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After making the playoffs for the first time in four years the Rice Raiders had 28 players selected to the 2024 All-District team.
15 players on offense and 12 players on defense all earned their spot on the All-District team.
Starting with the offensive side of the ball where Kor’Dae Johnson, Dyren Johnson, D’Neriyan Fuller, Jon Woods, Deveron Bennett and Jael Valles-Serrano were all selected to the All-District 1st team.
Kor’Dae Johnson’s chemistry with his rece ivers, Fuller and Woods, was undeniable as they combined for 1,000 yards through the air. The Raiders passing attack took a big step forward and was a big contributing factor to the Raiders making their return to the playoffs.
In addition to that Dyen Johnson and Bennett spearheaded the Raiders’ rushing attack. Bennett opened up the space on the offensive line and Dyren Johnson used his speed and athleticism to rack up a total of 1,039 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
Valles-Serrano was automatic for the Raiders. He capped off every successful offensive drive the Raiders put together by booting through the extra point. Even when the offense stalled and the Raiders needed to kick a field goal, head coach Brad Dumont had the utmost confidence in sending Valles-Serrano out there to make the kick.
The 2nd All-District team saw four Raiders get selected and those four were, Robert Bennett, Glen Mills, Ta’marion Turner and Keenan Hailey. Bennett and Turner are insanely athletic and it was on full display this season.
Whenever Dyren Johnson needed a break at the running back position Bennett filled in nicely and continued to pick up a ton of yards and was overall efficient. The same can be said for Turner who became a really reliable option for quarterback Kor’Dae Johnson late in the season and was a big contributor in their playoff games.
Mills and Hailey did a lot of the grunt work as they worked on the offense line. They helped open up gaps for Dyren Johnson and Robert Bennett to run through. Mills also became a option in the passing attack for Kor’Dae Johnson and showed a lot of promise for the Raiders as a tight end.
Honorable mentions for the Raiders were Ruston Krenek, Isaiah Castillo, Gavin Tate, Zayde Cunningham and Gage Gayton. Castillo was the lone receiver in this group playing more as the lineman made their impact felt.
The Raiders offensive line was a unit that took a big step this season and played a big role in the success of the team. With the Raiders still being a little young on the offensive line they will be working hard in the summer as they prepare to take the next step in their development.
It was a great season for the Raiders, and they capped it off with All-District honors that are well deserved.
