With our 2025 season now behind us (though Jefferson is set to play for a state title), we look back at our officially published Preseason Predictions. Many of these naturally were way off, but some were spot on.

OFFENSIVE PREDICTED LEADERS

• Passing Yards – Ty Truelove (Rabun County)
  • ACTUAL – Ty Truelove – Rabun County – 1,911 yds
    • VERDICT – PERFECT! Even with a great group of QBs this year, Truelove had the most yards passing.
• Passing TD – Ty Truelove (Rabun County)
  • ACTUAL – Ty Truelove – Rabun County – 19 TD
    • VERDICT – Copy and paste from above
• QB Total Yards Pass+Rush – Paris Wilbanks (Habersham Central)
  • ACTUAL – Ty Truelove – Rabun County – 2,537 yds
    • VERDICT – Wilbanks did total 1,839 in two fewer games, but Truelove led the QBs with 2,537 yds.
• QB Total TD – Paris Wilbanks (Habersham Central)
  • ACTUAL – Ty Truelove – Rabun County – 26 TD
    • VERDICT – Again, close. Wilbanks was second with 20 total scores, just behind Truelove’s 26 in two more games played.
• QB TD:INT Ratio – Ty Truelove (Rabun County)
  • ACTUAL – Ty Truelove (19:4) was correct.
    • VERDICT- He threw 19 TD against just 4 picks, with 3 of those coming in his final game.
• Rushing Yards – Reid Giles (Rabun County)
  • ACTUAL – Nolan Matthews (2,092)
    • VERDICT: Nolan Matthews put up over 2,000 in just 11 games. Donnie Warren was second with over 1,600, while Giles finished with 1,319 (3rd-most).
• Rushing TD – Nolan Matthews (Lumpkin County)
  • ACTUAL – Nolan Matthews (28)
    • VERDICT: Perfect on this one, 28 TDs in just 11 games, which is fantastic.
• RB Total Yards Rush+Receiving – Noel Lammers (White County)
  • ACTUAL – Nolan Matthews (2,231)
    • VERDICT: Nolan Matthews had 2,231, though 2,092 was rushing. The RB with the most receiving yards was Reid Giles (752 yds receiving, 1,319 rushing yds). Lammers totaled just over 400 yards as he dealt with injuries throughout the campaign.
• RB Total TD – Reid Giles (Rabun County)
  • ACTUAL – Nolan Matthews (29 each)
    • VERDICT: So close on this one, as Matthews had 29 total TDs and Giles had 27.
• Yards Per Carry – Max Brown (Jefferson)
  • ACTUAL – Reid Giles (8.7)
    • VERDICT: Perfect…kind of! Giles averaged 8.7 yards per tote, while Matthews was right behind him. Worth noting, Max Brown for Jefferson was 10 YPC but only played in five games.
• Receiving Yards – Dylan Edwards (Dawson County)
  • ACTUAL – Davon Swinton (770)
    • VERDICT: Edwards was at a solid 637, but Davon Swinton won out with 770 yards receiving. RB Reid Giles was a tad behind with 752, and Jay Feltus for Habersham was also over 700.
• Receiving TD – Gaines Clark (White County)
  • ACTUAL – Ty Sorrells (7)
    • VERDICT: Clark had 5 receiving TDs. Tons of locals had 6, and Ty Sorrells for Commerce led with 7.
• Receptions – Davon Swinton (Stephens County)
  • ACTUAL – Davon Swinton (61)
    • VERDICT – Exactly right, as Swinton had 61. Reid Giles (RB, Rabun) had 56. Dylan Edwards had 48 for Dawson, Jay Feltus for Habersham had 43, as did MacLane Powell for Lumpkin.
• Yards Per Reception – Dalton Dye (Jefferson)
  • ACTUAL – Dalton Dye (22.9)
    • VERDICT – Perfect! With receivers of more than 15 catches, no one had a higher average than Dye. With Jefferson’s offense, their pass plays are typically big ones. Teammate Logan Edmunds (20.7) had the 2nd-best.

DEFENSIVE PREDICTED LEADERS

• Tackles – Max Brown (Jefferson)
  • ACTUAL – Elliott Harbin (138)
    • VERDICT – Technically, Brown would have likely taken this. He had 43 TKL in just 4 games played. If you average that out, he’d finish with over 140. However, Elliott Harbin of Franklin had 138 in just 11 games.
• Sacks – Connor Holtzclaw (Stephens County)
  • ACTUAL – Darren Pinkard (6)
    • VERDICT – Way off! Holtzclaw ended with 2 sacks, while the leader was Darren Pinkard with 6. A handful of others had 5 each.
• Interceptions – Caden Watson (Banks County) and Davon Swinton (Stephens County)
  • ACTUAL – Jeremiah Mayfield (7)
    • VERDICT – Jeremiah Mayfield (Franklin County) set a school record with 7 INTs, while Reid Giles of Rabun had 5. Swinton ended with 2.

KICKING PREDICTED LEADERS

• Longest FG – Camden Meads (Habersham Central)
  • ACTUAL – Luke Waters (53)
    • VERDICT – Meads was one of only four to have a 40-plus yard FG, but Luke Waters matched the Stephens County record with a 53-yd boot!
• Most PATS – Taylor McCall (Jefferson)
  • ACTUAL – Taylor McCall (50/54) & Bryan Avila (50/52)
    • VERDICT – Definitely right here, as McCall knocked in 50-of-54 XPs. Bryan Avila for Rabun deserves credit, going 50-for-52 in two fewer games!
• Most FGs – Luke Waters (Stephens County)
  • ACTUAL – Luke Waters (8) & Taylor McCall (8)
    • VERDICT – Correct again! Waters had 8 FG, and in just 12 games. McCall did it also in 15 games.
• Best FG % – Jacob Felkai (Dawson County)
  • ACTUAL – Bryan Avila (6/8)
    • VERDICT – That’s 75%. McCall was 8/11 at 72%, and Felkai was 6/9 at 67%!
• Most Points (FG+PAT) – Taylor McCall (Jefferson)
  • ACTUAL – Taylor McCall (74)
    • McCall had 74 pts.

TEAM PREDICTED LEADERS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Offensive Points Scored (Most) – Rabun County
  • ACTUAL – Rabun County (479)
• Defensive Points Allowed (Fewest) – Jefferson
  • ACTUAL – Jefferson (172)
• Turnovers Created – Commerce
  • ACTUAL – Unknown, but likely Rabun or Franklin
• Shutouts – Jefferson
  • ACTUAL – Jefferson (2)
• Biggest Turnaround – White County and/or Franklin County
  • ACTUAL – Franklin County (3 wins to 7 wins)
• Team Wins (Most) – Tie: Jefferson, Rabun County
  • ACTUAL – Jefferson (13)
• Region Champions – Jefferson, Commerce or Rabun
  • ACTUAL – Jefferson
• State Second Round or Deeper – Jefferson, Rabun County, Commerce, Dawson County, Habersham Central
  • ACTUAL – Jefferson, Rabun, Stephens
• State Playoffs – Commerce, Dawson, Franklin, Habersham, Jefferson, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Union, White
  • ACTUAL – Franklin, Habersham, Jefferson, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens

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