A pair of postgraduate players on the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Football team landed postseason honors last week.
Matt Banbury '19 and Wyatt Jackson '19 were both selected to the Evergreen League First Team, while Matt was also named to the prestigious All-New England Class B Team.
Quotes
WMA Coach Jeff Vartabedian regarding Matt's performance: "Matt was no doubt our team MVP. He really excelled on both sides of the ball. He came in as a quarterback and he was a heck of a quarterback. We were a pass-first offense, and that's in large part to who he was. Come midseason we figured out how good of a runner he was, and he rushed for a 100 yards in a couple games. I was most impressed with his positive leadership and what a great teammate he was and how receptive he was to coaching."
WMA Coach Jeff Vartabedian regarding Wyatt's performance: "Wyatt transitioned from high school quarterback to running back on offense and a defensive back on defense, which was the plan. He had a great year. He was our go-to guy and everyone knew it, but he came up with big plays every game. On defense we moved him around a bit because of how strong he is. We moved him closer to the ball, such as linebacker and defensive end because we were seeing a lot of run teams. He was a great kid – coachable, tough, good teammate. He has a good future."
Matt regarding his season: "From a personal standpoint, my mindset wasn't that I had to get 200 yards a game and score four touchdowns. I played every play with effort – gave my best effort and see what came out of it."
Wyatt regarding his season: "I felt like I had a good year – it wasn't my best year but I got out of it what I wanted."
Statistics
Matt
Passing: 1,060 yards, seven touchdowns, five two-point conversions
Rushing: 71 attempts, 454 yards, eight touchdowns, five two-point conversions
Wyatt
Receiving: 46 receptions, 697 yards, five touchdowns, one two-point reception