HALL OF FAME PLAYERS

The local immortals! The BLITZ Hall of Fame consists of 369 inductees!

Listed below by sport (fall sports, winter sports, then spring sports), or follow the links to the individual year of inductees.

INAUGURAL CLASS OF 2016 – 27 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2017 – 31 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2018 – 62 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2019 – 66 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2020 – 52 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2021 – 46 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2022 – 49 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2023 – 36 INDUCTEES

WHO’S THE GOAT? The BLITZ Top-Rated HOF Player in Each Sport is our current GOAT! Find the GOAT for each sport!

FOOTBALL

CADE ADAMS

Cade Adams was a beast for the Tigers in the trenches. Teams took notice to avoid running his direction, and even to often put two guys to try and neutralize him. Didn’t work – Adams pounded out 175 career tackles, 25 sacks, 45 tackles behind the line, and had 4 forced fumbles and 4 recoveries. After a 63 TKL (14 TFL), 6 Sack junior season, he followed it up with 49 TKL (20 TFL) and 13 Sacks to guide the Dawson County Tigers to a Region Championship. He was twice an All-State selection, and the DT was a preferred walk-on at Georgia Tech, playing at the NCAA D-I Power Five level!

PIERSON ALLISON

Pierson Allison had to sit behind Cole Wright for a couple of years at Union County before getting his shot. Statistically, he made up for lost time. He threw for 6,090 yards and 56 TD, and the All-State QB added 1,172 rushing yards and another 16 TDs on the ground. That’s good for 7,262 total yards and 72 total TD for the lefty. He had 2,800 passing yards or more in his two seasons as a starter under center, and 30-plus TD in each of those seasons. He led the Panthers to their first-ever state playoff win in 2019. He threw for a school-record 490 yards against Monticello during his senior year, which is among the most yards in a single game in state history. Allison initially went to Berry College, but didn’t log a snap.
PIERSON ALLISON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

MICHAEL BABERS III

Babers was a power back for the Raiders, racking up close to 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns, averaging just under 6 yards per tote. A three-time first-team all-region selection and first-team all-area back, he finished as the second-leading rusher in school history. Babers’ top season was his junior 2015 season, in which he had 1,264 yards and 16 TDs, adding 163 receiving yards and 4 more scores. He had 947 rush yds (10 TD) as a sophomore, and was hampered by injuries in his 2016 senior season, but still managed 641 yards and 8 TDs. He has the third-most rushing TDs in a single season (16) in school history, and second-most in a career (34), second-most rushing yards in a game (278), season (1,269) and career (2,900) and second on the all-time rushes list (536). Babers briefly played at Georgia Southern. MICHAEL BABERS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

PEYTON BACKER

Peyton Backer was a two-time All-State player for Rabun County and All-Region selection. He was a force in the trenches with a 90+ overall grade, more than 100 pancake blocks, and on the d-line added 191 career tackles and 8 sacks, as well as 3 forced fumbles. Backer went on to Georgia Southern, where he became a relied-upon player for the Eagles.

LOGAN BARNES

Logan Barnes holds the school record at Dawson with 304 all-time tackles. That includes seven for loss, five interceptions, five forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. Barnes was a two-time All-State and two-time All-Region selection, and was as lock-down a free safety as we have seen. He went on to play at Wofford College. He missed 2 full seasons due to injury.

TREVAE CAIN

Cain tallied over 3,000 rushing yards and north of 40 TDs in his illustrious career, averaging 7 yards per carry. On the other side of the ball (linebacker) he had more than 50 tackles. Cain was outstanding especially in his senior 2015 season, where he rushed for 1,339 yards and 18 TDs, which was preceded by 871 yards and 15 TDs as a junior. Cain, also had more than 500 receiving yards in his career with 5 TD. He went on to play at Reinhardt University.

COLE CHANCEY

Chancey is one of the top rushers in Commerce history, which speaks volumes with the rich tradition they have of elite runners. Chancey racked up 3,644 yards on the ground to go with 44 touchdowns. He rarely took plays off, surpassing 100 career tackles as a safety and hauling in some five interceptions. As usual, Commerce made the playoffs in all four of Chancey’s years. Chancey went on to a stellar career at Harding University, and had a sensational freshman season (1,347 yds, 15 TD). He had 961 yds & 14 TD as a sophomore, 1,375 yds and 13 TD as a junior, and 1,441 yds and 24 TD as a senior. He finished with 5,124 yards and 66 TD to become one of the best players in Harding history.

BRUCE CLARK

Bruce Clark was the first big pass-catcher Dawson truly had. He helped kickstart the golden age of Tigers football. He hauled in 2,200 yards and 30 TDs, and was the favorite target for one of the program’s best in Tyler Dominy. He went on to play at Shorter University, and was a big-time target for the Hawks.

COLBY CLARK

A gamer…that’s what Colby Clark is. The Harding University bound QB took on any and every assignment tasked him by Jefferson over his career, and battled through injuries to help guide the Dragons to victory after victory. Clark finished off his senior season as an All-State honoree, and passed for 563 yards and 9 TD against just one interception, and rushed for 1,108 yards and 24 scores. For his career at Jefferson, he passed for 1,559 yards and rushed for 2,501, and had a hand in 65 TDs (46 rushing, 19 passing). He also contributed at linebacker and corner back during his career, which included an All-State recognition and All-Region honors. Clark went on to play at Harding University.
COLBY CLARK CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SEVAUGHN CLARK

Clark put together a stellar resume from Dawson County. The running back-turned-quarterback closed his Tigers career with 2,663 rushing yards and 31 TDs, and added 965 passing yards his senior season with 9 TD passes. He earned All-State honors as a RB after his junior year, and as a preseason selection before his senior year. The ultimate team player, Clark sacrificed many touchdowns and rushing yards to go to the QB position for his senior year – something almost no other senior would be willing to do. A “bruiser” back, Clark has ice veins and helped guide the Tigers to its first-ever 10-win season in 2018, and all told played a large part in going 18-6 his two years as a featured player with 2 Sweet 16 appearances. Clark went to UGA as a preferred walk-on and saw limited game action. SEVAUGHN CLARK CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

BEN CLEVELAND

Ben Cleveland was a BEAST in the trenches for the Stephens County Indians. Although a consensus 4-star recruit, a couple publications had him as a legit 5-star talent. He was worth the hype, as he was twice named an All-American and had north of a 95% grade throughout his career on the O-Line. He was a top-10 OL in the United States, and went on to have a stellar career at the University of Georgia, starting and playing in a National Championship game. Cleveland was then drafted by the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL (3rd Round, 94th Overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft. Entering 2023, he has logged 21 games and 5 starts for the Ravens.

KALEB CRANE

Crane had a stellar career at White County, helping guide the Warriors to one of the quickest turnarounds we’ve ever seen. In 2016, the team went just 1-9. In 2017, Crane was on another level, pounding his way to a 7-4 season that had White County just moments away from making the Sweet 16. Crane was hard to bring down, tallying north of 2,000 yards and 30 TDs on offense throughout his time at White County. He also had 250-plus yards receiving with 5 more scores. On the flip side of the ball, Crane had 100-plus tackles, 5 sacks, and was an All-State player. KALEB CRANE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

AJ CURRY

What an athlete AJ Curry was. He had only one year at Habersham Central, and three years prior at Stephens County. A running back/receiver for the Indians, he converted to quarterback when going to the Raiders. It was an incredible adjustment, and it paid off. He passed for 2,495 yards and 18 TD in his one season as a QB, learning the curve quickly. He rushed for 676 yards altogether, adding 13 more scores. His career numbers include 285 receiving yards and 2 TD. Curry was an All-Region member in 2017 for Habersham. The dual threat ended his career with more than 3,300 offensive yards and a total of 33 TDs. Curry plays now at Western Carolina University after entertaining a handful of big-time offers. AJ CURRY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

DONOVAN CURRY

Donovan Curry, younger brother of AJ (above), also made the switch from rival Stephens County to Habersham, and helped get the Raiders back to the playoffs in 2018 after seven years removed from the previous trip. The 2-time All-Region talent balled out for the Raiders, and closed his career with 1,829 receiving yards and 21 TDs. He also tallied exactly 1,000 career return yards on punts/kickoffs, and had 80 tackles (3 for loss), and 3 interceptions (one TD). Curry now plays at Troy University. DONOVAN CURRY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

TYLER DOMINY

Dominy was a 2-time All-State quarterback, and shredded opposing defenses for over 7,500 yards in his career, including 69 TDs. He added 12 rushing scores and helped lead the Tigers to a state playoff berth in 2012, his senior year. He still holds the school record for passing yards in a game (412) against Forsyth Central that 2012 season, which puts him in elite company of rare feats in the state of Georgia of 400-yard passing games. Dominy is in the BLITZ HOF as a basketball player as well, and played a full career at UNG in that sport. Dominy won both BLITZ POY in football and basketball his senior year. His total stat line at QB: PASSING: 6,548 yds, 69 TD; RUSHING: 1,000 yds, 12 TD; TOTAL: 7,548 yds, 81 TD. TYLER DOMINY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

KEVIN ELLISON

Ellison was one of the country’s top dual-threat quarterbacks during his senior year at Habersham Central. The option QB put up school records for rushing yards (4,372) and rushing touchdowns (63) in his illustrious career. He also passed for 1,412 yards and 15 TD. His 80 career all-purpose TDs (1 receiving and returning as well) put him 5^th on the all-time state list for all-purpose TDs. His senior year of 2011 consisted of a mind-blowing 2,183 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns, adding 1,025 passing yards and 12 scores. He led the Raiders to a state playoff appearance. Ellison was the BLITZ 2011 Player of the Year. He was highly recruited, and went to Georgia Southern as a two-star recruit. He holds school records in many categories: longest touchdown run (94 yds), most rushing TDs in a game (5), season (32) and career (63), points scored in a season (200) and career (394), rushing yards in a season (2,183) and career (4,372) and career rushes (625). Five times he recorded more than 220 rushing yards in a game, and is one of only 13 Raiders ever to be a four-year letterman. Named the AJC Class 4A POY in 2011. He had an outstanding career at GSU, rushing for 3,368 yards and 35 TD, while passing for 3,225 yards and 19 TD. His sophomore season (2014) featured 1,096 rushing yards and 12 TD while passing for 1,001 yards and 5 TD; his top season for the Eagles. Ellison played professionally for the Milano Rhinos of the Italian Football League. KEVIN ELLISON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

BAILEY FISHER

36-4 as a starter under coach Lee Shaw, and three of those losses came in the state quarterfinals or deeper. A true winner, and there’s not been one like him. The Wildcats GOAT Bailey Fisher took his team to the 2017 title game, won four straight region titles and three 2A Quarterfinal runs or deeper. He closed his career with 113 TD passes, fourth most all-time in state history, and 9,383 yards, sixth most all-time. He tallied 170 career touchdowns (113 passing, 57 rushing), while rushing for 3,075 yards, giving him a total of 12,458 total yards of offense. Fisher rarely stayed in for full games and played only sparingly as a freshman in 2014. His numbers could have been tops in state history. His senior year was better than we’ve ever seen — 3,341 yds passing and 43 TD, as well as 1,283 rush yds and another 27 TD on the ground — all career single-season highs and Rabun County records. Fisher had a hand in 70 touchdowns that season, and was a three-time BLITZ Player of the Year. Fisher went on to play at Tennessee Tech University, where he was the Conference Rookie of the Year and followed it with an insane sophomore season. He then went to Gardner-Webb and guided the Bulldogs to the Big South Conference Championship. He had 5,024 yards and 36 TD passing at GW with 456 rushing yards and 17 TD. At TTU, he had 4,304 yards and 32 TD passing and 835 and 13 rushing. The college totals – 9,328 passing yards and 68 TD and 1,291 rushing yards and 30 TD. What a career! BAILEY FISHER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

JADEN GIBSON

The GOAT of receivers in Georgia football history! Jaden Gibson was already on his way to a phenomenal career in his freshman and sophomore seasons at Dawson County, but he leveled up at Rabun County in his final two seasons. He had 1,300 receiving yards and 11 TD in his career when deciding to team up with Gunner Stockton. He put up video game numbers with 1,878 receiving yards and 19 TD as a junior, smashing his previous two season stats combined. He put up 6 200-yard receiving games, the most such in state history. His senior season for Rabun County saw him total 1,950 receiving yards (2nd most in a single-season ever) and 29 TD (single-season state record) on 109 catches. He is one of only a few wideouts to eclipse 3,000 career yards (5,124 – most in Georgia history) and 30 TD (59 – most in Georgia history). Against Elbert County in his senior year, he put up career-highs with 13 catches and 285 yards (8th most in single-game in history). That same game he passed the all-time yardage mark (on his 3rd TD of the game), and the 4th TD of the game was the state receiving TD record. He was part of back-to-back Region Championships and Quarterfinal runs for #1-ranked Rabun County. Nobody better at WR…5,124 yards, 59 TD, 274 receptions. Gibson was a Region Player of the Year, BLITZ Player of the Year, 3-time All-State selection, and one time All-American who went on to NCAA D-I in the Power Five at Virginia. JADEN GIBSON SR SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

BLAKE GOWDER

Gowder was a three-star recruit out of Union County, leading the Panthers as a big-time playmaker. He was ranked the #110 athlete in the country, spending much of his time as a dominating force at tight end while playing at Union County, where he led them to a 6-4 record his senior year in 2009. With 72 receptions for 1,237 yards and 14 TD, he was named All-State by the Georgia Sports Writers Association and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as well as being named an All-Region selection as TE. He also spent time in the backfield, eclipsing 1,200 yards while scoring 21 touchdowns. His junior year at TE was even better (77 rec, 1,423 yds). On defense (LB) as a senior, he added 76 tackles and an interception. He finished his prep career with 225 receptions, and was a standout in basketball as well as baseball, where he was one of the region’s top pitchers, throwing a no-hitter as a junior. Gowder signed with Vanderbilt, playing three years for the Commodores despite dealing with injuries. He never recorded a stat (tackle, rush attempt or reception) while there.

J BEN HAYNES

J Ben Haynes left White County as the most decorated QB in school history. He set school records in passing yards (7,081) and TD (55), completing 491-of-866, good for 58%. A true dual threat, the 4-year starter also had 2,113 yards and 36 TD on the ground, finishing with 9,214 total yards and 92 TD (he had one TD receiving). He missed a few games in his senior season, which cost him a chance at 10K total yards and 100 total TD. Still, he led the Warriors to a pair of playoff runs. At graduation, he stood as the state’s 36th top passer in yards all-time. His junior year saw him throw for 2,148 yards and 13 scores, along with 981 rushing yards and another 17 TD. As a senior despite missing a handful of games, he threw for 1,774 and 18 TD, and rushed for 814 and 16 TD. Haynes earned a baseball scholarship to play at UNG. J BEN HAYNES CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

BRAXTON HICKS

3,490 career yards ranks 5th at the time of his graduation in state history. 46 receiving TDs ranks tops in Georgia history. No other receiver ever posted back-to-back-to-back 12-plus TD seasons. Hicks was part of a dynasty at Rabun County that won 6 straight Region Titles, and left with a record of 48-5, losing only once in the regular season. That includes going 26-0 in region play, and playing in 4 straight quarterfinals games, including the 2017 state championship game run. The UGA-bound wideout had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, and hauled in 183 passes. Hicks is up there as one of the best receivers BLITZ has ever been blessed enough to cover, and was a 2-time All-State selection. He was a PWO at the University of Georgia, and is a 2-time National Champion. BRAXTON HICKS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

ZACH HOLTZCLAW

Holtzclaw is a true passing QB, almost exclusively. He passed for at least 2,300 yards in both his sophomore and junior seasons, and had 33 total TD as a junior in 2020. As a senior, Holtzclaw put up 2,149 pass yds and 19 TD, and added 98 rush yds and 5 TD. He went on to play at Cumberland University. ZACH HOLTCLAW CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

BRODY JARRARD

Brody Jarrard began as a stud running back for the Wildcats. His role changed dramatically, as he became a stud linebacker stopping others from doing what he used to do — avoiding tackles. He finished his career with 229 tackles (24.5 for loss), had 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 4 fumble recoveries. On offense, he had 797 total yards and 9 TD. He had 75 tackles as a junior and 93 as a senior. Jarrard earned a baseball scholarship to play at Truett McConnell University.

