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BLITZ Soccer Player of the Year: Austin Ball

June 1, 2023

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After two years of playing more of a support role in the scoring, Austin Ball was free to unleash his own offensive potential, which resulted in a BLITZ Player of the Year caliber season.

*Feature Photo by Austin Poffenberger*

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INSIDE THE NUMBERS

39 Goals
16 Assists
9 Hat Tricks
Single-Season Goals & Assists Record for TFS
All-Time Leader in Goals (52) & Assists (39) at TFS
Single-Match Goals Record (5)
1st Team All-State (GACA)
Region 8-A DI Player of the Year

The Region Player of the Year and 1st Team All-State forward notched 39 goals and 16 assists on the season. That included 9 hat tricks and a 5-goal game to tie the single-game record for Tallulah Falls. He became the single-season and all-time goals champion in the process, and owns the single-season (16) and career (39) assists records going into his senior year.

VOTING RESULTS

Austin Ball – 71.5 pts (13 1st-place votes)
Jake Hall – 33.25 pts
Chase Johnson – 29.5 pts (1)
Nicholas Esqueda – 19.5 pts
Isaiah Ortiz – 18.75 pts (1)
Jhonny Valle – 18.25 pts (1)
Navy Ott – 5.25 pts

Voting included our 16-person panel made up of sports reporters, writers, video producers, former coaches, players, GHSA officials, and sports experts. The voting is Heisman-style, with the following points system:
1st place votes: 5 pts; 2nd: 3 pts; 3rd: 2 pts; 4th: 1 pts; 5th-6th: 0.5 pts; 7th-8th 0.25 pts

Ball ran away with this one, securing 13 1st-place votes. Teammate Jake Hall came in second with a high weighted score. Chase Johnson and Isaiah Ortiz got a 1st-place tally as defensive players, and Jhonny Valle stole a 1st-place vote as well.

HISTORY OF SOCCER POY

2023 – Austin Ball – Tallulah Falls JR F
2022 – Kyler Robbins – Union County SR M
2021 – Hayden Gensler – White County SR F
2020 – Brandon Hudson – Jefferson SR F
2019 – Brian Smith – Union County SR F
2018 – Chris Keys – Lumpkin County SR F
2017 – Dennis Pyetsukh – Dawson County JR F
2016 – Dennis Pyetsukh – Dawson County SO F
2015 – Brandon Lund – Dawson County SR F
2014 – Brandon Lund – Dawson County JR F
2013 – Brooks Fulford – Dawson County JR GK
2012 – Jose Lara – Habersham Central SR F
2011 – Vincent Thomas – Union County SR M
2010 – Nolan & Sawyer Hemmer – Habersham Central SR F/D

Austin Ball is the first from Tallulah Falls to claim the hardware, and he becomes the first non-senior to win it since 2017. That gives him a chance to go back-to-back should he win it next year. If so, he’d be the third player to accomplish that feat. Forwards have long dominated this award, as Ball is the 11th such player to take the award.