By Josh Troy
Clarksdale Advocate
Four Lee Academy Colts will be participating in the MAIS All-Star Game for senior football players, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, at Jackson Prep. Colts coach Rick Johnston will be the coach of the Blue team. Senior William Walker will be a quarterback and outside linebacker on the Blue team, senior Tanner Fava will be a wide receiver on the White team, and senior Will Moser will be a free safety on the White team.
The three senior Colts also played other positions for Lee in 2023. Walker was also a punter, Fava was also a kicker and cornerback, and Moser was also a wingback. The Colts finished 6-4 in the regular season before falling at home in the first round of the playoffs. The Colts also earned a home playoff game in 2022 while Walker, Fava, and Moser were juniors. Lee won just one game when the three senior All-Stars were sophomores.
“Our sophomore year has led to a lot of our success,” said Walker, a three-year starter at quarterback. “There was nowhere to go other than to expand and grow.” Johnston, the Colts’ head football coach since 2017, is looking forward to coaching in the All-Star Game and having another opportunity to coach Walker. “I’m excited about it,” Johnston said. “It’s an honor for the guys that get to play football one more time, and I’m excited for them. Hopefully, we’ll have a good week, and everybody will have a good time, and we’ll create some real good memories.”
Johnston was hoping to have Fava and Moser on his team. “That’s going to be a first for me,” Johnston said. “I’ve done it before with this draft, getting all of my kids on my team. This year, I wasn’t that fortunate. That speaks volumes of the other side drafting our kids high. That speaks volumes of the players we have.”
Walker is looking forward to playing for Johnston but acknowledged it would not be the same having Fava and Moser on the other side. “One more game for Coach Johnston, it will definitely be different having to coach against his own players,” Walker said. Fava and Moser expressed similar sentiments about playing against Walker and Johnston.
“I think it will be fun playing against one of our teammates we’ve been playing with all our years of football,” Fava said. “It’s definitely going to be different,” said Moser in agreement. “It’s going to be different having someone else tell me what to do when I’m playing.” Moser said he does not know what to expect having Walker and Johnston on the opposing team, but he welcomes the challenge. “We’ve never had to play against each other,” Moser said. “It will definitely be different, but I’m excited for it.”
Walker is also on the basketball, baseball, and track teams and plans to major in petroleum engineering at Mississippi State after graduation. Moser is also on the golf team and plans to major in agricultural business at Mississippi State after graduation. Fava is on the baseball and track teams and plans to attend Ole Miss after graduation.