AUSTIN JONES

Jones became one of the premiere players in the state of Georgia. The “Swiss Army Knife” as we often called him, Jones could change a game in any capacity as a go-to wide receiver, a ball hawk at the safety position, or flipping the field on a punt return as he often did. Jones was a core piece for a Wildcats team that made a State Championship game and the quarterfinals all four years he was on the team. The 3-time All-State player put up 2,282 career receiving yards with 24 TD. He also had 1,112 punt/kick return yards with another 5 TD, and all-told had 3,556 all-purpose yards with 31 scores. On defense, Jones tallied 354 tackles (18 for loss), had 10 interceptions, 15 pass deflections, and 2 forced fumbles. Jones multiple D-I offers, and played a full career at Furman University. AUSTIN JONES CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

COLE KEENER

Keener really became a true playmaker as a junior, so he was a late bloomer in that regard. That season (2016), he 504 receiving yards and 5 TD, adding an interception on defense at the safety position. But no one predicted his crazy senior year. The Wildcat star earned All-State honors in the Championship Game season for Rabun, collecting 1,008 yards receiving with 13 TD, and had 388 kick return, 16 punt return, and 80 interception yards to give him a collective 1,492 all-purpose yardage season. But here’s where he was even better. At safety, he was a ball hawk who picked off 10 passes and deflected 8 others. He had 15 TDs (13 REC, 1 KR, 1 INT) and had 50 tackles that season. All told, he closed his career with 2,189 all-purpose yards and 22 TDs, as well as 11 interceptions and 74 tackles. COLE KEENER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

TAVARRES KING

The Habersham Central (c/o 2008) star receiver was far and away the best deep threat in the state during his incredible career. He led the Raiders to deep state playoff runs in his last two years, and gave the Raiders back-to-back Region Championships. King still holds almost every receiving record in school history, and is currently sixth in state history in career receiving yardage (3,270 yds) and third in state history for most in a single season (1,641 yds on 100 catches in 2007). He owns the top two spots in Habersham history with passes caught in a single game with 12 and 11, and the top spot in career catches (207) and single season (100). He also holds the Raiders mark for single game receiving yards (207), season receiving yards (1,641) and career (3,270), as well as season TDs (17) and career (37). He is one of only 13 Raiders to be a four-year letterman. King was named 1st Team All-State twice by GACA and by the AP and AJC, and was named 4A State Player of the Year by GACA twice and once each by the AP and AJC. TK went on to a stellar career at UGA that saw him become one of the top go-to targets for the Bulldogs in his last two seasons. He played so well that he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2013 NFL Draft and saw time with the Broncos, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the New York Giants, with whom he caught a TD pass in the NFC Playoffs in 2017. He played several years in the NFL.

MASON KINSEY

Kinsey was a gamer for the Raiders, morphing into a true leader on and off the field. No one had a better motor than him, and he almost never took a play off. He left Habersham as the second all-time leading receiver behind fellow BLITZ Hall of Famer Tavarres King, recording some 1,355 yards and 10 TDs, while adding 15 tackles and two interceptions. He had 718 yards (4 TD) as a senior in 2015 and 637 yards (6 TD) as a junior, and was twice an All-Region selection and once All-Area. He caught nine passes in a game on three separate occasions. Kinsey is third on the single-season and career reception list for Habersham, hauling in 54 passes as a senior and 82 overall. His career-best as a Raider came with a 9-rec, 175-yd performance in 2014. He also put up the third-best receiving total in a single season (in yards) with his 718 as a senior. He played at Berry College, where he followed his sophomore season as one of the top receivers in the country (77 rec, 1,245 yds, 17 TD; all Berry records) with an equally impressive junior season. He had 3,343 yards and 50 TD for Berry, both school records, and added 67 rush yds and 2 TD, as well as 587 kick/punt return yds and a TD. After his senior year, which saw him shatter all BC records for receivers, he was snagged up as an undrafted free agent by the Tennessee Titans. He played in several NFL preseason games, and caught a TD in Atlanta with the Titans. He’s currently a reserve player for Tennessee, and has been in 3 NFL regular season games with a 3-yard reception.

CAM LACY

Few players changed a game in as many ways as Cam Lacy did for Stephens County. His career saw him total 2,264 receiving yards and 22 TD on 119 receptions. He finished with 32 total TD, as he also had 1,270 kick/punt return yards and 7 TD. Defensively, he had 90 tackles and 6 interceptions, and was a 2-time All-State selection. His junior season saw him collect 1,023 receiving yards and 8 TD on 44 catches, and he had 857 and 11 on another 44 receptions as a senior, but also had 628 kick/punt return yards that season. Lacy was listed as a 3-star recruit and went on to play for Middle Tennessee State University. CAM LACY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SHAWN LOVELL

Shawn Lovell was an undisputed leader on the Rabun County dynasty that made four straight Quarterfinal runs, including a State Championship in his junior 2017 season. It’s hard to quantify what he did, but Lovell at the center position took great pride in protecting his quarterback (Bailey Fisher & Gunner Stockton), or running back. Yes, the skill players get most of the glory, but what Lovell did in the trenches earned the praise of his teammates, and as Fisher (one of the state’s all-time best) once said, “he makes my job easy.” Lovell paved the way for 22,420 yards of offense throughout his time at Rabun, including 300 offensive touchdowns. For his efforts, he was honored with All-State recognition. Lovell earned a spot to play at Mars Hill.

ASHELY LOWERY

The White County star two-way athlete is in our Hall of Fame for both football and basketball. Lowery had a heck of a prep career on the gridiron, becoming one of the state’s most feared running back and defensive back. In his senior year in which the Warriors made the Sweet 16, Lowery ran for 1,340 yards with 15 TD (6.8 YPC). He added 258 receiving yards with a TD and passed for three more scores. On the flip side in 2010, he totaled 112 tackles and 2 interceptions. Despite his success, he was a self-less teammate who gives more credit to them than he does himself. His junior year was just as impressive, with 1,175 rushing yards and 12 scores (8.2 YPC). He goes down as perhaps the best to suit up for White County, and was twice named the BLITZ Player of the Year (2009, 2010). Lowery went on to play for the University of Kentucky as a safety, compiling over 150 career tackles and four interceptions as a Wildcat. ASHELY LOWERY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

JOSEPH MANCUSO

Mancuso silently became one of the top signal callers in the state of Georgia. He led his Union County Panthers to three straight state playoff trips and finished his prep career with 8,110 passing yards (10th in GHSA history) and 88 TD (5th in state history) with 2,048 rushing yards with 21 TD. His junior season included over 3,000 passing yards and 35 TD, with over 2,000 passing and 1,000 rushing in his encore performance. His 109 total TD rank third most all-time in Georgia. Mancuso, also a standout baseball player, was BLITZ Football Player of the Year in 2013 and Baseball Player of the Year in 2014. Mancuso’s career was pushed by a strong support system, including his loving family, and has excelled in overcoming adversity throughout his life. Mancuso played at the Univ. of Richmond. He was the star QB from 2019-2021, and finished with 5,696 passing yards and 40 TD along with 1,549 rushing yards and 19 TD for the Spiders. Mancuso then went pro to the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Indoor Football League, throwing for 623 yards and 11 TD while rushing for 54 yards and 4 TD in 2023. JOSEPH MANCUSO CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

LUKE MARTIN

Luke Martin (6’3, 225 lbs) was a mainstay at LB for the Tigers during a pivotal part of the historic seasons under coach Sid Maxwell. Martin was an absolute monster on defense, collecting 328 tackles between just his junior and senior season, and finishing with well over 400 for his career. He added a pair of sacks and a few interceptions, and even had some cameo appearances at tight end, where he added a couple TDs and 122 yards. He had a school record 185 tackles (20 for loss) as a senior, and 133 (1) as a junior. The UNC-Charlotte linebacker was named All-State at Dawson as a senior, and earned 7-AAA Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was 1st Team All-Region three times. At UNC Charlotte, Martin finished with 150 tackles (4.5 TFL), a sack, 2 INT, a FF, and a TD.

ZACH MATTHEWS

Matthews was the all-time leading rusher at Lumpkin County (3,804 yards, 47 TD), and added some 100 tackles as a linebacker. In the run game though, he made his biggest contribution, averaging nearly six yards per carry. Matthews had to move from a fullback to a running back to a run-first quarterback, then back to fullback. While his role changed, his production did not. Matthews went to play at the University of West Georgia.
ZACH MATTHEWS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

TUCKER MAXWELL

Maxwell was a next-level talent in two sports (baseball & football) but wound up going pro in the former. However, he was a standout wide receiver for Dawson County in one season there, and fetched over 1,500 yards receiving with more than 20 TD in his football career. He added more than 30 tackles and 5 interceptions on defense. Maxwell, also a BLITZ HOFer in baseball, was a large reason why the Tigers won the 2015 region title and advanced to the Quarterfinals. Maxwell was a one-time Player of the Year (baseball), and went on to play baseball at UGA before being drafted by the Phillies in the 2019 MLB Draft. TUCKER MAXWELL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

CLAY NELSON

Clay Nelson was a 2-time First Team All-Region selection while anchoring the front line for the Raiders. Overall, he was a 3-time All-Region selection who graded out at 90% and registered 72 pancake blocks. Nelson went on to play college ball at Berry College.

KYLE OAKES

Kyle Oakes was a beast in his final two years at Towns County. Multiple times in both seasons he was the state’s rushing leader in Class 1A Public. He finished with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, and took the Indians to new heights they hadn’t seen in decades. He finished his career with a 1,648-yd rushing season with 21 rushing scores in 2021, adding 147 in the receiving game with a pair of TDs. That gave him over 3K total yards and over 40 TD in his career!

KOLT OWENBY

Kolt Owenby has long been gone from Union County, but the Panthers’ QB was a true dual threat monster. Before Union ever had T Bentley, Joseph Mancuso, Cole Wright, Pierson Allison, Logan Helcher, or Caiden Tanner, the Panthers had an All-State talent in Owenby. He collected 92 total TD, including 37 total TD as a senior in 2009. He totaled 7,046 passing yards (59 TD) and 2,507 rushing yards (33 TD), slinging a lot to DI talent Blake Gowder. Owenby went on to play at the University of the Cumberlands.

LEVI PATE

At 5’11, 250 pounds, Pate may seem a little on the smaller side for a lineman. But he always played above that. Pate was named All-State at OL for Commerce AND All-State at DL, and was also a multi-All-Region selection on both sides of the trenches. The Harding University lineman played exclusively on offense, but was a beast who rarely if ever took a snap off as a Tiger. He graded out over 90 to the best of our knowledge, had over 150 pancake blocks, and over 150 career tackles.

BRYANT SHIRREFFS

Bryant Shirreffs led the Dragons to a State Championship in 2012, which is more than enough. He was reliable and solid for Jefferson, totaling 5,519 passing yards and 53 TD as well as 2,158 rushing yards and another 37 TD. That gave him 90 total TD exactly and nearly 8,000 yards of offense. Shirreffs had a short stay at NC State before transferring to UConn, where he had a stellar career that included passing for over 6,500 yards and rushing for over 1,000, combining for 37 TD (31 passing, 6 rushing).

MALAKI STARKS

Starks, a 5-star recruit who was at one point the nation’s top overall recruit, went on to UGA. First, he had a sensational career for the Dragons. Unselfishly, he took on the QB role in his junior and senior year after shining as a safety and running back as a freshman and sophomore. He ended up with over 3,200 total yards of offense and 49 total TD (2 receiving), and added 10 picks and 85 tackles on the flip side with another pair of scores. He led Jefferson to a state title game appearance as a junior in 2020. Starks was named an All-American and All-State selection two times. He was an All-American as a freshman on UGA’s 2022 National Championship team, picking off Bo Nix in his first-ever game in the season-opener.
MALAKI STARKS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

GUNNER STOCKTON

The 4-time All-American and All-State player had arguably the greatest career in Georgia football history. He ended his career with the most total TD (254) and yards (18,024) as well as most passing TD (177) in state history. His 13,652 passing yards were second only to Trevor Lawrence, and he was 46-7 as a starter. His teams won 4 straight region titles and each season went to the Quarterfinals or deeper. He put up one of the all-time best seasons as a senior with 70 total TD (55 passing and 15 rushing). He had 4,134 passing yards and 956 rushing yards, and a career-best QBR of 151.9. He threw 55 TDs against just 1 interception. He went on to play at UGA, and was the nation’s top 5-star QB. He was pivotal to UGA’s 2022 National Championship as the Scout Team QB weekly. GUNNER STOCKTON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

CHAZ THORNTON

Thornton was an electric running back for Stephens County, rushing for 6,309 career yards, surpassing Heisman Trophy Winner Herschel Walker’s career high school rushing totals to finish sixth all-time in the state standings. Thornton was the Region 8-AAAA Offensive Player of the Year, and named second team all-state after a solid senior season (1,756 yds, 24 TD). Three times he was an all-region, first-team pick. In his 2012 senior campaign at Stephens, Thornton averaged more than six yards per carry and nearly 160 rushing yards per game, adding two receiving scores. Thornton’s accolades includes an all-state selection by the AP, AJC, and Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) following his 2011 junior season in which he was also named 8-AAA Player of the Year. Thornton led the Indians to 30 wins in his four years, including four state playoff trips (one second round appearance). He went on to Georgia Southern as a two-star recruit, putting up 137 rushing yards with a TD in two partial seasons. CHAZ THORNTON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

COOPER TURNER

Cooper Turner set program records with 1,683 receiving yards and 11 TD catches. He was one of J Ben Haynes’ favorite targets to throw to. He approached 1,000 yards as a junior and had a solid senior season as well. Turner was a late-bloomer on the varsity scene, but did significant damage for the Warriors in his final two years at White County. His 110 career catches also has him atop the school record board (as well as single-game record of 10 receptions). He was twice named All-Region.

HARLEY VAUGHAN

Stats literally can’t show the impact of Harley Vaughan. He was an elite lineman throughout his time at Dawson County, and that was only the beginning. Vaughan was instrumental in getting the Tigers to the state playoffs as a senior, and became a two-time All-American at the University of West Georgia (where he holds the record for most games played/started), and thereafter he was invited to the Falcons Rookie Camp to have a shot to make it into the NFL.

JOSHUA WADE

Wade is one of the top lineman to play for the Raiders, and coach Benji Harrison claims he’s the best OL he has ever had in 20-plus years. A three-year starter, he was a two-time 1st Team All-Region pick, and was voted the team’s ’19 best offensive player. He graded out at 90+ every week, and recorded 50 pancake blocks as a senior in 2019. Wade went to Reinhardt as an OL at 6’2 and 285 pounds.

