GREENFIELD — Hard work often reaps rewards, and for both New Palestine’s Aven Jones and Mt. Vernon’s Dawan Langston their efforts earned each of them all-star football honors.
Jones and Langston, who were both selected to the Indiana Football Coaches Association’s Senior All-State Team, were recently recognized by being named to the 2020 IFCA North/South All-Star Classic.
The game is scheduled to take place at Ben Davis High School on July 10 with both rostered to the South All-Stars under head coach Dave Pasch of Indianapolis Lutheran.
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Jones is a two-time IFCA Class 5A all-state linebacker, while Langston was voted onto the 4A Senior All-State Team this season.
A long-standing tradition at New Palestine, Jones continues the trend of having at least one Dragons football player invited to participate in the annual senior football showcase since head coach Kyle Ralph’s arrival in 2013.
Jones led the back-to-back 5A state champion Dragons with 112 total tackles and 59 solos with 8.0 tackles per game. His 16.5 tackles for a loss ranked him first on the team. He finished the year with 6.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
His presence at middle linebacker helped the Dragons post a 14-0 record for a second straight season with the defense recording three shutouts and holding the opposition to 10 points or less nine times.
“It’s absolutely an exceptional honor. We’ve had a lot of great players here. I think, Aven is one of the best, if not the best, linebackers we’ve had as far as overall productivity, leadership, knowledge, intensity and ability,” Ralph said. “He was a two-time all-state player, which is tremendous.”
Unfortunately, due to the disruption caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) this spring, Jones may not be able to compete in the North/South All-Star game, which is tentatively set as the nation tries to halt the spread of the pandemic.
“Unfortunately, in a couple of years the person hasn’t been able to play, which is what happened with Aven. Obviously, the stuff with the Coronavirus and the shutdowns and everything else has hurt,” Ralph said. “It’s affecting a lot more than you would think.”
With spring plans put on hold, Jones and his family have, like many, delayed vacations and other endeavors. If the all-star event is held on its projected date, Jones might not be available.
“It’s unfortunate the opportunity to play in such a great game is kind of taken away, but that’s their family’s prerogative, and I don’t blame them one bit,” Ralph said. “This has changed my family’s vacation plans and lots of other people’s. That time away is important for families.”
Offseason preparation was Langston’s top priority entering his senior year, and it led to a career-performance for the senior wide receiver.
Named to the All-Hoosier Heritage Conference team like Jones, Langston was an offensive catalyst for the 4A Marauders, who captured the program’s fifth sectional title and first regional championship this season.
The Marauders finished the year with an 11-3 record and won eight straight games before losing to Evansville Memorial 28-3 in the semistate championship on Nov. 22.
“It’s really good for him. It’s good for Mt. Vernon. We had two kids make the region all-star team with him and Charlie Moore, so I was hoping one of them would make it. I knew they both wouldn’t make it, so it’s great for him,” Kirschner said. “He works really hard.”
As a senior, Langston had 39 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. He opened the season with a three-touchdown performance against Hamilton Heights during Mt. Vernon’s 44-23 victory on Aug. 23.
Of quarterback Gehrig Slunaker’s 14 touchdown passes, more than half went to Langston as the Marauders averaged 158.2 receiving yards per game.
“He really came into his own as a senior, and he’s received a scholarship to play at St. Francis. He’s come a long way in the couple of years I got to work with him,” Mt. Vernon head coach Mike Kirschner said. “It helps to have a guy who can get him the ball, but one thing he has is very good speed. He’s was a state-qualifier as a junior in the 200-meter, and his speed blew the top off of defenses.”
Langston averaged 68.0 yards per game with his longest reception at 65 yards with 22.7 yards per catch through 12 of the team’s 14 contests.
“He only played the first quarter of the Greenfield game before turning an ankle. Missed the New Pal game and didn’t play at all. Even with that being said, he still led the team in touchdowns and yards receiving,” Kirschner said. “That just shows you the work he put in. He put in a lot of work last summer.”
As the second straight Mt. Vernon participant named to the senior game, Langston is doing his part in spotlighting the rising program, which has been led by Kirschner for two seasons with an 18-7 record.
“It says we’re getting good kids in the program, who are doing the right things, and we’re winning on and off the field, and it’s good for Mt. Vernon football,” Kirschner said. “This is two years in a row we’ve had a guy make the all-star team, so we’re building a little bit of a foundation of kids that are coming through and doing good things and getting the recognition they deserve for it.”
