Four area high school players were named finalists for the TSSAA’s 2008 Mr. Football awards.

Ooltewah junior defensive end Jacques Smith (5A) and Rhea County center Kevin Revis (4A) are Lineman of the Year finalists in their respective classifications, while South Pittsburg’s David Jones is in the running for 1A Back of the Year and Rhea’s Josh Davis has a shot at Kicker of the Year.

There are three finalists for the Back of the Year and Lineman of the Year awards in each of the state’s five public school and two Division II classifications. The three kicker finalists are combined from all classifications.

The winners will be announced at the Mr. Football luncheon, sponsored by the Tennessee Titans, on Dec. 1 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Murfreesboro.

Smith (6-foot-3, 235) leads one of the state’s top defensive units with 21 tackles for loss and eight sacks. The Owls allow just 56.8 rushing yards per game and 8.3 points and are still alive in the 5A playoffs.

“I feel good about it, but I know none of this would be possible if not for my teammates,” said Smith, who is one of the top-rated junior prospects in the state. “Personally, I was shocked. I didn’t think you could achieve that award as a junior. The key for me this season was just motivation to turn things around after a disappointing season last year.”

The 6-3, 270-pound Revis is a University of Tennessee commitment who averages 6.8 pancake blocks per game. In his first defensive action last week, he had a tackle for loss and forced a fumble. It is the second straight year that the Golden Eagles have had a finalist in the lineman category.

In limited action this year, Jones has rushed for 981 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 9.0 yards per carry. He missed one game because of injury, and because the Pirates’ average margin of victory is more than 38 points, there were three games in which he had four carries or fewer. He also ranks among the team’s tackle leaders.

“His stats are not overwhelming, but I think this shows that people are very aware of what kind of player he is,” said Pirates coach Vic Grider, whose program has never had a player win the Back of the Year award. “It’s not easy being the guy that everybody keys on, but this is a tremendous individual honor for him and for our program.”

Davis — a former Punt, Pass & Kick state award winner in Iowa — has a 45.3-yard punting average. Because of the hang time on his punts, opponents have a total of just 41 return yards this season. The left-footed senior also has made five of six field-goal attempts with a long of 46 yards and has 22 extra points. He is being recruited by Jacksonville State, Alabama-Birmingham, Akron and Nebraska.

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