COEY WATSON

No one played with more heart than Coey Watson, as he led the Dawson County Tigers when playing with knee and shoulder injuries, neither of which is easy when you’re a dual-threat quarterback. Watson closed his epic high school career with 6,928 passing yards and 65 touchdowns, adding another 2,002 rushing yards and 41 scores. In total, he amassed 8,930 yards of offense and 106 touchdowns. His name appears in the all-time leaders in passing yards in Georgia, as well as touchdowns. He took Dawson to the state playoffs in three out of four seasons as starter under center, including a quarterfinals run in his sophomore 2015 season. Watson went on to play a season at Shorter University. COEY WATSON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

CHARLIE WOERNER

Even as a freshman it was clear Charlie Woerner would be a stud athlete at Rabun County. The nephew of former UGA great Scott Woerner played under coach Lee Shaw for the Wildcats. To assign him as any other position on offense other than “Athlete” would be misleading. He was at one time a 1,000 yard rusher as a running back, but also collected a 1,000-yard receiving season as a wideout, and could line up as a tight end as well. He was just as dominant defensively, eliminating the deep threat and was always one of the first to the ball on every play. Woerner, a quiet and respectful young man, closed his prep career with four trips to the state playoffs (34 wins), including back-to-back region titles. He tallied over 5,000 yards of offense, accounting for 66 TD. He recorded 2,358 yds rushing (36 TD) & 2,703 receiving (30 TD). He also had 428 tackles (17 for loss) and 12 INT for 249 return yards. Woerner was our 2014 Football Player of the Year and Track Athlete of the Year in his sophomore year. Woerner had a solid career at UGA, where he played in the 2018 CFP National Championship. He had over 250 receiving yards and a TD, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2020 NFL Draft. Entering 2023, he’s played in 48 NFL games with 8 receptions for 88 yards as a primary blocking TE. CHARLIE WOERNER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

COLBY WOOD

Wood was a phenomenal talent for the Dragons, rushing for 5,785 yards, and hauled in 852 receiving yards as well from the backfield. The elusive runner, all told, put up 89 total TDs and 6,637 yards of offense. He shined on defense as well, with 100+ tackles and 10 career interceptions, and was a 3-time All-State player. Wood initially went to Wofford, but did not play. COLBY WOOD CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

COLE WRIGHT

The dual threat QB Cole Wright ranked as one of the tops in the state in total yardage in his two years under center. Wright was backup his first two years at Union County, with former Panthers great and BLITZ Hall-of-Famer Joseph Mancuso in place at the QB position through 2015. Wright entered his 2016 junior year with only 160 passing yards (19/31 passing) with exactly no touchdowns and one interception. He put himself on the map with an excellent 2016 campaign that saw him throw for 1,853 yards and 15 TD, while rushing for 1,450 yards and 20 TD. His senior year was even better, as he threw for 1,938 yards and 19 TD, throwing just 3 picks and completing 57% of his passes. He rush for 1,140 yards with 14 TDs, averaging 10.5 yards per tote. His total (in just two years as starter) was 3,951 passing yards (34 TD) and 2,676 rush yards (35 TD), to give him a grand total of 6,000 offensive yards and 69 TDs. Wright went on to play at Army-West Point. COLE WRIGHT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SOFTBALL

JENNA ABBOTT

The former Dawson County star pitcher and hitter had a superb career, leading the Lady Tigers to multiple state playoff runs, including a Sweet 16 run in 2012. In her senior season at Dawson, she hit a mind-blowing .611 with 7 homers and 26 RBI. In the circle, she posted a 13-3 mark with a 1.70 ERA and 107 strikeouts, adding one save. She was the BLITZ Player of the Year in 2012 and played a full career at Auburn, appearing in two College World Series, including coming within one win in 2016 before falling to Oklahoma in game three of the finals. She finished her career with a .270 average, 10 HR, 86 RBI, 45 R, 16 2B and 2 3B. She also pitched in 24 games, carrying a 2.48 ERA and striking out 17 batters.

JACY AYERS

Jacy Ayers was fantastic at Banks County. As a sophomore, she was an integral piece to the Lady Leopards’ State Championship season. That year saw her hit .404 with 2 HR and 19 RBI, and go 11-7 with a 2.86 ERA with 102 K. That earned All-State status, and she had a 2.10 ERA with 35 K in a shortened 2021 season. Her senior year, Ayers exploded with a .518 average, 3 HR, 43 RBI, a 2.76 ERA with 117 K, and BLITZ Player of the Year honors and again was an All-State selection. Ayers finished with a .455 average with 5 HR and 62 RBI to go with 45 runs, 24 doubles, 5 triples, 25 wins, a 2.35 ERA, and 255 strikeouts. She went on to play at Lander University.

JAYCIE BOWEN

Bowen was one of Banks County’s greats, as the two-way player finished her illustrious career with a .486 average, 17 HR, and 117 RBI. She scored 79 runs, tallied 38 doubles, 4 triples, and was an All-State honoree. In the circle, Bowen went 18-6 with a 1.43 ERA and 206 K. The two-sport star (basketball), chose to pursue basketball at Georgia College. Bowen was BLITZ Player of the Year as a senior after batting .550 with 11 HR and 44 RBI and leading the Lady Leopards to a State Championship game. She went on to play college basketball.

COURTNEY & CRYSTAL BUSBEE

Courtney and Crystal are not the same person…as they are the first to tell you. However, their careers were intertwined. Courtney finished her career with a .324 average, 67 RBI, 55 runs, 27 doubles and 135 hits, all of which fall in the top-ten in Union County history. A gamer, the catcher played through injury and almost never took a game off, piling up 417 at-bats, third most in Union County history. Sister Crystal was a defensive mainstay at shortstop, and she hit .298 with 44 RBI, 98 runs (3rd most all-time at Union) and 21 doubles as part of her 100 hits. Crystal went to Emmanuel College before transferring to Georgia Gwinnett College and having a solid collegiate career.

MATTIE CANUP

Canup was a great-hitting catcher who also played great defensively. She had a phenomenal junior and senior season. As a junior (2015) she hit .453 with 21 RBI, 22 runs and 11 SB, also adding 11 doubles and a triple, posting a .514 OBP. She followed it up with a 2016 senior year that saw her hit .491 with 18 RBI, 15 R, 8 2B, 4 3B, 10 SB, 12 BB and a .590 OBP. She hit .380 as a freshman, .360 as sophomore, .453 as a junior and .463 as a senior. Her career totals included .415 average (school career record), 77 RBI, 76 runs, 27 doubles, one triple and 131 hits to with 35 stolen bases. She also drew 54 walks and reached on HBP 10 times, and a record 20 sacrifice bunts.

LEXI CASH

A three-time All-Region selection, Lexi Cash was money for the Lady Indians. For three-plus seasons, she hit over .440, scoring over 100 runs, driving in more than 70, and blasting over 10 homers. The Brenau star ended up having a slid career for the Golden Tigers as well.

LAKEN CHAMBERS

Chambers left Union County as one of the top two-way players in school history. She was a dominating presence both in the circle and at the plate since day one, becoming a rare four-year impact player. Her career batting average of .360 consists of 14 homeruns and 117 RBI. In the circle, she went 69-31 with a 1.50 ERA and 515 strikeouts and four saves. She owns the single-season and career RBI mark at Union County. Chambers hit .362 with 2 homers and 19 RBI as a senior, going 15-7 with a 1.45 ERA and 130 strikeouts. Her junior year (2015) was better, as she hit .444 with 5 homeruns and 38 RBI, going 18-8 with 3 saves and a 1.33 ERA to go with 145 strikeouts. As a sophomore in 2014 she also hit .330 with 4 homers and 36 RBI while going 23-8 with a 1.54 ERA and 141 strikeouts. This came after her freshman year that saw her hit .343 with 3 homeruns and 24 RBI, going 13-8 with a save and a 1.97 ERA with 99 strikeouts. Chambers was also back-to-back winner of the BLITZ Softball Player of the Year award for her sophomore and junior seasons and led the Lady Panthers to state all four years, including an Elite 8 run and a pair of Sweet 16 appearances. She played at the University of North Georgia, making it to the College World Series as a freshman after hitting .667 in limited action with 5 RBI and going 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA in 14 games pitched. Her college stats include a 24-5 record, 1.02 REA, and 115 K in 206 innings of work.

PAIGE COOK

Cook was so good at softball, Mississippi State locked her up before her sophomore season. The Lady Bulldog had a great Lady Raider career, batting .437 with 10 homers and 66 RBI. She scored 80 runs, had 26 doubles, 8 triples, and 33 stolen bases, and was a 4-time All-Region selection. Cook played excellent defense, and won Player of the Year honors as a sophomore after putting up a .476-6-25 stat line. At Mississippi State, Cook has had an impressive career with a .304 average, 22 HR, 103 RBI, 18 2B, and 93 runs scored in 183 games played (167 starts) entering her 5th year in 2024.

MADI CRONIC

Madi Cronic was a fantastic 4-year starter for the Lady Leopards, and was an instrumental part in the program claiming a State Championship in 2019 and a Runner-Up finish in 2018. Cronic was the BLITZ Player of the Year in 2020 after batting .490 with 6 HR and 40 RBI. She finished her career with a .443 average (171 hits), 9 HR, 76 RBI, and 100 runs scored. She also had 52 walks and had a career OBP of .548, a .583 SLG percentage, and was a slick fielder with a .920 FLD percentage. The shortstop was a 4-time 1st Team All-Region honoree, and twice an All-State selection. Cronic earned a softball scholarship to West Georgia, with 13 games under her belt heading into the 2024 season.

TYBEE DENTON

There’s arguably no better two-way player we’ve ever seen. Tybee Denton led Banks County to its first state championship in program history in 2019 in a dream season. Over her career with the Lady Leopards, she finished with a 73-19 record in the circle, complete with 1,041 strikeouts, and a 1.20 ERA. At the plate, she hit .375 with 24 homers, 110 RBI, 39 runs, and 21 doubles. Her senior year saw the two-time All-State and Region Player of the Year go 29-3 with a save and a 0.47 ERA, striking out 412 batters in 195 innings. She threw 12 no-hitters as part of 21 shutouts. At the plate, she hit .423 with 12 homeruns and 41 RBI, complete with a .500 OBP and .837 SLG. Unbelievable! That earned her BLITZ Player of the Year honors. The UNG star led the program to a National Championship in 2023, and entering 2024 has a career record of 38-6 with a 2.14 ERA and 308 K in 303.2 IP with 23 CGs and 8 Shutouts. She was named 1st Team All-Conference in the Peach Belt.

CALLIE DYER

Dyer left Union County as one of the top hitters in school history. The outfielder went on to play at Young Harris, but while at Union County, she hit .360 with 14 homeruns, 106 RBI, 71 runs, 46 doubles, 4 triples, and a total of 155 hits. She played in 141 total games (school record), including playing for a State Championship in 2010. Dyer was a 2-time All-State and 2-time All-Region selection. Her 46 doubles (school record) includes a single-season record of 19.

KENZIE FLEMING

Fleming was a star softball player for the Lady Raiders. The power-hitting catcher set the school record for homeruns, and was a four-year mainstay in the lineup, as well as a three-year basketball player. She was named first-team all-region in her 2011 junior season and all-area second team. She followed that up with an all-area honorable mention in 2012 and named to the all-region team. Fleming was an integral part of the Lady Raiders’ region championship in 2011, helping the girls to a state tournament appearance. Her sophomore year saw Habersham advance to the Sweet 16. Fleming went on to a successful collegiate career at Berry College, where she hit .332 for her career with 10 homers and 86 RBI, tallying 121 hits, 34 of which were doubles (47 XBH).

BRIGHTON HARDER

It wasn’t the picture-perfect career for Brighton Harder, as she was supposed to be one of the big-time leaders for Lumpkin County in 2019. Due to a broken bone, she missed all but the last five games of the regular season. But when she came back, she hit .857 to help get the Lady Indians into the playoffs. She also had a solid junior season with a .463 AVG, .532 OBP, and 33 SB. Her career numbers include an average above .450, OBP over .530, and over 50 stolen bases. Harder went to Emmanuel to continue her career there.

BELLA HENSON

Bella Henson was a solid first baseman, batting .361 for her career with 10 HR and 46 RBI, adding 21 doubles, 53 runs, 12 stolen bases, and slugging .628 as well as posting a .413 OBP. As a sophomore she hit .329-3-9; posted a .387-3-17 as a junior; .369-4-20 as a senior.

CARSON HOBBS

Talk about a special talent. Carson Hobbs might be the best hitter we have ever seen at the high school level. The Commerce star was a 3-time Region Player of the Year and 3-time All-State easy pick. A peek at the total numbers shows her worthiness of Hall of Fame – .490 average, 17 bombs, 137 RBI, 95 runs, and 45 doubles. She also found time to shine in the circle her last two seasons, going 24-7 with a 1.60 ERA and 189 strikeouts. She starred from day one on, as a freshman (.466-4-24), sophomore (.494-5-33), junior (.426-3-39), and senior (.525-5-41) at the plate was a beast. She was 10-4 with a 1.93 ERA as a junior and 14-3 with a 1.48 ERA as a senior. Hobbs went to play at Anderson University.

ANGIE HUGHES

Hughes goes down as one of the most dominant pitchers in state history, striking out more than 1,000 batters while at Union County. She led the Lady Panthers to their sole State Championship game in 2010. Hughes was named BLITZ Player of the Year after her stellar senior season in which she went 26-6 in the circle with a 0.76 ERA and 432 strikeouts – that’s not a typo! She finished her career in the top-three in state history in strikeouts. Her numbers: 689 innings pitched, 1,082 strikeouts, 79 wins. Hughes led the Lady Panthers to 101 team wins over four seasons (three state playoff runs) before heading to Lee University. She earned a 61-36 record for the Flames, to the tune of a 3.69 ERA and 658 strikeouts. She added four saves, 41 complete games (10 shutouts) and pitched 595 innings.

HARLEE INGRAM

Harlee Ingram was a power hitter in the Commerce lineup, blasting 15 round-trippers and batting .385 in her career with 85 RBI, 60 runs scored, and 30 doubles. The first baseman was a playmaker for the Lady Tigers.

MORGAN JACOBSON

Morgan Jacobson was a true slugger. She held the White County school homerun record for a career with 37 bombs, adding 130 RBI and a .428 average. Jacobson was a solid third baseman as well, and was an anchor on the White County Lady Warriors State Championship team in 2010. Jacobson was a 2-time All-State player.

JOY LEWIS

Lewis is perhaps the best definition of “big things come in small packages” as she put up some monster numbers in her career at Dawson. She helped lead the Tigers to an Elite 8 run, and was an All-State player her senior year (2014) after recording 222 strikeouts in 201 innings, with a 2.36 ERA. She also hit .408 with 24 RBI and 28 runs scored that season. Overall, her career looked like this: .443 average, 2 HR, 101 RBI, 82 R, 32 2B, 2 3B at the plate and a 36-9 W-L mark with a 1.59 ERA, 377 K in 315 innings and 42 complete games. She also was named region player of the year as a senior. Lewis went on to play at the University of Pennsylvania for one season.

JASMINE LOWERY

Jasmine Lowery was a 4-year starter who anchored the Lady Indians’ offense, helping the team to multiple deep playoff runs. Lowery progressed each season, batting .303 as a freshman, .370 as a sophomore, .407 as a junior, and .451 as a senior. She had 5 HR in her junior season and 6 in her senior year. Her career saw her bat .380 overall with a .500 OBP, slugging 14 HR to go with 73 RBI, 68 R, 41 2B, 3 3B, 5 SB and 132 total hits. Lowery was a 3-time 1st Team All-Region selection and an All-State selection as well. She earned a spot to play at Piedmont University. Entering 2024, she has a .347 average with 26 RBI and 14 2B along with 29 R.

JILL MARTINET

Jill Martinet was a true slugger, bashing 18 homers and pounding out 25 doubles while also flashing speed (16 stolen bases). She closed her career in style with a State Championship, and had a career average of .442 and .715 slugging percentage. She was a very reliable third baseman, logging a .930 fielding percentage. She had 97 career RBI as well. As a junior, she hit .434 with 5 HR and 40 RBI, and followed that with a senior season of .480-9-46. Martinet went on to Reinhardt University, where she shined from the get-go as a team leader in the lineup. She had a .393 AVG with 13 HR and 97 RBI along with 30 2B and 58 R in college.

LANEY MCGEE

Laney McGee was a consistent threat in the Stephens County lineup. The third baseman/catcher (and played some great SS as well) batted .440 roughly for her stellar career for the Lady Indians. She showed power with five homers, and drove in a ridiculous 90 runs, scoring 73 as well throughout her time in Toccoa. As a sophomore, McGee hit .431 with a homer and 16 RBI. She followed it up with a .443-2-44 stat line as a junior, and .438-2-30 as a senior.

