Here's The News Tribune's All-State football team. We compiled this by reviewing all-league teams from around the state, checking out other newspaper's all-area teams and talking to coaches.

This one is even tougher to put together than the all-area team. So many deserving athletes, but so few spots to fill.

The News Tribune's 2008 All-State Football Team

Player of the Year
Gino Simone, Sr., Skyline, 6-0, 175

A threat to score whenever he touches the ball, Simone scored 18 all-purpose touchdowns this season. He was named to the all-KingCo 3A first-team at receiver, safety and kick returner, and shared Offensive Player of the Year honors with teammate quarterback Jake Heaps.

Simone caught 52 passes for 857 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, helping top-ranked Skyline to the 4A state finals. He also ran for 153 yards, averaging 13.9 yards per carry, and a touchdown, and returned two kicks and two punts for touchdowns.

Simone has received scholarship offers from WSU, UW, Boise St. and Oregon St.

Coach of the Year
Mark Keel, Central Kitsap

After starting 2-3, the Cougars won seven straight to reach the 4A semifinals, scoring upsets along the way

OFFENSE

QB: Jake Heaps, Jr., 6-2, 195, Skyline
The nation’s top recruit in the junior class, Heaps has thrown for 2,725
yards and 35 TDs

RB: Howard McDonald, Sr., 5-10, 200, Central Kitsap
The Narrows League MVP rushed for 751 yards four postseason games.

RB: Patrick Ottorbech, Sr., 5-7, 187, Bothell
Rushed for 1,555 yards and 22 TDs, earning KingCo Crown Offensive MVP honors

RB: Austin Denton, Jr., 5-10, 200, Marysville-Pilchuck
Rushed for 1,563 yards and 18 TDs in the Tomahawks’ best season since 1975

OL: Hunter Blackmore, Sr., 6-3, 260, Kentwood
The SPSL North Lineman of the Year is a three-year starter with multiple
offers

OL: Grant Enger, Sr., 6-6, 250, O’Dea
The Metro League Mountain Division Lineman of the Year will play at Oregon St.

OL: Anthony Luna, Sr., 6-4, 295, Gonzaga Prep
This road grader from the Greater Spokane League is one of the toughest in the state

OL: Andru Pulu, Sr., 6-3, 250, Federal Way
Pulu may be even better as a linebacker; he’s given a verbal commitment to UW

OL: Sinoe Potoa’e, Jr., 6-3, 285, Lakes
This dominant lineman helped Lakes have two 1,000-yard running backs

TE: Travis Long, Sr., 6-5, 245, Gonzaga Prep
The state’s top tight end prospect was also the GSL co-Defensive MVP

WR: Kirby Moore, Sr., 6-3, 210, Prosser
Owns the national prep record for career touchdown catches with 92

WR: Aaron Roberts, Sr., 5-11, 165, Ferris
Co-MVP of the Greater Spokane League caught 74 passes for 1,164 yards, 14 TDs

WR: Mitch Saylor, Jr., 6-6, 205, Union
The Greater St. Helens League 3A MVP has led young Titans to the finals

ATH: Tyler VanSligtenhorst, Sr., 5-9, 185, Rogers
The News Tribune’s All-Area Player of the Year totaled 37 TDs in 2008.

K: Blaze Vela, Sr., 6-1, 205, Central Valley
Kicked 10 field goals, including four from longer than 40 yards

DEFENSE

DL: Deandre Coleman, Sr., 6-4, 285, Garfield
Considered by many to be the top recruit in the state, he’s a game-changing force

DL: ‘Alo’ofa Ta’a, Sr., 6-1, 260, Rainier Beach
Defensive Lineman of the Year Metro Sound Division had a breakout season

DL: Chris Mastin, Sr., 6-2, 205, Lewis and Clark
Co-Defensive MVP in the Greater Spokane League has committed to WSU

DL: Neil Fuhrmann, Sr., 6-3, 285, Cascade Christian
MVP of the Nisqually League played all season with torn ligaments in his knee

LB: Jeff Gouveia, Sr., 5-11, 220, Auburn
Pound for pound he is one of the strongest, toughest players in the state

LB: Anthony DeMatteo, Jr., 6-0, 190, Skyline
KingCo 3A Defensive MVP led a first-string defense that has allowed 36 points

LB: Andre Barrington, Sr., 6-1, 210, Federal Way
One of the most versatile and athletic players in the state is committed to
WSU

LB: CJ Milburn, Sr., 6-1, 205, Archbishop Murphy
The Cascade Conference Defensive MVP led the Wildcats to the state semifinals

DB: Jamal Atofau, Sr., 5-1, 190, Bellevue
The KingCo 3A Defensive Player of the Year is bound for Washington St.

DB: Casey Locker, Sr., 5-11, 175, Ferndale
He’s been the best player in the Northwest Conference the last two seasons

DB: Ronnie Hamlin, Sr., 6-2, 200, Timberline
Olympic Western League’s MVP tallied 156 tackles and 10 interceptions

DB: Desmond Trufant, Sr., 5-11, 170, Wilson
Teams threw at him 28 times this season, completing only six passes

DB: Kurt Stottlemeyer, Sr., 5-10, 171, Bothell
A true shut-down cornerback, he made teams think twice about throwing his way

P: Cameron Homan, Sr., 6-2, 180, Eatonville
Averaged 41.9 yards per punt and landed 10 inside opponents’ 10-yard line

RET: Jamison Rowe, Sr., 5-10, 175, Richland
MVP of the CBBN Cascade Division is a dangerous return man

Skyline quarterback Jake Heaps has been named the 2008 Gatorade Washington Football Player of the Year.

Heaps, a 6-foot-2 and 195-pound junior, has passed for 2,725 yards and 35 touchdowns, while completing 58 percent of his passes. Top-ranked Skyline will play No. 10 Issaquah at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Class 4A state title game at the Tacoma Dome.

Past recipients of the award include Edmonds-Woodway's Tony Heard, Prosser's Kellen Moore and O'Dea's Taylor Mays.

Today's story in our Road to the Gridiron Classic series is on Skyline High School sophomore Kasen Williams. He is the son of Aaron Williams, who was a football and track star at Wilson High School in the late-1970s.

Kasen is already one of the state's best receivers and a top recruit. He has received scholarship offers from Boise State, UCLA and Washington, where his dad played football.

We have loads more of Gridiron Classic coverage coming Friday, including a feature on Class 1A finalist Cascade Christian, a story on Cashmere (the Cougars' opponent), a story exploring the ties between the Issaquah and Skyline programs, previews of the 4A and 2B finals and The News Tribune's All-State football team.

Of course, we'll have more previews in Saturday's paper for the Saturday games, along with tons of coverage of Friday's 4A and 2B finals.

Earlier in the week we ran this story on the Union Titans, a two-year-old school that will play Bellevue for the Class 3A state championship on Saturday.