WOODLAND — Two former Davis High players earned top honors at the annual Yolo Post 77 American Legion baseball banquet on Thursday as speculation continued on whether or not coach Matt Castles would return for his 17^th season.

Luke McDonald, a hard-hitting third baseman who crafted an epic campaign after missing almost 18 months of action thanks to a knee injury, earned the David Drew Award — signifying the team’s most valuable player.

Versatile Tom Lyon, who started the schedule at first base and later became Post 77’s top catcher, took home the Bobby Jones Award as his squad’s most inspirational teammate.

The annual affair drew about 80 players, parents and friends to the Legion Hall.

McDonald, who attends Cosumnes River College, batted .410 and led Yolo in almost every offensive category.

“This was one of the easiest selections (we’ve) ever had to make,” Castles said before announcing his MVP. “What was really impressive … was he came off that injury and had one of the best seasons we’ve seen here.”

The ex-Blue Devil had a team-high 48 hits, 31 RBIs and led in on-base percentage, doubles and triples. Davis’ Josh Cosio had two homers — a Post 77 high in a summer that saw an early-season power outage.

While Yolo fashioned a 22-12-1 overall record, they did it on the strength of pitching and slick defense.

Through its first 15 games, Post 77 was hitting under .220 collectively. By the end of the season, the team had raised its average to .281 — hitting only five home runs along the way.

“All in all we had a solid season,” Castles explained. “The difference between a good team and a great team is often luck. This year we had no luck at all. I was proud of how we battled back.”

Castles cited personal loss (former player Scott Heinig’s April death), injuries and rainouts as reasons for an uneven season.

Nonetheless, Castles emphasized the accomplishments as each player was introduced. Three-year performers — Trent Hairston, Aaron Hansen, Mitch Navarro and Jake Berlin — received monogrammed Post 77 jackets as parting gifts.

“Many days this season he was my inspiration,” Castles said of Lyon, adding: “He is one tough kid who never complained and did everything we asked of him.”

Lyon was a testament to the fail-safe Post 77 fielding, handling 174 chances with only one error. At the end, he also was one of Yolo’s more reliable hitters.

Castles, 39, who seemed to lean toward retirement after his team’s District 6 tournament earlier this month, says that decision is a ways off.

“You’ll have to be patient” for the answer, he said.

But assistant Dave Ryan verbally tugged at Castles’ sleeve, saying he’s been trying to talk his boss into returning and suggested to those in attendance “keep working on him.”

Notes: Legion legend, longtime baseball general manager Frank Eakle, thanked Kathy and Davis Aukes (catcher Pat Aukes’ parents) for the Heinig memorial sign at Clark Field, commended public-address announcer Doug Carter for his “great work upstairs” and thanked the Heinig family (not in attendance) for its donation of new road grays for the players. … Castles thanked Ryan and Eakle: “Without Dave there is no way I would have lasted five or six years. And with Frank, he does all the behind the scenes work.” At that point, the gathering rose in a standing ovation directed at their 78-year-old diamond dandy. Eakle was visibly moved by the gesture.

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-87047.

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Yolo American Legion and former Davis High players Luke McDonald, left, and Tom Lyon, right, receive their accolades at the Post 77 awards banquet on Thursday at the Legion Hall in Woodland. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

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