2012 High School Award Winners

• Scholar-Athlete of the Year

  • Alexander Lyons (DeSoto High School): Lyons plans to continue at Rice University as a student athlete.

2012 Major Award Winners

• Distinguished Texan Award

  • Gil Brandt: A former football executive who was the vice president of player personnel in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1988. Brandt created a new scouting and evaluation system for prospects, which would later spread throughout the NFL. He was one of the first talent scouts to look outside of the United States and Canada for potential players and pioneered the use of psychology tests to identify the mental and personality make-up of prospects. He helped to create the NFL Scouting Combine as a centralization of the scouting evaluation process. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame [April 9, 2105]; announced as the 22nd member of the Cowboys' Ring of Honor [November 2, 2018]; and elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame [February 2, 2019]. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.

• Legends Award

  • Frank Bevers: Frank Bevers claims nearly 50 years of experience coaching high school football across the state of Texas. After lettering in football, basketball and track and field at Mineral Wells, Bevers attended Hardin-Simmons University and played football for head coach Sammy Baugh, a 1951 College Football Hall of Fame inductee from TCU. Upon graduation in 1958, Bevers began his coaching career in Ranger. Stops at Robstown, Corpus Christi King and Mineral Wells led him to Highland Park in 1974. Bevers guided the Scots for a total of 16 years before retiring in 1992, leaving the school as Highland Park's all-time winningest coach. A Highland Park Distinguished Service Award winner, he is a member of the Mineral Wells High School Hall of Honor and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.

• Steve Storie Official of the Year

  • Michael Cooper: An 18-year member of the Dallas Football Officials Association, Michael Cooper began his career as a SWAC official in 2000. Cooper began officiating Conference USA games in 2005 and Big 12 games in 2008. A native of Shreveport, La., Cooper's 2011 slate included high profile games pitting LSU vs. Oregon, Oklahoma at Florida State, Texas vs. Oklahoma, TCU at Boise State and the 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship as the umpire.

• Athletics Director of the Year

  • Bob Dubey (Richardson ISD): A graduate of Richardson High School, Bob Dubey is in his 35th year of service with Richardson ISD. A four-year letterman at Southern Arkansas University, Dubey quickly returned home to Richardson. He served as defensive coordinator at Richardson High School and as head coach and athletic coordinator at Berkner High School, eventually earning a promotion to Richardson ISD Athletics Director. Dubey was named RISD Health Teacher of the Year three times, was awarded the Texas Excellence Award for outstanding high school teachers and won the Meadows Foundation Award. On the gridiron, he has been selected as the District Coach of the Year, the Metroplex Coach of the Year and the Dallas Cowboys High School Coach of the Week. Dubey currently sits as the president of the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association.)

• Large High School Coach of the Year

  • Hal Wasson (Southlake Carroll): Named the National Coach of the Year by MaxPreps and American Football Monthly, Hal Wasson led Southlake Carroll to the Class 5A Division I championship in 2011. The 16-0 mark moves Wasson's record to 56-11 as the Dragons' head coach, a post he has occupied since 2007. A graduate of Abilene Christian, Wasson boasts 12 district championships, 16 playoffs appearances and a 178-94-2 in 23 years as a head coach. He has also coached in the 2006 Oil Bowl and the 2008 Under Armour All-American Game.

• Small High School Coach of the Year

  • Seth Stinton (Melissa): A 1998 SMU graduate, Seth Stinton began his coaching career at his high school alma mater, Van Alstyne, in 1998. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2001 and helped the Panthers reach the state title game in his first year at the post. After stops at Allen and Frisco Liberty, Stinton came to Melissa in 2007 and was awarded the head coaching job in 2009. He owns a 30-8 record at Melissa and brought the school, which opened in 2003, its first state title last fall with a 28-15 victory in the Class 2A Division I championship over Hempstead.

• Large High School Assistant Coach of the Year

  • Tim Wasson (Southlake Carroll): The brother of head coach Hal Wasson, Tim Wasson boasts 25 years of high school coaching experience. An all-conference wide receiver at North Texas, he has made stops at Corsicana, Robinson and Lewisville, where he aided the Fighting Farmers to two state titles. Wasson joined the Southlake Carroll staff in 2009 and won his third state championship last fall as the Dragons' defensive coordinator.