SYDNEY MCGINNIS

McGinnis was a very consistent player in her time at Dawson County, batting .347. While she didn’t have a ton of power (20ish extra-base hits), she drove in some 40 runs, scored about 50, and was a reliable fielder (.964%). McGinnis was a 2-time All-Region player, and went on to play at Anderson Broaddus.

JESSICA MORGAN

Morgan is a generational talent – Right off the bat (no pun intended), she splashed on the scene as a freshman phenom [.468 AVG, 6 HR, 23 RBI], winning the BLITZ Softball Player of the Year award in 2014. After that freshman season, Morgan committed to the University of Georgia. The catcher led the Lady Warriors to 38 wins in her four seasons — including three state playoff trips, and her career closed with an impressive stat line: .490 AVG, 31 HR, 98 RBI. That also includes more than 100 runs scored, 30 stolen bases, 40 doubles and almost 10 triples in her career. Her senior year saw her hit to the tune of a .544 average (43-for-79), complete with 10 HR, 29 RBI and 29 runs scored. She was an extra-base machine, collecting 13 doubles and three triples, as well as reaching base on seven walks and three hit batsman. A rare breed of power and contact, Morgan only struck out twice during the entire season. She won the BLITZ Player of the Year award again her senior year for her efforts, giving her two POY awards. Morgan left White County early and was able to play at UGA in Spring 2018, meaning she had the rare opportunity to play her senior year of high school and freshman year of college within the same academic year. She homered in her very first at-bat at UGA. Her college stats include a .233 AVG with 8 HR and 42 RBI, 9 2B, and 20 R.

TABITHA MORRISON

Morrison was a two-time All-State player, putting up some solid numbers at Dawson County as part of the Elite 8 team. The outfielder hit .440 in her career, adding eight homers and driving in 95 RBI. The speedster also had 80 stolen bases and more than 50 extra-base hits. Her junior 2014 season saw her hit .511 with 27 RBI and 31 runs. Morrison now plays at Brenau University, and had a decent career there.

MALLORY PARSON

Parson was a do-it-all player at Banks County, leading the Lady Leopards to 57 wins in the circle with a 2.74 ERA. She was 57-18 overall, adding three saves, and struck out 418 batters in 455.1 innings pitched, having a 1.29 WHIP. She was just as pivotal on offense, batting .442 as a mostly-singles hitter, notching 41 RBI, 83 runs, 59 stolen bases, 20 walks and 12 doubles and two triples. She was the region player of the year as a senior (two-time first-team All-Region) and holds the Banks County record for career strikeouts and stolen bases, and was named second team All-State. Parson now plays at Georgia State, winning one game as a sophomore in 2018. She went on to pitch at Georgia Military College, where she was 6-1 with a 2.27 ERA as a freshman, striking out 18 in 46.1 innings of work (5 complete games). She then went to Georgia State and played 3 seasons.

EMILY PERRIN

Perrin led Jefferson to a State Championship game in her 2018 senior season, and was one of the top players in the state (All-State), going 22-5 with a 0.92 ERA and 284 strikeouts. Her 2017 junior season was insanely good also, as she went 18-8 with a 1.65 ERA and 155 K. A 3-time All-Region selection, Perrin went 55-17 as a Lady Dragon with a 1.33 ERA and 539 K in 443 innings pitched.

TRINITY QUEEN

Trinity Queen was a power pitcher for the Lady Panthers, guiding Union County to well over 20 wins in the circle. She nailed down five saves to boot, and pitched to the tune of a 2.15 ERA, striking out over 250 batters along the way. She earned a pair of All-Region selections, and was the ace for Union County in her time in Blairsville.

STEPHANIE SATTERFIELD

The former slugger from White County (Class of 2011) enjoyed an amazing prep career, complete and capped with a miraculous Class 3A State Championship in 2010. That year, Satterfield tied the state record for homeruns in a single season (16). The pitcher and first baseman hit .485 with 16 homers and 53 RBI her senior year, going 14-3 with a 1.44 ERA in the circle, adding 55 strikeouts while adding a save. Her junior season included a .422 average with three homers and 27 RBI, going 13-6 with a 1.47 ERA and 133 strikeouts and a save. Satterfield goes down as one of the top softball talents to ever play at White County, and was named BLITZ Player of the Year in 2009 and 2010. Satterfield went on to play at Georgia Perimeter College, where she enjoyed a solid career for the Lady Jaguars.

KAITLYN SEABOLT

Make no doubt about it, Seabolt is one of the top hitters in Union County history. The outfielder hit .386 overall, but slugged nine homeruns and had 61 RBI. She scored 118 runs (school record) and 35 doubles to go with nine triples. Her 177 hits are still the most all-time at Union County, along with her runs scored and batting average. She still also holds the single-season mark for hits (59), runs (45) and average (.522). A current assistant coach for Union County, Seabolt played collegiately at the University of North Georgia.

KATELYNN SIMPSON

Simpson, like McGinnis (above), was a large reason for Dawson’s success from 2012-2015, which included an Elite 8, Sweet 16, and Round 1 appearance, and 65 wins and 2 region titles. Simpson hit .345 with 40 runs, 25 RBI, 30 SB, and was an All-Region selection. Simpson went on to a successful softball career at Andrew College before transferring to Brenau to play lacrosse.

TAYLOR SPIVEY

Taylor Spivey was a stellar two-way talent. Moderate available stats (with some missing) paint the picture. Spivey hit .395 for the Jefferson Lady Dragons with 5 HR, 69 RBI, 50 runs, 35 doubles, 3 triples, and at least 11 wins and a 1.95 ERA to go with 94 strikeouts. The All-State player took her talents to Piedmont University.

PAIGE VICKERY

Paige Vickery crushed school records with career marks of 21 homeruns and 105 RBI. The utility player was a force, batting .360 in her illustrious career. That included 27 doubles, 7 triples, 95 runs, a .397 OBP, and .707 slugging percentage. The All-State selection as a senior put up the following line: .405 AVG (34/84), 9 HR, 28 RBI, 9 2B, 4 3B, 14 BB, .475 OBP, .929 SLG, and struck out only 4 times. Vickery went on to play at Anderson University.

SAM VINSON

Sam Vinson was fantastic for the Lady Dragons. From stats that could be gathered, she batted over .460 in her career at Jefferson. The utility player, who since has gone on to Georgia Southern, had 15-plus homeruns and 70-plus RBI, was a two-time All-State and three-time All-Region pick.

GEORGIA WEBB

The former Lady Raider standout softballer was the 2013 BLITZ Player of the Year after a great senior season in which Habersham won 15 games and made the state playoffs. That season, Webb hit .489 with 2 homeruns and 15 RBI with 10 doubles and 2 triples. She was equally impressive in the field, sporting a .961 fielding percentage. Webb, also a Player of the Week winner, played a full career at Young Harris, where she hit .313 with 8 HR, 96 RBI, 41 2B, 2 3B, 94 R and 9 SB, while playing solid defense (.970 FLD%).

EMMA WHITFIELD

Whitfield leaves Stephens County as the GOAT. The pitcher was a one-time BLITZ POY. She went 66-27 as a Lady Indian, complete with a 1.55 ERA and 809 strikeouts over 625.2 innings of work. She also compiled a .323 average with 13 homers and 80 RBI, and was a 3-time All-State player. Whitfield’s sophomore and junior seasons were ridiculous. As a sophomore, she went 24-9 with a 0.96 ERA and 285 K, while going 24-5 with a 0.92 ERA and 232 K the next season while guiding the Lady Indians to a State Runner-Up finish. Whitfield is went to play for Clemson University, and picked up 5 wins, including being the program’s first-ever winning pitcher in a conference game in a victory over Virginia in 2020.

VOLLEYBALL

KATE BLACKBURN

Kate Blackburn has left a huge hole in the Tallulah Falls School volleyball program. She left an indelible mark with 1,200-plus assists, 600-plus digs, 250-plus kills, and over 200 aces in a remarkable career. The Lady Indians’ standout was a two-time All-Area selection and had a serve percentage around 93%. Her junior season saw her average a mind-blowing 17.4 assists per match. That was a year TFS played 49 games and made the Sweet 16.

SYDNEY BROOKSHIRE

Sydney Brookshire quietly had one of the best careers we’ve seen for a libero. Her serve percentage was outstanding at 98.5% for her career, with a 94% passing accuracy from serve receive. She had 40-plus career aces and over 800 career digs. The two-time All-Region selection had 372 digs as a senior and 401 as a junior.

MAKENZIE CALDWELL

Makenzie Caldwell was a mainstay for 4 years for the eventual Region Champions in 2020. She played a lot at middle hitter, and accumulated 544 career kills, 452 digs, 99 assists, 172 blocks, and 105 aces in her time at Lumpkin. Caldwell’s final season was her best, as she racked up career highs in kills (161), digs (118), and assists (56). Also a basketball standout, Caldwell went on to play basketball at Emmanuel College.

CAELI CHAMBERS

Chambers was a talented Libero for Habersham Central, helping the Lady Raiders to 83 wins over her 4 years, including a state playoff run in 2012. She tallied over 500 digs (3/game) and 50-plus aces, and was a 2-time All-Region selection. Chambers was the Volleyball POY for BLITZ in her senior year.

MADDIE CHOSEWOOD

Maddie Chosewood had a stellar senior campaign, tallying 191 digs, 159 kills, 38 aces, 31 assists, and 24 blocks for the Lady Raiders. Her career saw her gather 400-plus kills, 600-plus digs, 100-plus blocks, 120-plus assists, and 80-plus aces.

KATY CORBETT

Dominance! That was Katy Corbett at Tallulah Falls. She set school marks with 852 career kills and 981 digs, and added 91 assists, 27 blocks, and 113 aces. She was twice named BLITZ Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, and was a 2-time All-Region selection. She guided the Lady Indians to 2 Sweet 16 runs. Corbett went on to play beach volleyball at Mercer University, appearing multiple times on ESPN.

ALLIE DALTON

Allie Dalton, who set the single-match, single-season, and career assists record in her senior 2021 season for Tallulah Falls, finished with 1,533 assists. The setter added 418 digs, 119 aces, and 52 kills, and was a two-time All-Region selection for the Lady Indians.

GRACIE DEETZ

Gracie Deetz was one of the top middle hitters for Rabun County, earning two All-Region selections. She hammered home some 355 kills, adding 137 aces, 80 blocks, and 60 digs in her illustrious career on the court.

ABBY FELKAI

The Canadian-turned-Dawsonville native Abby Felkai took Region 7-AAA by storm. As a rare outside hitter/setter, she racked up solid numbers at both positions that included 567 kills, 439 digs, 298 assists, and 152 aces. Felkai did all that in just 2 seasons for the Lady Tigers, and went on to play at the D-I level at Lehigh University.

MORGAN FUSSELL

Morgan Fussell closed her career at Union with over 300 kills, 100 digs, 100 aces, and exactly 70 blocks. She earned a pair of All-Region selections. She set the program mark with 128 kills as a junior, and had 72 digs and 36 aces that season. In her senior year, she went for 116 kills and 63 aces from the middle-back position.

HALEY GERRIN

Haley Gerrin led Habersham Central as both a volleyball and basketball star. The Lady Raiders star (Class of 2013) middle hitter posted 287 kills (8.2/game) her senior season, adding 92 blocks (2.6/game) and 54 digs (1.5/game). Gerrin added 26 aces and had a .495 attack percentage. Gerrin won the Player of the Year award in volleyball in back-to-back seasons, and in her junior year also won the Basketball Player of the Year award her junior year. Her junior year in volleyball also saw her post gaudy numbers, including 286 kills and 79 blocks, very close to her senior year numbers.

LAINEY GOSNELL

Gosnell was a two-sport star, making the BLITZ Hall of Fame in both volleyball and basketball in her first year, signing to play collegiately at Appalachian State in the latter. Gosnell was a back-to-back BLITZ Volleyball Player of the Year and Basketball Player of the Year as a junior and senior. As an OH, Gosnell averaged 6.69 kills and 3.13 blocks, 2 digs and 1.7 assists per game as a junior in 2015. In 2016, she had 342 total kills, 244 digs, 112 solo blocks and 31 aces (89% serve receive) and led the Lady Raiders to a state playoff appearance, advancing to the Sweet 16.

SARAH JENNINGS

The greatest player in Tallulah Falls history is hands down Sarah Jennings. The outside hitter was a back-to-back BLITZ Player of the Year, and had a dream senior season that culminated in a dog pile in the GHSA State Championship. One can only dream for that kind of ending. Jennings finished as the Lady Indians’ all-time leader in kills (1,085), digs (1,025), and aces (283), and was a 4-time All-Region player and 2022 Region Player of the Year. Jennings had a big junior year with 316 kills, 333 digs, and 78 aces. Her senior year saw her go for 417, 326, and 91, respectively. Jennings went on to play at Covenant College.

ALEX SHALIKASHVILI

The Habersham Central star outside hitter tallied over 700 career kills, 100-plus aces, 600-plus digs, and more than 40 blocks. A stellar career for certain. She had 335 kills, 311 digs, a 96% serve accuracy, 0.280 hitting %, and 51 aces as a junior, earning All-Region honors. And earned that distinction again as a senior with 339 kills, 18 blocks, 246 digs, and 54 aces. She helped guide the Lady Raiders to a #1-state ranking and to the state playoffs.

ANNABETH VANDIVER

White County’s Annabeth Vandiver was arguably the best to come through the Lady Warriors’ program at the outside hitter position. As a senior, she had 161 kills, 208 digs, and 64 aces while earning her second All-Region honor. She had over 400 kills, 500 digs, and 150 aces in her illustrious career.

CROSS COUNTRY

PADEN BELL

Paden Bell made an early statement when taking the Area Championship as a freshman in 2019. She was then Runner-Up at the State Championships. The following year, 2020, she was again the Region Champ and finished 4th at state with her ultimate PR of 20:52.77. In 2021 as a junior, Bell ran to her 3rd straight Region Championship, and again was 4th at state. Her 2022 senior season saw her finish 5th at Region and 29th at state. She was a 3-time region champ in cross country and 3-time top-4 runner at state. Bell went on to compete in track and field at East Tennessee State University.

NEALEIGH BROADWELL

Nealeigh Broadwell was a consistent force for White County cross country. She saved the best for last, winning the State Championship and Region Championship in her 2022 senior season. Broadwell, built up to that, finishing 5th at region and 9th at state as a junior, and 12th at region and 18th at state as a sophomore. She was injured for most of her freshman season, but still had a standout career with 2 top-5s at region and 2 top-10s at state. Broadwell went on to run at the University of North Georgia in XC and T&F.

JESSIE DOTSON

Jessie Dotson was the one who paved the way for White County cross country and her heir to the program, Jenna Gearing. Dotson went on to a solid career at Charleston Southern, but not before a standout two years for the Warriors. She was a region champion in 2010, finishing 37th at state that year, and followed that up with a senior year that included a 3rd-place finish at region and 6th-place finish at state. Her PR was 18:16.

EMMA GARRISON

Garrison was an often-overlooked talent in long distance running, as her career coincided with White County legend Jenna Gearing and other great runners in the North Georgia area (Towns Co Ansley Vardeman). However, Garrison had a stellar career for the Lady Panthers. She won a pair of 2A state cross country titles (Freshman 2012 & Sophomore 2013). She was state runner-up in the 800 meters as a senior and fourth in the 1600. Her PRs include times of 18:35 (5000 M), 5:17 (1600 M) and 2:21 (800 M). Garrison finished in the top seven a combined four times at the state meet in the 800 and 1600 during her sophomore and junior years, earning the Fleetest of Foot Award for all four years on the Union cross country team. She also won Region 8-AA cross titles as a freshman, sophomore and senior (second as a junior), finishing first in the region meet in the 1600 from her sophomore to her senior year, and won the 800 as a junior and senior (runner-up as a sophomore). Garrison was a state finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award, and ran one year at UGA for the Lady Bulldogs cross country and track & field team.

