McCRORY — After leading the McCrory Jaguars to their first state football championship, senior running back/safety Kaigen Rogo is racking up postseason honors.
Rogo, who was a member of the Class 2A all-state team and named MVP of the state championship game, is the 2015 Three Rivers Edition All-Area Team Offensive Player of the Year.
Rogo led the Jaguars with 1,968 yards rushing and 26 touchdowns on 212 carries. On defense, he had 41 tackles and six interceptions.
“At the beginning of the year, I didn’t really think we’d win state,” Rogo said. “It’s awesome to be named as the best offensive player in the area.”
McCrory coach Chris Kennon said Rogo has “worked hard every day.”
“He runs the ball just as hard in practice as he does a ballgame,” Kennon said. “What you get out of him every night, you get 100 percent out of him every time. Whether he’s carrying the ball 20 times or 38 times, he’s going to run hard.
“He’s just a playmaker.”
Rogo said he likes playing offense better than defense.
“It feels really good to break free or break through the hole and see nothing but green grass in front of you,” he said.
Rogo said helping lead the Jaguars to the state title was an honor.
“It was a gift from God that we were able to do that, winning the first state championship,” he said.
So basically, Rogo never comes off the field.
“It’s dreadful in the summer practices because you have to go out there on offense, defense, special teams,” he said.
Rogo said the atmosphere in McCrory was crazy, especially the night of the state semifinal game when the Jaguars hosted Conway Christian.
“We thought it was going to be a real fight, but it ended up being 40-7,” he said. “In the third quarter, we were up three touchdowns, and you could just hear the crowd. We all knew we were going to the state championship game.”
Rogo said that following his team’s win over Rison in the state finals, getting back into McCrory that night was wild.
“Everybody who was at the game was on Main Street, yelling and celebrating,” he said.
Rogo said the people of McCrory live for the time from September through December.
“It’s a football town, and it’s all that they wait for,” he said. “It’s the most exciting part.”
Rogo, who also plays baseball for the Jaguars, said he wants to play football in college.
“To play on the next level would be unbelievable,” he said.
Staff writer Mark Buffalo can be reached at (501) 399-3676 or mbuffalo@arkansasonline.com.