• Small High School Assistant Coach of the Year

  • Joe Williams (Melissa): A 2005 graduate of Texas A&M, Joe Williams has acquired a wide variety of coaching experiences throughout his fledgling coaching career. After working for one year in healthcare, he began coaching quarterbacks and defensive backs at Melissa in 2006. He became the offensive coordinator in 2009 and helped guide the Cardinals to their first state championship in 2011. Williams' offense averaged 43.6 points per game en route to a 13-1 record, topping 50 points five times and reaching 40 points on 10 occasions. He is also an accomplished baseball coach, earning All-Texomaland Baseball Coach of the Year honors in 2010.

2012 Collegiate Scholar-Athletes

• Kelvin Beachum (SMU): Beachum started all 52 career games at left tackle upon his arrival to the Hilltop in 2008, and he helped lead an offensive renaissance under head coach June Jones. A three-time All-Conference USA honoree, he helped SMU set single-season school records in total offense, passing offense, rushing offense and scoring. The Mexia, Texas, native was a member of the Watch List for both the Outland and Lombardi trophies, made the Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College Team three times, was one of 12 student-athletes to receive the C-USA Spirit of Service Award in 2009, made the C-USA All-Academic Team in 2011 and served as SMU SAAC President. After enduring a 1-11 season in 2008, Beachum helped SMU post a 23-17 record during his final three seasons, which included three bowl appearances, the Mustangs' first bowl victory in 25 years and a C-USA West Division championship.

• Lance Dunbar (UNT): The most-accomplished rusher in North Texas history, Dunbar holds Mean Green career records for rushing yards (4,224), all-purpose yardage (5,375), touchdowns scored (49), rushing touchdowns (41), points scored (294) and shares the school record with 21 career 100-yard rushing games. The only player in school history with three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, the Haltom City, Texas, native holds two of the top four single-season rushing touchdown marks and two of the top five single-season rushing yardage records. A two-time First Team All-Sun Belt honoree, the 2009 Sports Illustrated Honorable Mention All-American capped his career with a 40-carry, 313-yard (a single-game school record), four-touchdown performance in a 59-7 win over Middle Tennessee.

• Nick Florence (Baylor): Carrying a 3.79 grade-point average as an economics major, Florence has qualified for the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor List four times and was twice named to the Dean's List. The Garland, Texas, product spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III's backup, appearing in a total of eight games and posting 206 passing yards and two touchdowns. As a true freshman in 2009, Florence stepped in for an injured Griffin III and started seven of the team's final nine games, completing 165-of-266 passes for 1,786 yards with six touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding for 62 rushing yards and three scores. The 2009 Academic All-Big 12 First Team honoree set a single-game school record by passing for 427 yards on 32-of-43 passing with three touchdowns and no picks in a 40-32 upset of two-time defending Big 12 North champion Missouri. Florence is expected to battle for the starting quarterback spot for the 2012 season.

• Taylor Fore (Texas A&M-Commerce): Named the Lone Star Conference Academic Player of the Year, Fore joined his brother Marcus on the Capital One Academic All-District IV team in 2011. The Fort Worth, Texas, product tied the school's single-season receptions record as a senior, hauling in 58 catches for 561 yards and two touchdowns while earning Honorable Mention All-Lone Star Conference honors. He also served as the team's punt returner, taking back 17 punts for 149 yards. For his career, Fore ranks fourth in school history with 125 catches for 1,549 yards with six touchdowns.

• Seth Hubbard (East Texas Baptist): A three-year letterman at quarterback, Hubbard earned All-American Southwest Conference honors and Academic All-ASC accolades three times. He also holds the school's single-game touchdown passes record. In 2011, Hubbard connected on 48-of-96 passes for 728 yards with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. A native of Beckville, Texas, Hubbard was valedictorian of his high school class while playing for his father, Donald Hubbard. He has earned a bachelor's degree education and is currently pursuing a master's degree in the same field.

• Levi Kirkland (Tarleton State): In 2011, Kirkland appeared in all 11 games for Tarleton State at linebacker, registering 17 tackles, three TFL, one sack, one forced fumble and one quarterback hit. The Robinson, Texas, product helped Tarleton State rebound from a 1-5 start to close the year on a five-game winning streak. As a sophomore, Kirkland earned Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll honors while helping the Texans share the LSC title and appear in the Division II playoffs. He has also been an active member of Rocky Point Baptist Church, participating in numerous mission trips and service projects.