JENNA GEARING

The White County (Class of 2016) long distance champ is far and away the most decorated in school history. From day one as a freshman, Gearing was a rare talent, who also embodied the humbleness that is a breath of fresh air among high school athletes who have even a portion of her talent. Gearing’s career is unmatched, with 12 individual region titles (four straight in cross country; eight straight in 1600/3200 track & field) and five state championships. She easily could have had six state titles, but broke her leg in her senior year of cross country just meters away from the finish with plenty of distance between her and the next runner. She rebounded, as only she could, with the help of a solid support system and her unwavering faith, to return months later and win two region titles in track and finish runner-up in both 1600 & 3200 in the state meet. Gearing was the BLITZ Cross Country Runner of the Year all four years of her career, and added two BLITZ Track Athlete of the Year awards! Gearing is went on to run for Clemson University and later the University of Kentucky, becoming a standout in the SEC.

GUY GOBER

Gober won a state title in cross country (3 overall as he’s also a T&F HOFer). He won 3 region titles from his sophomore year through senior year. His lone non-title winning run at region was his freshman year, when he placed third. He had 3 top-10 finishes at state, including the title as a senior, and a fifth place finish as a junior. Gober’s PR of 16:37 is a school record. Gober was named BLITZ Runner of the Year in 2018, and also in T&F in 2019. Gober continued his career running at UGA.

MAKAYLA HEWELL

Hewell was a former Region Champion as a senior in 2014, and was region runner-up as a junior the year prior. She improved significantly from a 17th place finish as a sophomore. She led the Banks girls to back-to-back state meets, and finished seventh individually in both years. Her PR was 17:38 in high school. She had a stellar career at Emmanuel College, where she crushed school records and as a junior won the individual NCCAA South Region Championship.

KATHERINE LAW

Katherine Law is one of the top runners we’ve seen in north Georgia. She guided the Jefferson program to multiple hardware at the region and state level. She was a state champion as a junior and 3-time top-10 finisher, and was the region champ each year from her sophomore to senior year. She was runner-up as a freshman. Her 17:55 PR was set in her junior year, and she was the top runner 12 times in her cross country career in various meets. She even placed sixth in the Meet of Champions in 2020, of which she was three times invited to. Law went on to run for UGA.

BUCK LEDFORD

Buck Ledford paced the Banks County boys team for several years. The Leopards standout distance runner was the state runner-up as a senior in 2021, and three times finished in the top-10 at state. He won the region title twice as a junior and senior, won four races, and put up a 15:42 PR. Ledford was twice invited to the Meet of Champions, and placed 12th as a senior.

BRANDON MARTIN

Brandon Martin was fantastic! He 3-peated as a state champion for Commerce in Class 1A Public, also doing the same in Region from 2018-2020. He was invited to the Meet of Champions, peaking at 15th in 2020, and PR’d with a 15:27. He logged far beyond 10 first-place finishes. Martin was named BLITZ CC Runner of the Year as a senior. He went on to run at Emmanuel College.

KATE MASSEY

Massey had an equally impressive career in cross country as she did in track & field, which is typical for long distance runners. In cross country, she was a two-time Area Champion as both a sophomore and junior, and runner-up as a senior. At state, she was runner-up twice (freshman & junior years) and was fourth as a sophomore and sixth as a senior. Her 3-mile PR was 21:09 and 5K PR was 20:57. Massey was a T&F Athlete of the Year in 2016. In T&F, she was a State Champion three times (2016 twice; once in 2018).

BEN MCGINNIS

Ben McGinnis had a solid career leading the Dawson County cross country program. He was in the top 4 at region three times, and placed in the top ten at state once (9th), and also had an 11th, 16th, and 30th place finish there. He PR’d with a 16:15, making him a top runner in a very tough region and classification. He continued his running career at Augusta University.

KRISTEN MITCHELL

Kristen Mitchell was a pivotal part to the success of coach Sam Borg’s White County cross country team. She was the perfect compliment to Jenna Gearing, a 2-time State Champion in CC. Mitchell herself was a star, twice finishing top 5 in the region, and those same two years finished top 10 at state. Her 20:01 PR was evidence of her abilities as a distance runner. Mitchell tragically was killed in a car accident in May 2021, so we determined it was time to honor her life and career as a HOF selection.

JJ MORRIS

JJ Morris was unfortunate, yet also fortunate, to live in the shadow of Commerce great Brandon Martin. That meant not a ton of first-place finishes for Morris, but also meant he was driven to compete like the best. Morris was solid and a vital member of the state champion Commerce cross country team. He was a 3-time top-10 runner in region, twice was top-10 at state (including 5th in 2019), and had a handful of 1st-place finishes. His PR was 17:27, very respectable.

FRANKIE MULDOON

Muldoon (also a track star/HOFer), left Dawson County as a 4-time region champion in cross country, and all four years placed in the top-10 at state, including a pair of top-five finishes. Her PR was 18:22. Muldoon was named BLITZ Runner of the Year in back-to-back years as a sophomore and junior. Muldoon continued her career at Georgia State University.

JACOB POSTON

The Tigers’ standout long distance runner was back-to-back BLITZ Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year as a junior and senior. Poston won a region title as a junior before finishing 40^th in the state meet with a PR of 16:36. As a senior, he again won the 7-AAA title, but this time finished as the state runner-up and bested his PR by over a minute (15:32). In track & field, Poston also nabbed multiple region titles and state top-five and top-10 finishes in the 800 and 1600. Poston went on to run for Augusta University.

EVAN PRINCE

U.S. Naval Academy distance signee Evan Prince goes down as one of the hardest-working individuals in cross country in the state. Prince built a phenomenal career for the Indians, and was a two-time region champion (junior and senior year). He was third as a senior and fifth as a sophomore at state, and three times was invited to the Meet of Champions, placing 10th and 19th in the two times he actually ran it. He had nine 1st-place finishes in his stellar career. Prince went on to run for Navy.

ZOE SANCHEZ

Was there ever any doubt here? Zoe Sanchez is right up there with one of the best we’ve ever seen in cross country, save Jenna Gearing of White County, who won 5 state titles. Sanchez won back-to-back state titles and region titles (and finished region runner-up another time). She PR’d to the tune of 19:03, and won at least (what we could find) 12 races. Incredible performer for the Mercer-bound star. Sanchez is a four-time BLITZ Runner/Athlete of the Year winner.

CAITLIN SCHROEDER

Caitlin Schroeder had the unenviable task of running behind Katherine Law, one year behind her. After winning a region title for Jefferson in 2018, Schroeder then continued to finish just behind Law (runner-up in 2019) on multiple occasions. She was 3 times a top-15 placer at state, twice coming in the top 10. She logged a PR of 19:09.

MATTHEW SCHROEDER

Matthew Schroeder was a region champion in his senior year in 2021. He was fifth at state that season, giving him a trio of top-10 finishes there. His PR of 16:09 came in his final season, and he won a pair of races while also being a three-time invite to the Meet of Champions.

GRIFFIN STEPHENS

Griffin Stephens led Banks County to a state championship in cross country. The long distance champ was incredible for the Leopards, and saved his best for last. He polished off his career with a region title and subsequent state title, and PR’d 16:11. He was twice a region runner-up finisher, and was third, second, and first in three straight years at state. In his senior season, he finished in the top 5 on four occasions, earning the BLITZ Runner of the Year status.

LANCE UNDERWOOD

Underwood was a mainstay for Union County cross country boys. A region champion as a sophomore in 2015, he was also runner-up as a senior in 2017. His high-point came in his senior season at state, where he finished fifth, earning BLITZ Runner of the Year. He was 7th at state as a sophomore and 21st as a junior (5th in region) and 20th as a freshman (region runner-up). Underwood also excelled in Track & Field in the long distance events. His cross country PR time was 15:58.

ANSLEY VARDEMAN

Vardeman was instrumental in getting Towns County on the map, leading the team to its first of five straight state titles. She was the overall state champion as a junior (2012) and was the state runner-up as a senior (2013). Both of those seasons she was the Area individual champion. She was 6th in the area as a freshman and 7th as a sophomore, finishing 50th and 61st respectively in the state meets those years. Her 5K PR was 21:25, and her 2-mile PR was 14:01. Vardeman went on the UGA as a Cheerdancer, and then went pro with the Boston Celtics of the NBA.

MADALYN WALTERS

Before Muldoon (above), there was Madalyn Walters. Look at the numbers and they are almost identical. Walters was a 2-time region champion in cross country, and once runner-up. She placed in the top-5 at state twice, and had a PR of 18:33. Walters, like Muldoon, is a T&F HOFer as well.

BOYS BASKETBALL

SPENCER ADAMS

Adams is a professional baseball player in the White Sox organization (BLITZ HOF Class of 2016), but he had equal chances to pursue basketball at the next level. Adams was the Player of the Year in both basketball and baseball his senior year. He averaged 18.7 pts, 8.2 reb, 4.1 ast and 3.2 stl per game his senior season, leading the Warriors to 17 wins and state playoffs. SPENCER ADAMS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

PATRICK BURNS

Patrick Burns was a beast for the Raiders, earning a scholarship to Oxford after a senior year that saw him average over 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals per game. He polished off his career somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 points, 500 rebounds, 100 assists, and 50 steals, and earned BLITZ Player of the Year honors his final season.

LUKE CHISM

Chism had what became a dream of a senior season at Dawson County after transferring in from Dawson Christian Academy. The guard/forward eclipsed the extremely rare feat of scoring over 2,000 points in his career, averaging 19 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks per game. That included more than 30 double-doubles and a State Final 4 appearance as part of Dawson’s historic 27-win season. The BLITZ 2018-19 Player of the Year was an All-State selection, and his career continued at Georgia College & State University. LUKE CHISM CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

CARL CLEVELAND

From day one, this kid was a game-changer and proved to be a generational talent. The guy was about unguardable since he could literally score from anywhere, and often scored off double- and even triple-team efforts. He put up insane numbers – 2,445 points, 1,049 rebounds, 390 assists, 82 blocks, and 116 steals, collecting 57 double-doubles and 5 triple-doubles. He was a two-time BLITZ Player of the Year, an All-State selection twice, and two-time Region 8-AA Player of the Year. He led the Leopards to nearly 100 wins in his four-year stint, including an Elite 8 and two Sweet 16s, adding three region titles. He averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds as a junior, and 25 and 12 as a senior. Cleveland continued his career at Young Harris. CARL CLEVELAND CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

COLLIN CROWDER

Collin Crowder was the ultimate team player at Towns County. Him taking a backseat as a top-scorer his junior season was key to the Indians winning a state championship. He still averaged 8.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game that year, but showed as senior just how good he could be. His final year saw him go for 24.6 PTS, 6.5 REB, 2.0 AST, and 2.1 STL. Even as a sophomore he was special: 13.3 PTS, 7.2 REB, 2.4 AST, 1.1 STL. He shot 59% as a senior, 58% as a junior, and 48% as a sophomore, and was a 3-time All-Region honoree as well as a 1,000-point scorer.

WILL DEVRIES

DeVries was a rare 1,000-point scorer, 500-plus rebounds and 300-plus assist member for Towns County, and was named first team all-region as a senior (2016-17). He led the Indians to a #5-ranking and first-ever Sweet 16 appearance, and averaged 16.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He was a first-team all-region and second-team all-region member in basketball. He was a two-sport star, also the region player of the year in baseball his senior year.

AUSTIN DINOFRIO

DiNofrio was a killer from long-range, scoring seemingly at will for the Wildcats. The guard was a plus ball-handler and could play with anyone on defense. He dropped over 1,000 career points, and had a fantastic senior year (2014-15) in which he netted 18.9 pts/game, 6.1 reb/game, 2.2 stl/game, 2.1 ast/game and 1.5 blk/game. He shot 43% from the floor that season, including 37% from downtown, earning BLITZ Player of the Year honors. He finished with 1,075 career points. His 21-9 senior season is still the best in school history as the Cats made the Sweet 16. DiNofrio went on to play at Truett McConnell for one season. AUSTIN DINOFRIO CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

TYLER DOMINY

Tyler Dominy was a four-year star at Dawson County in both football and basketball, leading the Tigers to deep state playoff runs in his time. The guard/forward averaged 13 points per game and 10 boards per game his senior year, including three blocks per contest. He shot 46% from the field and 31 minutes played per game. Dominy is best remembered for his soaring dunks and timely clutch shooting from virtually anywhere on the court. He won the Player of the Year award in both football and basketball in the 2012-13 school year. Dominy, a 1,000 point scorer, played for North Georgia, where he averaged 8.9 points per game (841 pts), 4 rebounds per game and shot 50% from the floor. At Dawson, he finished with 1,531 points, 880 rebounds, 273 assists, and 175 blocks. TYLER DOMINY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

MALACHI DOOLEY

Malachi Dooley was sensational throughout his career at Habersham Central. A 1,000-point guard, Dooley guided the Raiders to their first state playoff appearance in a LONG time in his senior year. He unselfishly gave up the stats as a senior, as the team brought in several other playmakers. Dooley went for 15.0 points, 4.5 boards, 3.1 assists, and 0.9 steals per game as a senior, and as a junior averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.4 steals. His sophomore line: 15.4 PTS, 5.3 REB, 3.4 AST, and 2.2 STL. He was a three-time All-Region selection, 1st Team. Dooley shot just under 50% from the field for his career. He went on to play at Oglethorpe University.

JASPER GIBSON

Jasper Gibson has the unique two-sided career. He spent a couple of seasons earning his stripes and making a name for himself at Jefferson, then spent two seasons showing out to another level at Dawson County. The guard finished his career with over 2,000 career points, 500 assists, 250 rebounds, and 100 steals. Gibson, an Emmanuel College-bound star, averaged 18 points per game as senior and 19 points per game as a junior. He was a two-time All-State player, three-time All-Region honoree, and one-time Region 7-AAA Player of the Year. JASPER GIBSON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

ANFERNEE HANNA

Anfernee Hanna, named appropriately after Penny Hardaway, was a do-it-all talent who left Tallulah Falls as one of its best-ever talents. From thunderous breakaway dunks to acrobatic 3-point plays, Hanna was also an electric defender with shot-blocking skills. He dished out his fair share of assists, and hauled in 620 rebounds. He is one of only two 1,000-point, 600-rebound players in TFS history. Hanna averaged 17 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a junior and 18.8 and 8.1 as a senior. He finished with 1,203 points, 620 rebounds, 124 assists, 97 steals, 32 blocks, 273 free throws made, and 445 field goals made in his stellar career, and was an All-State selection both preseason and postseason. Hanna initially went on to play at Motlow State Community College. ANFERNEE HANNA CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

AUSTIN HARRIS

The often overshadowed guard, Austin Harris quietly put together an elite career that saw him score over 1,000 points. He averaged 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists per contest, and shot 45% from the floor and 35% from deep. The guard led the Warriors to 56 wins and two state tournament runs.

