Harlem's Cooper, Palos named MVPs as NIC-10 all-conference football team released

Harlem quarterback James Cooper Jr. and linebacker Adrian Palos were named the NIC-10 offensive and defensive MVPs by conference coaches after leading the Huskies to a 6-0 record and their first NIC-10 football title since 1997.
Gary Griffin, who led East (4-2) to the NIC-10 title game, was named coach of the year.
Freeport (3-3), which finished second to East in its division, won the sportsmanship award.
Here is the NIC-10 all-conference team for the COVID-19-shortened 2021 spring season:
Offensive MVP:James Cooper Jr., Harlem
Defensive MVP: Adrian Palos, Harlem
Coach of year: Gary Griffin, East
Sportsmanship: Freeport
Final NIC-10 football stats:James Cooper Jr. leads passers by a record 1,192-yard margin
First-team offense
WR — Ky’ree Shirley, Freeport, Sr.
WR — Dezzion Jordan, Harlem, Sr.
RB — Tyron Brakes, Belvidere North, Sr.
RB — Dylan Collins, Hononegah, Sr.
RB — CJ Berry, East, Sr.
QB — James Cooper Jr., Harlem, Sr.
C — Abe Hall, Boylan, Sr.
OL — Hunter Olejnik, Belvidere North, Sr.
OL — Mat Logan, Boylan, Jr.
OL — Caden Geiser, Freeport, Sr.
OL — Jason Stroberg, East, Sr.
K — Zack Hollister, Boylan, Sr.
TE — Dominic McCarren, Harlem, Sr.
At large
WR — Xavier Bryant, Boylan, Sr.
OL — Nate Smith, Harlem, Jr.
WR — Braden Sayles, Hononegah, Sr.
QB — Benny Jass, Boylan, Sr.
First-team defense
DB — Joey Appino, Boylan, Jr.
DB — Daquavian Oaks, Auburn, Jr.
DB — Bryce Goodwine, Hononegah, Jr.
DB — Shamar Holt, East, Jr.
DL — Max Caltagerone, Boylan, Sr.
DL — Keshawn Harrington-McKinney, Harlem, Soph.
DL — Aidan Peters, Hononegah, Jr.
DL — Nick Fehrle, Boylan, Sr.
DL — Nathan Tracy, Belvidere, Sr.
LB — Dan Contreras, Boylan, Sr.
LB — Adrian Palos, Harlem, Jr.
LB — Dylan Sayles, Hononegah, Jr.
P — Joe Namio, Freeport, Sr.
At large
LB — Aaron Winters, Belvidere North, Jr.
DB — A’tiq Muhammad, Guilford, Sr.
DL — Alex Escamilla, Hononegah, Jr.
DL — Tyress Cunningham-Smart, East, Jr.
Honorable mention
RB — Tristen Gille, Boylan, Sr.
DB — Brady Dolan, Boylan, Sr.
DB — Ethan Taylor, Harlem, Jr.
OL — Brennan McCoy, Harlem, Jr.
OL — Ethan LaRue, Auburn, Sr.
WR — De-Arious Maxey, Auburn, Sr.
RB — Javius Catlin, East, Fresh.
DB — Jaden Davis, East, Jr.
QB — Jake Tapia, Belv North, Sr.
DL — Justino Benitez, North, Jr.
OL — Clayton Walls, Hononegah, Jr.
OL — Jacob Klink, Hononegah, Soph.
QB — Nick James, Jefferson, Soph.
OL — Calvin Cardenas, Jeff, Jr.
LB — Aiden Kerr, Freeport, Sr.
LB — Trent Strohecker, Freeport, Sr.
OL — Bryan Sandoval, Guilford, Sr.
OL — Nate Johnson, Guilford, Sr.
LB — Jonathan Urbieta, Belvidere, Sr.
DB — Jonathan Fettes, Belvidere, Sr.
Matt Trowbridge: mtrowbridge@rrstar.com; @matttrowbridge