Mallard Creek’s Mike Palmieri is N.C. Associated Press football coach of the year for second straight season
Mallard Creek’s Mike Palmieiri was named N.C. Associated Press high school football coach of the year for the second straight season Wednesday. He is the third Mecklenburg County coach to win the award and the first to win in back-to-back seasons.
Independence’s Tom Knotts won the award in 2000 and Myers Park’s Glenn Sasser won in 1983.
Palmieiri, who led his team to a record third straight N.C. 4AA state championship earlier this month, received five votes from 18 sports writers across the state. Rocky Mount's Jason Battle and Boiling Springs Crest's Will Clark each received three votes to tie for second. Battle led his team to a 14-2 record and the 3A state championship. Clark led Crest to a 16-0 record and a 3AA championship in his first season.
At Mallard Creek, Palmieri’s Mavericks (14-2) faced nationally ranked teams and ran through quite a gauntlet to reach the 4AA state final. Mallard Creek won consecutive road games against the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the 4AA Western bracket. In the championship game, Mallard Creek beat Greensboro Page 49-6 for the third-largest margin of victory since the N.C. High School Athletic Association started its 4AA championship format in 2002.
Palmieri is the third N.C. coach to repeat as coach of the year, following Richmond Senior’s Daryl Barnes (1997-98) and Northern Durham’s Ken Browning (1992-93).
▪ The Associated Press released its 31-man all-state high school football team Wednesday. Mallard Creek led the team with four selections: offensive lineman Eric Douglas; linebackers Josh Brown and Tharon Ingram; and tight end Thad Moss.
▪ The AP will names its offensive and defensive players of the year for North Carolina on Thursday.
2015 N.C. AP All-State Football Team
The voting breakdown for the 2015 Associated Press all-state prep football team for North Carolina, as cast by 18 media members in voting results released Tuesday. Number of votes is in parentheses.
OFFENSE
QB: Chazz Surratt, East Lincoln (10)
RB: B.J. Emmons, Morganton Freedom (13)
RB: Tre Harbison, Shelby Crest (11)
WR: Jayden Borders, Shelby (13)
WR: Sage Surratt, East Lincoln (11)
WR: Cornell Powell, Greenville Rose (9)
TE: Thad Moss, Mallard Creek (9)
TE: Garrett Walston, New Hanover County (9)
OL: Eric Douglas, Mallard Creek (16)
OL: Harrison Gee, Burlington Williams (14)
OL: Sean Pollard, Southern Pines Pinecrest (12)
OL: Pete Leota, Asheville (10)
OL:_Alex Gourley, South Iredell (5)
ATH: Aapri Washington, Mt. Holly Mountain Island Charter (3)
ATH: Bryse Wilson, Orange County (3)
DEFENSE
DL: Dexter Lawrence, Wake Forest (16)
DL: Zachary Pressley, Greensboro Dudley (12)
DL: Nick Coe, Asheboro (10)
DL: Dre Bell, Kings Mountain (7)
LB: Josh Brown, Mallard Creek (10)
LB: Tharon Ingram, Mallard Creek (7)
LB: Xander Gagnon, Charlotte Catholic (5)
LB: Dax Hollifield, Shelby (5)
LB: Aaron Ramseur, Shelby Crest (5)
DB: Desmen Robinson, Monroe (12)
DB: Jarvis Hutchins, East Rutherford (9)
DB: Marquill Osborne, Hough (8)
DB: Diondre Overton, Greensboro Page (6)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Keith Duncan, Weddington (17)
P: Austin Kent, Providence (13)
KR: Daniel Graves, Graham (10)
This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Mallard Creek’s Mike Palmieri is N.C. Associated Press football coach of the year for second straight season."