JACK HOWARD

Howard was a force for the Indians, guiding them to a Sweet 16 as part of 4 straight playoff trips for the program. He tallied over 1,000 career points, including averaging 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists as a starter. The guard went to play at UNG. JACK HOWARD CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

ASHELY LOWERY

Lowery not only made the BLITZ Hall of Fame for football, but also for basketball. Lowery was an intense player on the hardwood, and although he didn’t go on to play basketball at the next level (UK football), he certainly had the talent. The guard was the BLITZ Player of the Year in football in both 2009 and 2010. As Lowery went, so went the Warriors on the court. Lowery knew only one speed, and that was fast. ASHELY LOWERY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

PIERCE MARTIN

Pierce Martin was likely the best 3-point shooter we’ve seen. He shot over 40% from Steph Curry land, draining 273 triples as part of his total of 1,121 points. He also had 351 rebounds, 220 assists, and 105 steals. An All-State selection, Martin averaged 12.7 points, 3.1 boards, 2.6 assists, and 1.2 steals. PIERCE MARTIN CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

CONNOR MCKAY

Connor McKay progressed every year at Rabun County, and got the Wildcats to an Elite 8 and Sweet 16 in his final two years, complete with a region title. He was the Region Player of the Year and a three-time All-Region selection, as well as a two-time All-State pick. The 1,000-point guard/forward combo was electrifying, throwing down dunks and splashing threes, complete with a mid-range game and ability to attack the rim. After going for 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks per game as a sophomore, he upped that line each of the next two years. He averaged 18 PTS, 12 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, and 2 BLK as a junior, and went for 26 PTS, 10.3 REB, 5.5 AST, 2 STL, and 2 BLK as a senior. He also went from a 50% shooter as a sophomore, up to 57% as a junior, and a ridiculous 65% as a senior. McKay went on to play at Lander Unversity.

KOLBY MOSS

Kolby Moss is an all-time great! He is a Towns County legend after leading the program to its first-ever State Championship in basketball. As a 4-year starter, the guard scored 1,887 career points, had 611 career rebounds, and averaged 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per contest. He was the BLITZ Player of the Year after averaging 19.4 points per game as a senior. He averaged 23.1 as a junior, 18.9 as a sophomore, and 8.5 as a freshman. He was a 2-time All-State selection and multi 1st Team All-Region pick, as well as a 2-time Region POY. Moss went on to play basketball at Young Harris for a season. KOLBY MOSS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

TY NAILS

Ty Nails has a name that actually personifies his abilities on the court. Tough! The guard left Stephens County as the all-time leading scorer with 1,677 points, and had 600 rebounds and 300 assists as well. Nails was a 2-time All-State selection, and 3-time All-Region.

DYLAN ORR

In Orr’s four years at Banks, the Leopards had their greatest run of success, making the Sweet 16 in each season and going 96-21. Orr flashed on the scene first in 2015-16, coming off the bench to play alongside brother Zac Orr and flashy guard Zez Steeple, throwing down some thunderous dunks. Once upon a time we went to a high school game and MIGHT see a dunk, and if we saw two…well that was insane. Fast forward to 2017-18, and Orr would punish the rim typically a minimum of twice per game, sometimes four of five times. He crashed the boards hard, corralling rebound after rebound. He swatted away opposing players’ shots at an alarming rate. He was flat-out dominant in the paint on both ends of the floor. Orr’s senior year (‘17-18), he notched 22 double-doubles and 4 triple-doubles, posting career single-game highs in points (28; 12/19/17 vs Monticello), rebounds (22; 2/16/18 vs Coosa) and blocks (11; 12/1/17 vs Hart). Orr’s stat sheet produced single-game averages of 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 4.8 blocks, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals. He shot 60% from the floor. Orr finished his career with 930 points and 791 rebounds and a school-record 272 blocks. Orr was the BLITZ Player of the Year his senior year. He played at the University of North Georgia briefly. DYLAN ORR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

ZAC ORR

Orr was a phenomenal talent for Banks County, joining an elite club of 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Orr could be seen dunking, dominating the paint, doing the little things and of course, doing the dirty work of hauling in boards. Orr was sometimes overlooked because of playing with previous Players of the Year Austin Venable and Zez Steeple, but the 1,000/1,000 club was a rare feat of its own. Orr was first team all-region as a senior, second team as a junior and honorable mention as a sophomore and freshman. Off the court, too, carried a 4.0 GPA as an Honor Graduate and won the Young Georgia Author Award. Orr went to Erskine College for two years, and then Bob Jones University. ZAC ORR CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

ZACH PULLEY

Pulley was a 1,000-point scorer for Lumpkin, and helped the Indians to a string of 4 straight state playoff runs, including a Sweet 16 in his junior year. He averaged a triple double as a senior in 2016-17, which earned him Region POY honors. He averaged 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists per game as a starter, and went to play at UNG. ZACH PULLEY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

CAMPBELL REED

A two-time All-Region selection, and co-Player of the Year for 7-AAA once, the All-State guard Campbell Reed found a way to become one of many 1,000-point scorers for Dawson County in a time when the Tigers had many alpha players in the lineup. He shot over 43% from long range, and averaged 9 points per game as a junior and 15 per game as a senior.

DE’UNDRA SINGLETON

Singleton we had to get into the Hall as he has been overlooked in voting. The power forward was almost impossible to stop in the paint, as he scored well over 1,000 career points, and averaged 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game as a starter. He led the Indians to back-to-back Sweet 16 runs and 42 wins and a #3 state ranking. Singleton went on to play at UNG.

ZEZ STEEPLE

One of the most electrifying players ever covered by BLITZ, Zez Steeple was one of three teammates to eclipse 1,000 career points, and in his prep career Steeple tallied 1,336 points. In his senior year, Steeple averaged almost 22 points per game and close to four assists per game. He added 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in a season that saw the Leopards win a regular season region title and advance to the Sweet 16. Steeple was named the 2015-16 BLITZ Player of the Year. Steeple played two seasons at Erskine College, making a huge impact since arriving on campus. He tallied 10 points and 4 assists per game (455 total points) in two seasons for the Fighting Fleet, and transferred to North Georgia where he finished off an incredible career with over 1,000 career points. ZEZ STEEPLE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

MICHAEL VAN HOOSER

Van Hooser put up a solid career as a 1,000-point scorer for Tallulah Falls, leading the charge for the best season in school history that saw the Indians win 24 games, make the Sweet 16, and earn a #2 state ranking. He put up 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game before earning a scholarship at Middle Tennessee State. He left to go to UGA as a non-player (men’s basketball manager).

AUSTIN VENABLE

Venable was the first of a string of greats to come out of Banks County. He was a 1,000 point scorer and was hard to match up against as a senior in the paint. He looked like a man among boys with his 6’9, 260 lb frame. He was a shoe-in for a couple of dunks per game at least. Venable was the BLITZ Player of the Year as a senior (2014-15), averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds per game to go with three blocks per contest. He connected on 55% of his shots. Venable was also a first team all-region member. He went on to play two years at Presbyterian College before going to Erskine College, where he flourished with 15.6 pts and 7.5 reb per game totals, adding 47 total blocks as a junior. AUSTIN VENABLE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

MATTHEW WEIDNER

Matthew Weidner had a fantastic career at Tallulah Falls, putting up 1,390 points (school record) and 500 rebounds. He owns three of the top scoring seasons in TFS history, and three of the top rebounding seasons as well. He was one of only three players in Indians’ lore to score 30 or more points in a game.

KAHMAL WILEY

The 1,000 point scorer, Wiley was an electric player for Banks County, eclipsing the milestone in just three seasons after transferring in. He led the Leopards to three straight Sweet 16 runs and 71 wins. Wiley was often the best athlete on the floor, and won the BLITZ Player of the Year award after his fantastic senior year (17.1 pts, 12 reb, 2.4 blk, 2 ast, 2.2 stl per game). He notched 23 double-doubles on the season. A mere month after the season ended, Wiley nearly lost his life in a car accident that cost him both of his legs, but God spared his life. Wiley is a humble young man with a fierce spirit, and continues to regain his strength and health. The possibilities are endless for Wiley in whatever he chooses to do. KAHMAL WILEY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

JADON YEH

Jadon Yeh left White County as perhaps the best to ever suit up for the Warriors. The guard had incredible court vision, and was a go-to scorer who could hit long-range, mid-range, or at the cup. He also was great at distributing and setting others up for success. Yeh finished with 1,836 career points, 536 rebounds, 308 assists, 199 steals, and a BLITZ Player of the Year award and Region Player of the Year award (twice) to go with 3 All-State selections in 4 years. He guided the Warriors to a region title his senior season, and had 101 total starts for White County. He averaged 24.4 points, 6.8 boards, 3.7 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in his senior year of 2022-23, and took his talent to nearby Truett McConnell University. JADON YEH CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

GIRLS BASKETBALL

MADDIE ANGLIN

Consistency marked Maddie Anglin’s career. The guard drained some 150 triples in her career and landed well beyond 1,000 points, averaging 13.1 per game. She averaged 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals along the way for the Lady Tigers. Anglin averaged 8.1 points as a sophomore, 12.7 as a junior, and 17.6 as a senior. MADDIE ANGLIN CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

GABBY ARENCIBIA

Arencibia is well-known for having one of the best nights in state history on the court, a 43-point performance that included a record 13 3-pointers, breaking her own record of 9 that she made the previous season in a game. The craziest part about her extraordinary night? She didn’t play in the fourth quarter, and shot 50% in total, also adding four rebounds, three assists and three blocks that night in February 2011. She still holds the state record, as well as state record for most 3-pointers in a career (312) and was a 2nd-team All-State player in her junior and senior years, and was named to the 1st or 2nd team All-Region every year of her high school career. Arencibia was a 1,000-point scorer and led the Lady Indians to an Elite 8 appearance and three Sweet 16 runs, and was BLITZ Player of the Year in 2011. She played a year at the University of North Georgia (0.3 ppg) before playing one more at Piedmont College (5.4 ppg).

BRIANNA BARRETT

Barrett didn’t put up gaudy scoring numbers in high school. She was a role player, and played with a high-scoring Division-I player (Haley Gerrin), so in that sense she didn’t need to be dropping 15 or 20 per game (although she could). She was good for 9 PTS, 4 REB, 7.4 AST and 5 STL per game, a near triple-double threat. She was a 3-time defense player of the year, one year offensive player of the year, and honorable mention three years! In college, she continued to shine, even brighter really, averaging about 8.5 points per contest at Piedmont College over four full seasons, becoming one of the most consistent players for the Lady Lions, playing in over 100 games and 2,842 minutes to be exact. Barrett was a leader for the Lady Raiders and helped guide them to a Sweet 16 run and region title as a junior.

KARLIE BEARDEN

Bearden is one of those special players that was like a second coach on the floor. A 1,000-point scorer, the former BLITZ Player of the Year put together some incredible numbers and was part of Dawson County’s best four-year run in school history. She had a solid senior season (15.1 pts, 8.9 reb, 3.3 stl, 2.9 ast, 2.2 blk). Her junior year was also great – 11.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.7 spg, 2.6 bpg, 43% FG and 12 double-doubles. Bearden was an all-region player, and played at Lenior-Rhyne University, finishing with 613 points and 475 rebounds, 91 blocks, 86 assists, and 57 steals. KARLIE BEARDEN CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

LIVI BLACKSTOCK

Livi Blackstock earns an auto spot in the HOF after a spectacular career where she led the Lady Dragons to multiple deep playoff runs. The guard dropped in over 1,400 points (16.3 per game!), and averaged 5.1 boards, 4.5 assists, and 3 steals per game. She averaged 15.8 points as a sophomore, 16.4 as a junior, and 16.6 as a senior. Blackstock was a multi All-State selection and First Team All-Region pick. She went on to play at UNG.

JAYCIE BOWEN

Bowen, also a softball HOFer, dropped in over 1,000 career points. She averaged an even 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block per game over her career, and was an All-State selection. She led the Lady Leopards to 81 wins over her 4 years, which included a region title, 4 playoff trips, and an Elite 8 and Sweet 16 run. Bowen played at Georgia College. JAYCIE BOWEN CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

DASHA CANNON

Dasha Cannon was a 4-year starter who notched 1,255 points, 435 rebounds, 351 assists, 248 steals, and 40 blocks. That totals to averages of 12.8, 4.5, 4.4, and 3.0 per game. Cannon had her highest point total as a sophomore with 14.3 per game, and averaged 13.4 as a freshman and 13.1 as a junior. Her senior year, which included time missed due to injury, saw her average 9.4 but haul in a career-best 5.1 rebounds and a career-high 3.5 steals. Cannon went on to play at UNG.

RILEY CHLUPACEK

Riley Chlupacek will long be remembered as a long-distance wizard for the Lady Cats. She tallied some 900 points in her career, averaging over 10 per contest, as well as 4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2 steals per game. She shot 40% from deep, and went on to play a full career at LaGrange College.

ERYN COCHRAN

Cochran remains one of the top talents to come out of Towns County, along with fellow BLITZ Hall of Famer and friends and former teammates Stephanie Patton and Gabby Arencibia. Cochran, a 1,000-point scorer, was a great ball-handler and could score from about anywhere on the floor. She averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 5.1 steals per game, all team-highs in her senior season, and as a junior: 13.9 points per game. She and Patton led the girls to a region title that season, a 26-5 record and a trip to the Final Four. A former first-team all-region member, Cochran played two seasons at Columbus State before transferring to Young Harris. At CSU, she played in 61 games and average 3.8 pts/game. As a junior at YHC, she tallied 11.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 3.5 apg, and dropped a career-high 24 pts against her former CSU team.

BAILEY DANIEL

Daniel was a true leader on and off the court for Union County, and closed her career with over 1,000 career points. She was named to the first team all-region squad in her senior year and as a junior in 2016-17.

ISABEL DAVENPORT

Isabel Davenport had nothing short of an amazing career as a 4-year starter. The guard was electric for the Lady Indians, helping guide the program to its first region title in 30 years, and reach the Final Four for the first time ever. Davenport, a 2-time BLITZ Player of the Year, closed her career with 1,482 points (14.2 per game), 376 assists (3.8 per game), and 310 3-pointers made. She averaged 10.7 PTS, 2.6 REB, 2.1 AST, and 2.0 STL as a freshman, 14.1-4.0-2.9-2.1 as a sophomore, 17.0-4.4-4.1-2.9 as a junior, and 13.9-4.1-4.9-2.8 as a senior. She was a 2-time All-State selection and twice named Region POY. Davenport went on to play basketball at UNG. ISABEL DAVENPORT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

GRACIE DEETZ

Gracie Deetz, also a volleyball HOFer, was the x-factor for the Lady Cats in their title game run in 2021-22. The Rabun County star burst onto the scene as a sophomore, and never looked back. She averaged 13.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks throughout her career, and eclipsed 1,000 career points. She was a two-time All-Region pick, and averaged 14.7 points as a senior to go with 6.8 boards. She shot nearly 50% in that final season, and averaged nearly 2 blocks per game.

KAITLYN DUNCAN

Perhaps one of the top talents in Northeast Georgia, and no doubt one of the best to ever play at Banks County, is Kaitlyn Duncan. The guard/forward/center was so unique and versatile because she could run the point, post up down low, make driving layups on the break, or hit a clutch 3-pointer. Duncan closed her prep career with 1,451 pts and 1,063 rebounds. In her senior campaign, KD averaged 20.4 pts per game, 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists. While shooting 47% from the floor, The Lady Leopards star notched 23 double-doubles. Duncan’s game grew exponentially even from her solid junior year in which she averaged 13.9 points and 10.8 rebounds. She was the BLITZ Player of the Year award winner in 2014-15. Duncan went on to a solid career at Furman University with 504 PTS, 566 REB, 111 AST, 146 BLK, and 78 STL. KAITLYN DUNCAN CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

TYNAJIAH EADES

Tynajiah Eades dropped in over 1,000 points for Stephens County, and the guard averaged 13 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2.5 steals throughout her career. The two-time All-Region selection averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds as a junior, and in her senior year, which netted an Elite 8 run, she averaged 12 points and 6.5 rebounds and 6 assists.

