BEAUMONT — West Orange-Stark standout junior linebacker Tyrone Brown captured the Defensive Award at the 28^th annual Willie Ray Smith Awards Banquet Monday night at the Elegante Hotel Ballroom.

Brown collected 149 tackles, 88 of them solo, for 10-4A’s top-ranked defense. He had five sacks, seven more quarterback pressures, two deflected passes and four more tackles for losses.

Brown becomes the 10^th Mustang to bring home a Smith Award and the eighth to capture the Defensive Award.

West Brook quarterback Troy Yowman captured the Offensive Award.

The guest speaker was Damon West.

The Smith Awards is considered Southeast Texas’ Heisman Trophy. It was created in 1992 and first given out in 1993.

Smith won 235 games and two state championships in 33 seasons as coach at Beaumont Charlton-Pollard, Orange Wallace and Lufkin Dunbar.

Brown is one of four linebackers that are defensive finalists for the prestigious award, considered to be the High School Heisman in Southeast Texas.

He was joined by Port Neches-Groves Santiago Agudelo, East Chambers’ Christian Simien and Beaumont United’s J.K. Wilson.

The four Offensive Finalists were Hamshire-Fannett quarterback Marcus Morris, Silsbee running back Dralyn Taylor, West Brook quarterback Troy Yowman and East Chambers running back Nolten Shelvin.

Here are the past Willie Ray Smith Award winners:

1993: Dexter Hebert, Kelly

1994: Jay McGuire, Silsbee

1995: Jeffery Spikes, Burkeville

1996: Elijah Burkins, Thomas Jefferson

1997: Bryan Bock, Bridge City

1998: Offense: Chip Ambres, West Brook; Defense: Charles Sias, WO-S

1999: Offense: Beaux Daville, Orangefield; Defense: Rod Gulley, Newton

2000: Offense: Dustin Long, PN-G; Defense: Gayron Allen, WO-S

2001: Offense: Sean Yoder, Nederland; Defense: Jermaine Hope, WO-S

2002: Offense: Tony Eckert, Lumberton; Defense: Ricky Wilson, Lincoln

2003: Offense: Matt Peebles, Bridge City; Defense: William Bryant, Jasper

2004: Offense: Jamaal Charles, P.A. Memorial; Defense: William Morrissey, Silsbee

2005: Offense: Jamaal Charles, P.A. Memorial; Defense: Brian West, Ozen

2006: Offense: Kenneth Beasley, WO-S; Defense: Sean Weatherspoon, Jasper

2007: Offense: Micah Mosley, Nederland; Defense: Earl Thomas, WO-S

2008: Offense: Cody Hussey, Lumberton; Defense: Tramain Thomas, East Chambers

2009: Offense: Christian Micheal, West Brook Defense: Kevin Robinson, WO-S

2010: Offense: Jeremy Johnson, Silsbee; Defense: Jacoby Hale, Central

2011: Offense: Fred Ford, Kirbyville; Defense: Colin Garrett, West Brook

2012: Offense: Terrence Singleton, P.A. Memorial; Defense: Corbin Carr, Nederland

2013: Offense: Montana Quirante, Vidor; Defense: Montana Quirante, Vidor

2014: Offense: Patrick Reed, Silsbee; DeShawn Washington, Nederland

2015: Offense: Michael Jacquet, Central; Defense: Deionte Thompson, WO-S

2016: Offense: Jack Dallas, WO-S; Defense: Steven Tims, WO-S

2017: Offense: Calvin Tyler, Silsbee; Defense: Kary Vincent, PA Memorial

2018: Offense: Roschon Johnson, PN-G; Defense: Corbin Foster, Newton

2019: Offense: Darwin Barlow, Newton; Defense: Darrell Hawkins, Jr., West Brook

2020: Offense: Troy Yowman, West Brook; Defense: Tyrone Brown, WO-S