Argyle do-everything star Dillon Carter has been named Class 4A co-player of the year by the Texas Sportswriters Association after leading the Eagles to their second straight state title.
Carter, who hit .400 as an outfielder and was a perfect 3-0 on the mound with a sparkling 0.43 ERA ,was one of four Arygle players named to the first team.
“He had the kind of year we expected that he would and he’s really honored by this,” Eagles coach Ricky Griffin said of Carter, who has signed to attend Texas Tech. “He did pretty much the same thing for us over his last two years when it comes to his production.”
Joining Carter on the first-team are shortstop Preston King (.385 avg., 26 RBIs), outfielder Hayden Clearman (.366, 45 RBIs) and pitcher Chad Ricker (12-0, 0.88 ERA, 96 strikeouts).
Griffin said Carter left an imprint on the Argyle program that goes far beyond just the numbers.
“He was someone the kids followed and looked up to,” Griffin said. “You want him to produce, but just as important is how the kids came to respect how hard he played. Hopefully, they’re ready to step into that role.”
Brenden Dixon and Alex Gonzales were also both named to the third-team for the Eagles and Sean Bolin was tabbed honorable mention.
In addition, Griffin was named 4A coach of the year and over the last two seasons has led Arygle to a combined 77-1-1 record. Earlier this summer, he was also selected for one of 11 National Coach of the Year awards by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Going forward, he said his motto and approach will remain simple.
“We’ll try to do the same things that made us successful from the start,” he said.