• Braydon MaQuar (Austin College): Pacing the Kangaroos with 45 receptions for 307 yards and one touchdown, MaQuar also rushed 36 times for 89 yards to finish fourth on the team in all-purpose yardage in 2011. The two-time All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference honoree finished second on the club in 2010 with 44 grabs for 423 yards and four touchdowns and caught 13 passes for 161 yards as a sophomore in 2009. The Forney, Texas, product is also a two-time Dean's List honoree as a business administration major and qualified for the Academic All-SCAC team three times.

• Spencer Thompson (TCU): A native of Plainview, Texas, Thompson appeared 36 games during his career all across the offensive line. Most importantly, he earned the distinction of being one of just three players across the nation to complete his master's degree before playing his final game. He received a bachelor's degree in finance with minors in accounting and communications in December 2010 and earned a master's degree in liberal arts in December 2011. Additionally, Thompson won the team's Grassy Hinton Most Conscientious Award and the Abe Martin Leadership Award in 2011. Thompson contributed to a golden era of TCU football, helping TCU achieve a 47-5 overall record with three Mountain West Conference championships, a victory in the 2011 Rose Bowl and four finishes in the top-15 of the final AP poll, peaking at No. 2 following the 2010 season.

• Travis Veitenheimer (Midwestern State): Veitenheimer helped Midwestern State achieve enormous offensive success in 2011. The Mustangs ranked second in Division II in scoring with an average of 48.6 points per game, while also ranking first in total offense (531.9 yards per game), second in rushing offense (323.5), sixth in passing efficiency (161.19) and fifth in sacks allowed (.82). The Windthorst, Texas, native aided Midwestern State to a 10-0 regular season and their second Lone Star Conference championship in three years. He is a pre-med student who majored in biology and minored in chemistry, carrying a 3.86 GPA while making the President's List every semester of his college career. He was also named MSU's top biology student in 2011 and volunteered significant hours with the Boys and Girls Club, YMCA and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

2012 High School Scholar-Athletes

• Brock Appenzeller (Mesquite Horn)

• William Ashworth (North Mesquite)

• Jose Balderas (Dallas Thomas Jefferson)

• Connor Berry (Arlington Lamar)

• Brian Buell (Dallas Jesuit)

• Adam Butler (Duncanville)

• Carson Carew (Frisco Wakeland)

• Justin Carey (Wilmer-Hutchins)

• Trey Carson (Lucas Lovejoy)

• Jimmy Chung (Irving)

• Christopher Clark (Mansfield Timberview)

• Billy Cole (Sachse)

• Jerome Daniels (Little Elm)

• Dayne Avery Davis (Aledo)

• Nehemiah Davis (Carrollton Newman Smith)

• David Drummond (Rowlett)

• Peter Edgette (Plano East)

• Chris Edling (Corsicana)

• Mike Fizer (Frisco Legacy Christian)

• J.C. Franklin (Cedar Hill)

• Chance Garey (Wichita Falls)

• Kristov George (Melissa)

• Quade Gibson (Granbury)

• Coleman Glass (Highland Park)

• Garon Goodspeed (Carrollton R.L. Turner)

• Tyler Hatton (Seagoville)

• Steven Hicks (Mesquite Poteet)

• Seth Hiddink (Wylie)

• Matt Holmes (Frisco Centennial)

• Seth Hubbard (Beckville)

• Anthony Jones (Fort Worth Eastern Hills)

• Cranston Jones (West Mesquite)

• Eric Kim (Plano)

• Tony Kirk (Midlothian)

• Tanner Larson (McKinney Boyd)

• Blake Ligon (Plano West)

• Alex Lyons (DeSoto)

• Jordan Mathews (Mansfield Summit)

• Jeff Miller (Southlake Carroll)

• Andrew Mitchell (Trophy Club Byron Nelson)

• Trey Mohair (Denton Ryan)

• Will Moomaw (Lake Highlands)

• Tyler Morgan (Justin Northwest)

• Tyler Morris (Wylie East)

• Nick Noble (Rockwall)

• Bryan Popp (Grapevine)

• Jose Salas (Mesquite)

• Andrew Schobelock (Garland Naaman Forest)

• Charles Schuber (McKinney)

• Tanner Tausch (Keller Central)

• Blake Thomas (Fort Worth Trimble Tech)

• Caleb Vinson (Irving MacArthur)

• Hunter Walling (McKinney North)

• Chandler Watkins (Keller)

• Jess Weece (Carrollton Creekview)

• Mason White (Keller Timber Creek)

• Jacob Whiteman (Springtown)

• Alan Wilcoxson (Rockwall-Heath)