra, CB (Sr)- I’m doing my best to avoid sounding like a broken record, but it’s impossible to describe senior cornerback Jio Ibarra’s game without using the words consistent or playmaker. Ibarra first made a name for himself on an October night back in his sophomore season, when he made everybody in Sulphur Springs familiar with his name, when he was able to pick off the Community quarterback not once, not twice, but three times in a single game. 

Ibarra continued to make highlight play after highlight play his entire varsity career, including picking off top prospect Bowe Bentley from Celina, both times he faced off against him. Ibarra finished his Wildcat career with eight interceptions, and is the only player in the Faircloth Era to have multiple interceptions in three consecutive seasons. 

Ibarra has been a consistent and dominant player in the Wildcats secondary for the last few season’s, and will leave big shoes to fill when he graduates. 

Tre Pannell, DL (Sr)- Senior defensive lineman Tre Pannell was one of the players I was most excited to see in the 2025 season, after having some really strong glimpses in his junior season. Pannell earned his way to the varsity squad during his junior season and had some strong showings, before unfortunately having his season cut short due to injury. 

Pannell spent the offseason working hard to recover from injury, and did exactly that, and more than picked up right where he left off. Pannell would go on to lead all Wildcat defensive linemen in tackles his senior season, playing a huge role in one of the best defenses in the state. 

Pannell and Co. made it extremely difficult for opposing offenses to find any sort of rhythm, not allowing anything in the run game, while also putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks and making it extremely tough to create anything in the passing game. 

Pannell not only had the most tackles of any defensive lineman for the Wildcats, but also had three tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one interception, a feat very few defensive linemen are able to pull off. 

Eric Rodriguez, K (Sr)- Eric Rodriguez took over as the primary kicker for the Sulphur Springs Wildcats back in his sophomore season, and what he was able to do over the next three season’s was nothing short of impressive. Rodriguez was able to provide something both very valuable and very rare at the 4A level, which was provide reliability and stability in the kicking game.

Rodriguez only got better as his career went on, culminating in a senior season that was his best one yet. According to Maxpreps, the Wildcats kicker made 46 of his 47 PAT’s in 2025, along with making six of his seven field goal opportunities. 

For his career, Rodriguez would finish with a .954 PAT percentage and made 10 of his 12 field goal attempts, making him one of the best and most reliable kickers in the state. 

Second Team All-District 

Dobson Martin, RB (Jr)- On a team that returned as many players as the Sulphur Springs Wildcats did, there weren’t a ton of opportunities for new players to make a name for themselves. One of the few players who had that opportunity and did exactly that, was junior running back Dobson Martin. 

In an offense that featured not only one of the best runners in the state, Jaxson Haire, but also one of the best running quarterbacks in the state, Deuce Timmons, it may be hard for a first-year varsity player to make a name for themself, but that’s exactly what Dobson Martin did. 

The junior had a fantastic debut campaign, racking up 525 yards on 79 carries, averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Martin also found the end zone four times, and played a huge role in the return game, regularly making long kick and punt returns when opposing teams allowed him the opportunity.

With both Jaxson Haire and Kyshaun John graduating, the bulk of the carries next season very well could go to Dobson Martin. Martin spent his junior season not only making huge contributions as the RB2, but improving his game and learning from one of the most talented running backs in the state. Look for Martin to return next season as one of the focal points on a very high powered Wildcats offense. 

Daydrion Berry, T (Jr) and Josh Lopez, G (Sr)- With the additions of Daydrion Berry and Josh Lopez to the Second Team All-District list, that makes a full starting five on the Wildcats offensive line to walk away with All-District honors. Enough can’t be said about how talented and how deep of a group this offenisve line was, and that shows in the All-District awards. 

With five different Wildcats graduating from the offensive line, that makes Daydrion Berry as one of the lone men returning next year who will already have varsity experience. Berry did a fantastic job in his role this season, and will be looked to next year to be one of the key pieces and veteran leaders on a young offensive line. 

Deacon Carpenter, WR (So)- Before he ever took a snap under the Friday Night Lights, Deacon Carpenter had already made a name for himself in Sulphur Springs, as one of the key pieces for the Wildcats baseball team. This fall, Carpenter made his debut on the Wildcats varsity football team and wasted no time making a name for himself as a multi-sport athlete. 

In a very talented group of pass catchers, Carpenter proved to make it a much deeper and talented group than outsiders would have realized, entering the season. The Wildcats entered the season with just one returning receiver and one returning tight end, but quickly became one of the more dangerous pass catching groups in the region. 

Carpenter was the fifth-leading receiver on the team in yards (311) and catches (21), but found the end zone seven times, which was tied for the second-most on the team. With fantastic debut season’s this year, the sophomore duo of Virgel and Carpenter will look to play even bigger roles and make even bigger contributions for the Wildcats over the next two seasons. 

Creed Whisenhunt, DB (Sr)- Another key veteran piece for the Sulphur Springs Wildcats defense this season was senior defensive back, Creed Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt was great in his debut season on varsity in 2024, and with Hardy opening the season at the linebacker position, Whisenhunt was tasked with being the veteran leader at the safety position to start the 2025 season. 

Whisenhunt continued to be a reliable playmaker in the secondary, finishing the season tied for second on the team in interceptions (2) and tied for the most pass deflections (5). 

In his two season’s on varsity, Whisenhunt was able to amass 138 tackles, nine pass deflections, two interceptions, one tackle for loss, and he even blocked a pair of field goals. Whisenhunt’s combination of other worldly speed, along with his strong on-field instincts came up huge for the Wildcats, and will be missed moving forward. 