HALEY GERRIN

Haley Gerrin, also a BLITZ Hall of Famer for volleyball, had an incredible junior year (18.9 pts, 9.5 reb) and already tallied 1,161 career points before starting her senior season. Gerrin closed her Habersham career with a Sweet 16 run, and averaged 16.5 pts and 18.8 reb over her career. Gerrin was the 2011-12 BLITZ Player of the Year, and won back-to-back POY honors for volleyball as well. She finished with 1,537 career points, a then-school record, and garnered interest from over 30 collegiate programs. She accepted an offer to play at Georgia State, where she finished her career with 543 pts (5.3 PPG) and 372 reb (3.6 RPG) in 103 games played. HALEY GERRIN CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

CARLY GILREATH

The great Carly Gilreath of the Lady Tigers led Dawson to a State Championship game in her senior year. A solid four-year starter, Gilreath scored over 1,000 career points, and was nearly unstoppable from anywhere on the floor. In her senior year, Gilreath averaged 15.6 pts per game (516 total), 2.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 30% from 3-point range and 41% from the floor. She was the BLITZ Player of the Year in the 2012-13 season and went on to play at USC Aiken, where she finished her career with nearly 500 pts (3.9 PPG), making 92 3-pointers. CARLY GILREATH CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

LAINEY GOSNELL

Gosnell was a BLITZ HOFer in both basketball and volleyball. The back-to-back Player of the Year in both sports, Gosnell was a rare 2,000 point scorer in basketball (2,008 career points). She was virtually a guaranteed double-double every time she stepped on the floor. She was a four-year starter for the Lady Raiders, leading them to a state tournament appearance as a senior, as well as a state ranking during the regular season. Her junior stat line included 19 pts, 10 reb, 2.6 stl, 1.6 ast and 1.2 blk per game. Her senior season was even better: 20.3 pts, 11 reb, 3.2 stl, 1.5 ast, 1.6 blk per game. Gosnell continued her basketball career at Appalachian State University where she had a great career, ending with 1,208 PTS, 641 REB, 85 STL, 83 AST, and 40 BLK, making 166 3PT. LAINEY GOSNELL CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

KAMRYN GRIER

Kamryn Grier battled adversity through injuries often, yet still amazed as a dominant post player with 1,000+ points and rebounds (1,314 PTS, 1,090 REB). That’s an extremely rare group to be in, and the 2022-23 Region POY led the Banks County Lady Leopards to a State Championship game as senior while averaging 14 points and 10 boards per game. She went for 16 points and 12 rebounds as a junior, earning 1st Team All-Region status. An elite shot blocker, Grier also had 142 career rejections. Grier went on to play at Emmanuel College. KAMRYN GRIER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

KENNEDI HENSON

Kennedi Henson had one heck of a career. Despite multiple ACL injuries that caused her to miss the equivalent of a FULL SEASON, she STILL scored over 1K points with 1,068 total (13.7 per game). The guard hauled in 479 boards (6.1 avg), had 220 assists (2.8), and 213 steals (2.7) for the Lady Indians. Her sophomore season saw her average 14.5 points per game, and she averaged 14 per contest as a senior. She went on to play at Young Harris.

BROOKE HENRICKS

Henricks was an All-State selection following a stellar senior season that saw her come back from a junior injury-marred season. She led the Lady Cats of Rabun to 106 wins over 4 years alongside Stockton (above), and closed with north of 1,000 career points. She averaged 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game. Henricks earned a scholarship from Southern Wesleyan, scoring 611 PTS, 259 REB, 146 AST, 95 STL, 10 BLK, and 56 3PT entering 2023-24. BROOKE HENRICKS CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

AVA HUNTER

One of the most dominant players that we’ve ever seen is Ava Hunter. Union County’s all-time scoring leader with 1,629 points and 700 rebounds as well was a three-time All-State and four-time All-Region selection. The forward averaged 16.6 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game overall. She hit the 1,000-point and 500-rebound mark in just her junior year. She averaged 20.4 points and 10.2 rebounds as a senior, 15.6 and 9.5 as a junior, 16.2 and 9.0 as a sophomore, and 14.1 and 7.0 as a freshman. She goes down as the best to ever suit up for the Lady Panthers. She went on to play at UNG.

ELLIE KINLAW

Ellie Kinlaw was a sharp-shooter, splashing 3-pointers at about a 40% clip in her career. The guard was a two-time All-State and three-time All-Region selection, and a 3-point finalist her senior year at the state competition. She averaged 16.3 points and 3.2 assists as a senior, and went for 13.7 points overall in her career. She had a career night, dropping in 10 3-pointers in a single game, which is a school record.

DENIKA LIGHTBOURNE

Denika Lightbourne departed Tallulah Falls as the leader in 3 all-time categories (311 assists, 293 steals, 52 blocks), and second all-time in points (1,494). She added 634 rebounds, and was an elite scorer who led the Lady Indians to unforeseen heights with an Elite 8 run as a junior and Region Championship. She was a 4-time All-Region selection and 4-year starter. After going for 17.1 points and 8 rebounds as a junior, earning 1st Team All-Region status, she followed it with 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds as a senior, earning Region POY and 1st Team All-State nods. Lightbourne went on to play NCAA D-I basketball at Dayton University. DENIKA LIGHTBOURNE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

BROOKE MADDOX

Brooke Maddox led the Lady Panthers to some great success over her years at the guard position. She was an All-State guard and Region 8-AA Player of the Year as a senior after averaging 13.4 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 3 rebounds per game. She had roughly 700 points, 400 assists, 150 steals, and 100 rebounds in total for her career before going to play at Huntingdon College.

JORDAN MOSS

Towns County has had some great guard players over the years, but forward Jordan Moss was the first big-time star in the late 2000s and early 2010s to turn heads. The forward was an All-State and All-Region selection, and scored 1,237 points, grabbed over 500 rebounds, and had over 350 assists and 75 steals in what was nothing short of a spectacular career. She found her way to nearby Young Harris for her collegiate career as well.

MARY MULLINAX

Mary Mullinax raked at Lumpkin County…yet she left a TON of numbers off the stat sheet by being a team-first, unselfish player. Still, Mullinax topped 1,433 career points, 693 rebounds, 328 assists, 276 steals, and 136 3-pointers. A State Champion in 2021-22 and Runner-Up in 2022-23, Mullinax was an elite high school talent with top-notch character. She was a back-to-back BLITZ Player of the Year after going for 17.6 points and 8.2 rebounds as a junior and 17.7 and 7.6 as a senior. Mullinax was also a 2-time Region POY and 3-time All-State player, and went on to play at Emory University. MARY MULLINAX CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

ASHLEY PARKER

Parker played a huge role in the 2012-13 state title run for Dawson County in her sophomore year, and became the go-to scorer inside for the next two seasons after that. Parker easily reached 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds, and was a three-time all-region selection. In her senior year, Parker averaged 13.4 pts, 9.3 reb, 2.8 ast, 1.7 stl and 1 blk per game, shooting 46% on the floor and collecting 10 double-doubles. Parker played at the University of North Georgia for a season, playing in 18 games and tallying 33 points. ASHLEY PARKER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

LEXI PIERCE

Lexi Pierce was the dependable guard for the Lumpkin County Lady Indians in their dynasty run, guiding the team to a State Championship, Runner-Up finish, and Final 4 along with a pair of region titles. Pierce scored 1,292 career points, draining 191 3-pointers while collecting 350 assists and 291 steals. Pierce was a 2-time All-State player and 3-time All-Region pick. She averaged over 13 points per game in her stellar career, and went on to play at the University of North Georgia. LEXI PIERCE CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

NOAMI ROBERTS

Look beyond the career stats. Naomi Roberts was capable of scoring far more than she did, though her 13.0 PPG as a senior should be noted. White County has been a team with few 1,000-point scorers due to the insane depth and distribution. It’s what makes the program so tough to beat. Still, Roberts was a general on the court, and led the Lady Warriors often in the last two seasons. She finished with 828 points, 267 boards, 117 assists, 142 steals, 57 blocks, and 7 charges taken, earning All-State nods as a senior. She was a 2-time 1st Team All-Region player, and took her talent to Emmanuel College.

STEPHANIE PATTON

Not many have had the career that Stephanie Patton has had, as the athletic and physical guard was as gifted as any, especially from long range and at the free throw line. Patton nearly had 2,000 career points, something we have not quite seen before. Making this all the more impressive was the fact that she transferred from Towns to Hayesville, NC in the midst of her junior year, sitting out most of the second half of that season. Her sophomore year at Towns earned her BLITZ Player of the Year honors after putting up some incredible numbers (19.5 pts, 2.9 reb, 2.2 ast, 3.8 stl). She led her team to the State Semifinals that season, and got Hayesville to the Quarterfinals in her junior year. In her time at Hayesville, she had the highest free throw percentage in the entire state of North Carolina, and was one of the tops in Georgia as well. Patton finished her career with 1,937 pts, 352 rebounds, 239 assists, 369 steals and 255 career 3-pointers made. She shot 79% from the FT line and went 97-23 in her prep career, advancing to 2 Final 4s and 2 Sweet 16s. She also carried a GPA of 4.0. Patton, a rare combination of talent and humbleness who embodies a Christlike attitude, played at Liberty University and got her undergraduate degree in just two years. STEPHANIE PATTON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

MACKENZIE PULLEY

Pulley became perhaps one of the best to ever play for the Lumpkin girls, finishing her career with over 1,000 career points. She averaged 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks per game, and shot 45% from the floor and 30% from downtown. She was the heart and soul of the “Great Eight” team that made history with 17 wins and earning a #7 state ranking. Pulley went to play at Grace College. MACKENZIE PULLEY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SAVANNA SCOTT

Scott had a fantastic career at Rabun County as a four-year starter. A pure shooter who could score from anywhere on the floor, Scott capped off her career with a State Championship game appearance for the Lady Cats. Scott, a two-time Tennis Player of the Year (and HOF member), had a senior year that consisted of 13.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.1 SPG, 2.4 APG, and an 8-AA 1st Team All-Region and AJC First Team All-State honor. After closing her prep career with over 1,000 points, Scott played some at North Georgia, where she averaged 1.4 pts (10 total) as a freshman in seven games. SAVANNA SCOTT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

SHEYENNE SEABOLT

Seabolt played with 3 other 1,000-point Dawson County scorers, but herself was a fourth that partnered up in a 5-year period of greats. She was a dominant presence in the paint with 1,604 career points and 821 rebounds. She averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks per contest, and was a big part of the State Championship game team of 2012-13 and of the 29-1 ’14-15 team. Her time for the Lady Tigers included 89 wins, a region title, a Finals appearance, Elite 8 trip, and Sweet 16 run, as well as a #1 state ranking. Seabolt, a former Player of the Year, initially went to UNG but did not play. Seabolt tragically died a few years later. SHEYENNE SEABOLT CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

ALLISON SMITH

Smith missed almost an entire season (junior year) yet still easily surpassed 1,000 career points. The guard/forward had the size and athleticism to take over a game from beyond the arc, in the paint or anywhere in between. There was no easy way to guard Smith. She led the Lady Leopards to a fantastic quarterfinals run in 2017-18, and tallied 15 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk and 3 stl per game that season. She shot 77% from the charity stripe and 33% overall from the floor. She was an All-State player as well as all-region multiple times. Smith was a standout cross country and track and field athlete as well. She went on to play at Emmanuel College. ALLISON SMITH CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

KAYLEE STICKER

Sticker was a floor general and played every position throughout her career at Dawson County. The 2-time All-State player and eventual Clemson baller was the BLITZ Player of the Year after her senior year. Sticker set the school record with 1,656 career points, and added over 500 career boards. She averaged 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks per game, and had over 60 double-doubles. In her final season at Dawson, she averaged 19.6 points, 6.2 boards, scored 30+ 4 times, and reached double-figures in scoring 27 times in 31 games. After 2 years at Clemson, she went to Samford for a year and then UNG, where became one of the team’s top scorers and rebounders. KAYLEE STICKER CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

LAKEN STILES

Laken Stiles played alongside three other 1,000 point scorers in her tenure at Rabun (Georgia Stockton, Brooke Henricks, Savannah Scott), but still put up her own buckets. She did a little bit – scratch that – a lot a bit of everything. Finishing at the rim, nailing long range and mid range shots from the floor, elite defense, rebounding, dishing out dimes, etc. Stiles finished with over 1,000 points, 400 assists, 200 rebounds, and 100 steals and left a huge hole for the Lady Cats to fill. She was an All-State guard, and earned a spot with Piedmont College at the next level. LAKEN STILES CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

GEORGIA STOCKTON

Stockton, the BLITZ Player of the Year as a junior, scored over 1,000 career points and averaged 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game. The All-State guard was a large part of the 29-3 State Title game team in ’16-17, and helped the Rabun County Lady Wildcats to 106 wins over 4 years, with all 4 seasons going to the Quarterfinals or further, and 3 included region titles. Stockton continued her career at Presbyterian College. GEORGIA STOCKTON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

HEATHER VAUGHAN

Heather Vaughan spent a couple of seasons at Habersham Central, then moved over to Banks County. She finished with 1,000 career points and was a threat from deep like few others. An All-Region selection twice and All-State guard as a senior, Vaughan closed with north of 300 rebounds, 250 assists, and 100 steals. HEATHER VAUGHAN CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

TAYLOR WADE

Habersham forward Taylor Wade was a tough assignment for any opponent. Though her role saw her 1,000-plus points, she did so much more than score. The physicality she brought to the Lady Raiders lineup was invaluable. She averaged north of six rebounds per game each of her seasons as a starter, and closed with 11.7 PTS, 6.4 REB, 2.3 AST, and 1.7 STL per game. The two-time All-Region honoree averaged 13.3 points as a junior and 11.6 points and 6.8 boards as a senior.

NYAH WILLIAMS

Williams finished what became a ridiculously-good career at TFS. She scored 1,852 career points, and averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal per game as a starter, and shot 43% overall and 25% from deep. She led the Lady Indians to more than 50 wins, including a Sweet 16 run as a senior and #10 ranking. Williams more than has talent to play at the next level, but persued academics first at the University of Pennsylvania.

WRESTLING

PEYTON BACKER

Peyton Backer of Rabun County was a really good wrestler, and frankly an even better football player. He’s in the Hall of Fame for both. In wrestling, he notched 74 wins against 11 losses, earn two top-five finishes at state, and two area championships. That included a runner-up finish and third-place finish. This is insane considering he missed almost half his wrestling career due to injury. He wrestled as a senior in the 285-lb bracket. Backer starred on the gridiron at Georgia Southern.

DAWSON BATES

Dawson Bates was as dominant as they come in wrestling. A three-time state champion, including at 132 pounds as a senior, was a four-time state finalist who compiled a 198-5 overall record. He won at 132 a state title as a junior, and at 106 as a freshman. He was runner-up at 113 in his sophomore campaign. His record by season: 42-0 as a senior, 56-1 as a junior, 52-1 as a sophomore, and 48-3 as a freshman. Four of his five losses were in the state tournament. He helped Jefferson to four state titles in traditionals. He went on to wrestle at Appalachian State.

JAKE BREWER

Jake Brewer is a Commerce legend after winning three state titles in three years in the program. He then went on to Truett McConnell University. His Tigers career on the mat saw him go 88-8 and finished wrestling in the 145-lb class.

GAVIN BROWN

Brown was a solid Dawson wrestler. He was the 3A State Champion as a junior in 2013-14, going 45-2 and also winning sectionals, all at the 182-lb class. He went 44-8 as a 195-lb senior in 2014-15, winning area and finishing fourth at state. His career win total surpassed 175 wins.

OWEN BROWN

Brown is a three-time state champion for the Tigers, and went undefeated in 2016-17 in a program that won eight titles (four dual, four traditional) in his time at Commerce. Brown could very well have been a four-time champion (rare feat), but was injured as a freshman. Brown was 45-2, winning area and state as a junior in 2015-16 in the 145-lb class and was 37-3 and a state and area champion as a sophomore in the 138-lb bracket. Brown finished his career with over 180 wins. Brown initially went on to Army-West Point.

ELIJAH BURNS

Elijah Burns left Commerce a 3-time State Champion, winning it in the 195-lb level as a senior. He had a 128-18 career mark, and was a 4-time Area Champion as well. Burns went on to wrestle at Appalachian State University.

