Habersham Central’s all-time great Paisley Cathey makes it back-to-back for Player of the Year honors!

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

34 Goals
11 Assists
Career: 112 G, 56 A (School Records)

With 34 goals and 11 assists in one of the top classifications in the state, Paisley Cathey delivered over and over again this season. And for her career…the senior midfielder notched 112 goals and 56 assists, both school records. She’s the all-time goals leader for either boys or girls at Habersham Central.

VOTING RESULTS

1. Paisley Cathey – 46 pts (5 1st-place votes)
2. Julia Knight – 42.5 pts (6)
3. Ella Sellers – 25 pts (1)
4. Harper Dussouy – 17 pts (1)
5. Kaitlyn Johnson – 17 pts
6. Arielle Vermillion – 8.5 pts

Voting included our 13-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

Four different players garnered 1st-place votes, and the winner didn’t have the most. Paisley Cathey had five 1st-place tallies, but 10 total votes in the top two, giving her a slight edge over Julia Knight, who finished with six 1st-place votes but three outside the top three. Cathey had all her votes at 1-3.

HISTORY OF SOCCER PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• 2025 – Paisley Cathey – Habersham Central SR M
• 2024 – Paisley Cathey – Habersham Central JR M
• 2023 – Ivy Tolbert – Commerce JR M
• 2022 – Ivy Tolbert – Commerce SO M
• 2021 – Lauren Barnes – Rabun County SR F
• 2020 – Hope Kenney – Lumpkin County SR F
• 2019 – Hope Kenney – Lumpkin County JR F
• 2018 – Brooke Barrett – Towns County SR F
• 2017 – Fallan Lacey – Dawson County SO GK
• 2016 – Alexis Satterfield – Lumpkin County SR F
• 2015 – Alexis Satterfield – Lumpkin County JR F
• 2014 – Anela Melton – Dawson County JR GK
• 2013 – Tina Libao – Dawson County FR M
• 2012 – Emily Stowers – Dawson County SR F
• 2011 – Kaitlyn Hooper – White County SR F
• 2010 – Kaitlyn Hooper – White County JR F

Cathey is the second straight player to go back-to-back, and the fifth to ever do it. It’s the only two instances of Habersham taking Girls POY honors as well.

WHO WILL WIN IT NEXT YEAR?