Carr Trophy and Derland Moore Award Finalists announced

The finalists for the Carr Trophy and the Derland Moore Award were released on Friday, November 10.

The winners of the awards will be announced at the 78th Poplar Bluff Letter Club Gridiron Banquet on Wednesday, November 29 at Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff.

Portageville’s Jamarion Smith, Jackson’s Adrian Fox and Scott City’s Mark Panagos were named the finalists for the Carr Trophy.

Jackson's Adrian Fox dodges Farmington defenders looking downfield during a September 8, 2023 matchup between the Jackson Indians and the Farmington Knights at Farmington High School's Haile Memorial Field in Farmington, Mo. The Indians defeated the Knights, 63-38. Cole Lee ~ clee@semoball.com

Smith, a senior running back and a finalist for the award last year, has rushed for 2,155 yards and 41 touchdowns on 174 carries so far this season. Smith scored 282 points this season, which is an all-time SEMO Conference record.

Joe Thomas (1992) is the only player from Portageville to win the award.

Fox, a senior quarterback, has passed for 1,977 yards with 19 touchdowns, while also rushing for 545 yards and six touchdowns.

Scott City quarterback Mark Panagos stiff-arms St. Vincent safety Christian Schaaf on Friday, Sept. 1, in Scott City, Missouri. Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

The Indians have had nine players win the award, with current Missouri Tiger center Connor Tollison being the last (2020).

Panagos, a senior quarterback and the winner of the award last year, has passed for 1,492 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also rushing for 912 yards and 15 touchdowns (regular season only).

The Carr Trophy was named after E.E. “Bus’ Carr, who was an early member of the Poplar Bluff Letter Club, a sports announcer for radio station KWOC and inducted into the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

Caruthersville's Jeremane Caruthers (left) and Oscar Dominguez make a stop during a Class 2 District 1 semifinal game dated Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, in Ste. Genevieve.(Photo by Eric Viccaro, staff)

The finalists for the Derland Moore Award are Caruthersville’s Oscar Dominguez, Poplar Bluff’s Logan Hite and Dexter’s Landon Weathers.

Dominguez, a junior linebacker, finished the regular season with 85 total tackles, including 11 for a loss. Dominguez seeks to become the first player from Caruthersville to win the award.

Hite, a senior linebacker, had 101 total tackles during the regular season, with 51 solo stops. Poplar Bluff has had two players win the award, the last was Steven Haley in 2015.

Poplar Bluff senior Logan Hite celebrates after landing a big tackle against Valley View in the Mules� second game of the season.DAR/D�Courtland Christian

Weathers, a senior lineman, ended the regular season with 81 tackles, including 18 for a loss and four sacks.

Scott City’s Trenton Lathum won the award last year.

The Derland Moore Award has been presented to the top defensive player in the conference since 2011 and was named in honor of the Poplar Bluff native who was an all-American defensive lineman at Oklahoma and played 14 seasons with the New Orleans Saints in the NFL.

Dexter High School senior defensive linemen Landon Weathers (11) and Garrett Coons (79) prepare for the next snap against Central (Park Hills) recently in Park Hills.Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

The event will start a 6 p.m. with the presentation of the 2023 All-SEMO Conference teams. Admission is 410, payable at the door.

The all-conference team is selected by the division coaches at the end of the regular season and the awards are presented to the players that led each division in scoring, the top lineman and the coaches of the year.

Jackson, Portageville and New Madrid County Central will also be presented with their conference championship plaques.

The SEMO Football Officials Association will present a Sportsmanship Award to a team selected by area referees and the Sam Giambelluca Lifetime Achievement Award will also be presented to an individual for their service and dedication to area high school sports.

Giambelluca started the Gridiron Banquet as a high school student and organized it for well over 60 years.