James Johnson, S (Jr)- With Grayson Hardy and Creed Whisenhunt already being mentioned, James Johnson marks the third Wildcats safety to take home All-District honors. After a very strong sophomore season at corner back, Johnson was moved to safety to help fill the void the Sulphur Springs safety group was missing with Hardy moving to linebacker. 

Johnson made the transition look seamless, racking up 48 tackles and even leading the defensive backs in tackles for loss. Johnson also had a pair of pass deflections, proving he could make contributions in the secondary, both in stopping the run and defending the pass. 

On a Wildcats defense that was extremely senior heavy, Johnson will be one of the most experienced players on the Wildcats defense in 2026. He’s proven how versatile and consistent of a player he can be, and will be looked at to play a huge leadership role for the Wildcats next fall. 

Blaine Allen, DE (Sr)- Blaine Allen was yet another senior on the Wildcats defense in 2025, and he had by far his best season yet for Coach Newton and Co. on the defensive side of the ball. Allen proved exactly how much of a nuisance he can be for opposing teams, leading all Wildcats defensive lineman in tackles for loss (7.5) and sacks (3). 

While Coach Newton and the defensive coaching staff will have their hands full replacing all of their graduating talent, they will also have to find a way to replace Allen and his double-digit tackles for loss/sack combo. Allen was a great representation of what can happen if you just continue working and improving your game each season, and was able to culminate it with a great senior season. 

Matthew Jeter, OLB (Sr)- Senior Matthew Jeter was a great example of a player who was willing to help out and contribute in any way possible. For most of his career, on varsity at least, Jeter had played in the secondary for the Wildcats, but entered the 2025 fall camp expecting to be one of the pass catchers.

Throughout the course of the season, Jeter found himself not only transitioning back to the defensive side of the ball, but in a new position, as an outside linebacker. Jeter made the most of the opportunity and went on to finish the season tied with Jio Ibarra for the team lead in interceptions. 

He also ended the season with 34 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one pass deflection, along with one catch for 13 yards. Whether it was on offense, in the secondary or as an outside linebacker, Jeter made the most of every opportunity he was given, and was the perfect example of what it means to be a coachable and overall great team player. 

Jackson Medlock, DE (So)- On a very strong defense that had two seniors win superlative awards and eight others take home All-District honors, you would think it would be very hard for a sophomore to carve out a spot for himself. Jackson Medlock didn’t seem to think so, not only making his varsity debut as an underclassman, but even taking home Second Team All-District honors. 

Medlock was a menace for opposing offensive lines all season, and finished the season tied for third in tackles for loss amongst Wildcat defensive linemen. The sophomore also finished the year with one sack, one pass deflection and one fumble recovery. 

Fans of the Sulphur Springs Wildcats will have to become familiar with a lot of new faces on the defensive side of the ball in 2026, but the players they do have returning have already made huge contributions as underclassmen. Medlock was the only sophomore on the defense to walk away with All-District honors in 2025, and he will be looking to make the jump to First Team All-District and even make a case for himself for the superlative awards in the 2026 and 2027 seasons. 

Honorable Mention 

Tripp McIntyre, OL (Sr)- It’s hard to find any words that haven’t already been said about an offensive line who now had SIX players receive some type of All-District honors. Few teams in the state can say they had the privilege of having multiple players on their offensive line receive such honors, now with Tripp McIntyre being named Honorable Mention, the Wildcats had an entire starting unit AND a sixth player receive such honors.

McIntyre finishes his Wildcats career with multiple seasons on varsity, and filled in huge moments and did a great job doing so over the last two seasons. McIntyre joins a group of Vincent Johnson, Jeffrey Stevenson, Aidan McCarroll and Josh Lopez as a full unit of senior offensive lineman who earned All-District honors in 2025. 

Kyshaun John, RB (Sr)- Kyshaun John wraps up his career with the Wildcats after seeing action in three different season’s for Coach Faircloth and Co. Over the course of his three-year career, John racked up 704 yards on just 88 carries, giving him an average of eight yards per carry for his entire career. 

John also found the end zone eight times, including four times this season, doubling his career total in his final season. Having as talented of a player as Kyshaun John as the fourth leading rusher on this Wildcats offense proved exactly how talented and deep of a group it was, and to finish his career with eight yards per carry, on a sample size as big as 88 touches, is a very impressive feat for the Wildcats senior running back.

Preston Nottingham, LB (Sr)- Senior linebacker Preston Nottingham also earned Honorable Mention honors, making him the 13th player on the Wildcats defense and the 28th Wildcat total to walk away with All-District honors. Nottingham first made his debut on varsity in 2024, and entered the 2025 season looking to contribute to a linebacking core that was one of the best and one of the deepest in the state.

Nottingham made a huge leap from his junior to his senior season, and finished with the third most tackles amongst the linebacking group for the Wildcats. Preston finished his senior season with 42 tackles and proved himself to be very versatile, filling in both as an inside linebacker and outside linebacker, depending on what the team needed that week, that drive, or on that play. 

While the Wildcats season may have come to an end early than they wanted, what they accomplished this season will not soon be forgotten. Over the course of 12 games, the Wildcats went 10-2, were ranked in the Top 10 for almost the entire season, and regularly blew out their competition, averaging over 42 points per game on offense, while only allowing less than 18 points per game on defense.

Sulphur Springs may be graduating 22 players who received some type of All-District honors, but the future is still incredibly bright for the Wildcats.

In the four years since Coach Faircloth and Co. have taken over, the Wildcats have a combined record of 35-12, giving them a winning percentage of .744 in that time span. They have also made the playoffs in each season, and have made it to the second round or deeper in each of the last two seasons.

While this article is very much to honor the players for their accomplishment this season, and to give the seniors a round of applause as they look to take their talents to the next level, Wildcats fans still have a ton to look forward to, when it comes to the future of this program.