Randall's Casey Felton, left, catches a pass behind Canyon's Chris Rhoten during their District 3-4A game this season at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. Felton was versatile, able to play wide receiver, defensive end, punter and place-kicker.

When senior Casey Felton lined up at defensive end for the Randall Raiders this season, opposing coaches had to take a second look.

Didn't that guy just catch a pass at wide receiver for the Raiders?

Sure enough.

No doubt, Felton was one of the most versatile big-school athletes in the Texas Panhandle, and his outstanding play - especially on defense - earns him the Amarillo Globe-News Super Team Defensive Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Felton finished the season with 101 tackles and helped the Raiders to their first back-to-back unbeaten district titles since the school opened in 1988.

Felton added nine quarterback sacks, more than 20 tackles for losses and returned an interception for a touchdown. He put his name on the statewide map by earning The Associated Press Sports Editors Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year honor.

Felton finished the regular season with 21 catches for 474 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 22.5 yards per catch. He also handled the Randall punting and kicking duties, averaging 36.4 yards on 35 punts and making 34 extra points and six field goals.

Randall coach Ken Plunk said it's not normal for a player to be able to handle playing defensive end and wide receiver.

"Those just aren't two positions that go together traditionally," Plunk said. "But Casey was athletic enough to do that. To be able to play down on the defensive end but still skilled enough to play wide receiver, what that allowed us to do is drop him in coverage, for instance. He could play defensive back if we wanted to.

"What that did was make it more difficult to know who was rushing."

Felton plays with passion, enthusiasm and a high skill level.

Felton said his love for football started with frontyard games with his cousins, which included former Randall quarterback and current Amarillo Dusters kicker Jacob Felton, and shrugs off his ability to play so many different positions.

"I just love to play the game," Felton said. "I just go out and try to play hard. That's a lot of fun to play both ways."

Plunk said another bonus with Felton was his ability to comprehend offensive and defensive schemes each week because of his knowledge of the game.

"Casey understands the game and is always working at it," Plunk said. "In any endeavor in life, part of being good is being able to focus and do things right every day. For whatever reason, maybe his family background, but he knows whatever you do on Tuesday by listening in meetings or working hard in a drill determines how you play on Friday.

"Sometimes you have to push a kid along that route. Never did we have to teach Casey that. I can't say enough good things about him."