Jacolby Criswell
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: FOOTBALL ................
In the very first play in the first scrimmage of his junior year in 2018, Jacolby Criswell tore his ACL, causing him to miss the majority of the year. “So my senior year, I had some things to prove to a lot of people in the community,” Criswell said. The dual-threat quarterback for Morrilton led the Devil Dogs to an 8-5 record in 2019 and to the third round of the state tournament. He threw for more than 2,800 yards with 28 touchdowns and rushed for more than 1,200 yards with 24 touchdowns. For his efforts, Criswell is the All-Arkansas Preps Outstanding Player of the Year for Football. “He is extremely accurate and has a tremendously strong arm,” Morrilton head coach Cody McNabb said. “He was very difficult to tackle because he was big and fast.” Criswell was able to return in Week 8 of his junior year and helped his teammates reach the semifinals. His dad, Zach Watson, said that during the eight-week layoff when Criswell was hurt, he was able to get his body back into shape. “Cameron
Lane, [Criswell’s] physical therapist in Russellville, has worked with some high-caliber athletes, and Colby really wanted to get back his junior year,” Watson said. McNabb said that when Criswell was healthy, Morrilton had a chance against anybody. Criswell graduated last fall and enrolled early at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Criswell said that when he was a sophomore, he and his dad discussed the possibility of him graduating early. That way, he could be ahead of most of the players arriving for football in
June and July. He said it gives him an opportunity to compete for the starting job. Criswell said he plans on majoring in public speaking and sports management. “After football, I plan on becoming a sports broadcaster or a motivational speaker. I’d like to build a training facility for the kids in Morrilton or maybe one day become a coach,” he said.