ANDREW BURPEE

Burpee is arguably the top wrestler to come through Habersham Central. His 2013-14 freshman year was incredible, as he went 45-1 as a 106-lber. He won the area, sectionals and most importantly, state championship. He was the 6A state runner-up as a junior in 2015-16, going 26-1 as a 126-pounder. He placed third as a sophomore at the 113-lb class, going 59-7. His final season, he came in third wrestling in the 132 class. He finished his wrestling career with three area championships (’14, ’16, ’17) and two sectionals championships (’14, ’17). He had a record of 152-11, recording 98 pins, 11 tech falls, 7 major decisions, 82% bonus point wins record, and won 15 career tournament championships. He outscored his opponents 1,178-163, most of which were escapes he gave, and only allowed 75 offensive points.

COLE CHANCEY

Chancey, also a Hall of Famer in football, was a stud wrestler for the Tigers, earning eight team state titles (four dual & four traditional) and three consecutive individual state championships. He wrestled from the 170, 182 and 195-lb class during his stay at Commerce. As a junior, Chancey was 30-1. He was 37-3 as a sophomore. Chancey won over 175 matches in his stellar career.

DALTON FLINT

Flint is only the 32nd wrestler in state history to win an individual state title four times. Former Commerce wrestler Chance McClure was another. Flint put together a 126-11 career record. He was a four-year area and sectionals champ as well, helping Commerce to duals and traditional team state titles in all four years. Flint also starred on the football field and played tennis as well. Flint went to wrestle at Emmanuel College.

TUCKER FLINT

Flint had an outstanding career for Commerce, closing with 114 wins against just 16 losses, and won a pair of state titles as well as a pair of runner-up finishes. He wrestled in 4 different weight classes along the way.

CHASE FORRESTER

Forrester was the BLITZ Wrestler of the Year in 2017-18 after going 32-2 in the 160-lb class, earning three individual and four dual and four traditional state championships as a team. Forrester had more than 150 wins at Commerce.

JAKE FRATES

Jake Frates posted 93 wins against just 9 losses in his Commerce career. He finished up with a 20-0 perfect season as a senior that culminated in a State Championship win in the 285-lb weight class. He won a pair of state titles as a junior and senior, and was a runner-up as a sophomore. Frates was a 3-time area champion as well, and helped Commerce to a pair of team State Championships. He was a 3-time All-State wrestler and also an All-State football player. He went on to play football at Harvard.

GREG HILLIARD

Hilliard finished his Lumpkin career with a state runner-up finish, his third such finish. He had 150-plus wins for Lumpkin, including a state championship, and wrestled in the 113, 132, and 145 class.

RYAN HURD

The 2018-19 BLITZ Wrestler of the Year, Hurd (160 lb) went 93-7 in a brief but powerful career at Jefferson. He was the State Champion, and finished 3rd as a junior.

SAM IRWIN

Sam Irwin got overlooked slightly due to the dominance of teammate Nolan Wheeler, but the numbers don’t lie. Irwin was every bit as dominant. He even had more wins (156) in a whole year less. He won state in both his junior and senior seasons, and twice was a 3-time area champion. As a senior, he was 76-2 after going 53-2 as a junior.

ATHENA MALEK

Athena Malek was a champion wrestler for Stephens County, tallying over 75 wins and earning 4 top-5 finishes at state, primarily wrestling at the 112-lb level.

TYLER MARINELLI

Tyler Marinelli was an All-American wrestler at Jefferson, grappling at 138 lbs as a senior. He had 56 career pins, a 121-5 overall record, and won three state championships and four area titles. He won state at 138 pounds as a junior and senior, finishing undefeated as a senior, and captured the state title at 126 pounds as a sophomore. He was runner up at Sophomore Nationals at 126 pounds. Marinelli was ranked 27th nationally at 138 pounds by Wrestling USA Magazine as a junior while with the Dragons. He went on to compete at Gardner-Webb.

ZACH MATTHEWS

Matthews, a back-to-back BLITZ Wrestler of the Year, won a pair of state titles for the Indians in the 220-lb class. He was also a multi- Region Champ. In his 2016-17 senior season, he was as good as ever at 34-1. The season before as a junior, he went 41-2, also won area and state, and became the defacto top wrestler in Lumpkin history. Matthews had north of 150 wins.

CHANCE MCCLURE

McClure faced personal adversity and overcame it in a big way. Also a standout football player, you could tell there was something special about Chance McClure. Not only was his team constantly state champions, but McClure pulled off the rare feat of being a four-time state champion. He went 47-0 as a junior, winning the BLITZ Wrestler of the Year award, and followed that up with a 39-0 senior campaign, with another Wrestler of the Year award. He finished his illustrious career with a 191-2 overall record, winning a state title at 189 lbs and three straight 220-lb titles! He wrestled at the University of Virginia, and came back to Commerce to take over the program he put on the map.

CHRIS MCCRACKIN

McCrackin was one of the top wrestlers to compete at Banks County. He was the BLITZ Wrestler of the Year in his junior season in 2014-15 after winning a state tile in the 126-lb weight class and going 62-1 that year. He was a three-time state champion and four-time region champion, helping Banks County to a state championship in 2013-14. McCrackin wrestled at Washington & Lee University.

CALEB MORRIS

Caleb Morris had a stellar beginning to his career, winning a pair of state titles in two weight classes (125 & 130). His final overall record was 212-6 as a Warriors wrestler. Morris was twice a BLITZ Wrestler of the Year.

KAYLEE SEABOLT

Kaylee Seabolt won 6 state titles, and wrestled prior to GHSA having a separate bracket for girls. She often had to wrestle boys, and typically won. She was a 3-time regional champ as well and went on to wrestle at Emmanuel. She wrestled at the 182-lb level as a senior.

LEVI SEABOLT

Levi Seabolt was a solid wrestler for Lumpkin County, claiming a pair of top-5 finishes at state. He had a 125-59 record, and was top-5 in the area 3 times. He wrestled at the 170-lb class as senior.

DEVIN SULLENS

Devin Sullens went 158-39 overall at White County, winning a State Championship as a senior at 220 lbs. He was a 3-time state finalist and 3-time region champion, and went on to play football at Reinhardt University.

SIDNEY SULLENS

Sidney Sullens is the first girls wrestler to win Wrestler of the Year (did it twice) and second to go into the BLITZ HOF. The 152-lb grappler was a one-time state champion and three-time runner-up at White County. She posted an impressive 91-46 record, with many matches against boys. She elevated the girls wrestling scene across north Georgia.

TERRENCE WALKER

Walker is a 195-lb wrestler who finished runner-up in 2019 to close out his career. He 3 times placed in the top five, and had a 135-14 career mark.

MILES WATTS

Miles Watts had an outstanding run at Rabun County. The grappler who wound up in the 165-lb bracket had a State Championship as a sophomore, was a State Runner-Up as a junior, and all 4 years placed in the top-5 at state. He collected 3 Area Championships as well, and had a career record of 90-12.

NOLAN WHEELER

Lumpkin County’s Nolan Wheeler leaves as arguably the best to ever grapple for the Indians. He had a 142-28 win-loss mark, and was a 3-time state champion. He earned BLITZ Wrestler of the Year honors after a senior year in which he went 61-4 at the 160-lb class. He was a 3-time area champion as well, and signed to continue wrestling at Newberry College.

SWIMMING

MONTGOMERY DAMPIER

Dampier set the school mark in the 200 Free (at the State Championships), 500 Free, and 100 Breaststroke, and also was on the 200 Medley Relay team that set a school mark. She was the runner-up in the 100 Free, 4th in the 200, 6th in the 400 Free Relay, and 10th in the 200 Medley Relay at the State Championships in 2021-22. Dampier went on compete in college at Georgia Southern University.

BASEBALL

SPENCER ADAMS

Spencer Adams was a star baseball and basketball player, was one of the best, if not THE best, pitcher in the state of Georgia. Despite committing to UGA, he was drafted so high in the MLB Draft (2nd round, Chicago White Sox) as the 44th overall pick. The two-time BLITZ Player of the Year (one in baseball and one in basketball), Adams amazingly lost two games despite a 0.72 ERA in his senior year. His 4-2 record may not look like much, but he struck out 90 hitters in 58.1 innings of work, walking just 11 and giving up only 27 hits. This included five complete games and four shutouts, and a 0.650 WHIP. At the plate, Adams hit .377 with a homer and 6 RBI. He led his Warriors team multiple times to the state playoffs. With his mid-90’s fastball to impeccable command of his full arsenal, Adams, not surprisingly, has excelled in professional baseball in the White Sox organization. He pitched for the Charlotte Knights (AAA) at his apex. Adams had a 40-48 record with a 3.93 ERA and 473 strikeouts against just 159 walks professionally. He threw four complete games, two being shutouts. Adams was once a MLB Top 100 Prospect (pre-2015).

KOOPER BRILEY

Briley is a generational type of hitter that rolled through Stephens County. A 3-time All-American and 2-time All-State player, the former BLITZ Player of the Year batted .425, slugged 25 homers, and drove in 75 runs. He scored 80 times, knocked 60+ XBH, and showed complete patience with 60 walks. He slugged .850 for his career, and was a part of the Indians’ Elite 8 team in 2017. Briley played for Kennesaw State University.

TY BURCHETT

Ty Burchett was Mr. Consistent for the Leopards, helping the team to its best stretch in program history. He was good for 14 wins and a 2.28 ERA to go with 4 saves and 128 strikeouts on the mound, and was a solid hitter who left with a .410 average and 75 RBI, scoring 80 runs and stealing 62 bases. He had 4 wins in each of his last 3 seasons, and had a 1.19 ERA in 2020 before COVID shortened the season. He was also hitting .451 that season, and hit .407 with 26 RBI as a senior. He went on to play at Chattanooga State.

LOGAN BURT

Burt was an all-region left-handed pitcher who had an extra-special senior year in 2014. He went 6-1 with a 1.15 ERA, striking out 131 batters and recording an opponents batting average of just .106 and a WHIP of just 0.84. He also hit .405 with three homeruns and 20 RBI, scoring 23 runs and stealing 14 bases. His career stats: 15 wins with a 2.50 ERA and 300 K, hitting .400 with 10 HR, 50 RBI, 80 R and 35 SB. Burt went on to play at North Georgia, where he completed his career with a 5-3 record with a 6.72 ERA, two saves and 54 strikeouts. He returned to Dawson to take over the baseball program in 2023.

ZAC CORBIN

Zac Corbin blasted his way to the next level. The Dragons’ standout averaged .375 with five taters and 70 RBI, scoring 75 runs and showing blazing speed with some 45 stolen bases. He also won and saved five games with a 2.05 ERA. The All-State and two-time All-Region honoree had an unreal senior campaign that saw him bat .395 with a homer and 21 RBI and 22 SB, scoring 32 runs and getting on base at a .500 clip. He also went 2-0 with five saves and a perfect 0.00 ERA with a .186 BAA. Corbin went on to Kennesaw State University, where he starred on the diamond with a .302 AVG, 10 HR, 59 RBI, 21 2B, and 92 R along with 17 SB entering 2024.

LUKE CRUMLEY

Crumley was a former Basketball Player of the Year before dropping the sport to focus on just baseball his senior year at White County. The two-way talent enjoyed a big senior year, hitting .376 with 15 HR and 33 RBI, while going 5-1 with a 2.68 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 62.2 innings pitched. He helped lead the Warriors to 20 wins that season with a region title (first in school history). Crumley was named to the 2011 Coaches 8-AAA All-Region team as a P/OF, and also helped White Co to 19 wins and a state playoff berth as a junior. He was rated the number eight prep player in Georgia by Perfect Game. In his junior season, he went 5-3 with a 2.98 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched, and hit .416 with 10 homeruns and 31 RBI. He led the Warriors with 48 strikeouts in 34.2 innings pitched and had a 3.63 ERA as a sophomore as well. He joined fellow classmate David Sosebee (also a BLITZ HOFer) in going to UGA. Crumley posted a 5-6 record and 6.41 ERA in 41 appearances, including 14 starts, striking out 42 hitters in 78.2 innings.

COLTON DAVIS

Davis, a recent professional pitcher for the Minnesota Twins organization, had a solid high school career and was an All-State talent. He went on to play at Western Carolina before going pro. He had a fantastic senior year, going 5-2 on the mound with a 0.44 ERA with 88 strikeouts, helping Commerce to a 21-8 record and Sweet 16 appearance. He also hit .468 with 4 homeruns and 36 RBI. As a junior, he was 6-3 with a 2.19 ERA and 98 K, batting .420 with 30 RBI.

WILL DEVRIES

DeVries was a constant for the Indians during his time at Towns County. As a sophomore (2015) he won three games on the mound with a 4.28 ERA and 10 strikeouts, while batting .435 with 8 RBI and scoring 18 runs. He stepped it up in 2016 with 4 wins, a 2.38 ERA and 49 K, while batting .379 with 12 RBI and nine stolen bases. But 2017 was his big year, as he went 4-2 with a save, a 3.26 ERA, striking out 73 in 68.2 IP. He hit .432 (38/88) with two homers, 24 RBI, 25 runs, nine doubles and one triple. His career totals included 12 wins with a 2.90 ERA and nearly 300 strikeouts, and a .400 average with two homers, 70 RBI, 100 runs and 35 SB. DeVries was the 2017 region player of the year, and was twice all-region first team and once all-region second team. He tossed a no-hitter in his career, was a two-time Perfect Game all-tournament team honoree and All-Southeast team Honorable Mention.

SEBASTIAN DUNN

Dunn was a hard out at Lumpkin County, batting .420 with 40 RBI, scoring 70 runs, swiping 60 bases, drilling 25-plus extra-base hits, and going 10-6 on the mound with 7 saves and a 2.30 ERA and 75 K. He was a 3-time All-Region pick, and played college ball at Florida St College at Jacksonville before going to UNC Asheville.

LANE EVERETT

Everett anchored a tough Union County team in his time as a Panther, even throwing a perfect game as a senior in 2014. That year, Everett was 6-2 with a save and a 1.20 ERA, striking out 76. He allowed an opponents’ batting average of just .200. At the plate he contributed with a .365 average and 16 RBI. He had roughly 12 wins, a 2.30 ERA and 130 K, batting .350 with 30 RBI. Everett went on to play for awhile at Georgia Highlands.

JAKE FIELDS

Jake Fields had one of the best season in STATE history. We’re not kidding….he hit .628 as a senior with 16 homeruns, had a .737 OBP clip, and was 11-1 on the mound too. Fields’ lifetime average of .561 is a state record that remains, and he had 193 hits, 57 HR, 189 RBI, 44 2B, and 97 BB, all of which rank top 10 in state history. Fields went on to play for Valdosta State University.

JAKE FRANKLIN

Jake Franklin was a key part of the Dragons’ lineup, averaging .447 with 12 HR and 60 RBI in his career. He was an All-American and All-State selection, and 2-time Region Player of the Year. As a a junior, he hit .423 with 23 RBI. Franklin went on to have a great career at Kennesaw State, where he hit .289 with 19 HR and 98 RBI over 4 seasons.

CHASE GILREATH

Gilreath was a special talent out of Dawson County. He could hit in the low 90s on the mound, and was a plus shortstop as well. He was a 2010 Rawlings Preseason All-American heading into his senior year. He lettered all four years and was first-team all-region at pitcher and shortstop as a senior, and second team all-region as a junior shortstop. He set the school record for RBI in a game with 8. As a senior he hit .465 with 7 HR and 38 RBI, and was 8-2 with a 2.59 ERA on the mound. As a junior in 2009, he hit .532 with 7 HR. Gilreath played two years at Columbus State, going 3-5 on the mound with a 3.75 ERA and 35 strikeouts.

CHASE HORTON

Chase Horton had an arm! The pitcher pitched his way to 15 wins and 170 strikeouts, while holding an ERA below 3 (2.80) in 152 innings of work. He also got it down at the plate, hitting .305 (70-plus hits), with a homer, 51 RBI, 38 runs, 16 doubles, and 15 SB. He won 5 games per season on averaged, and added a couple of saves. His senior year saw him go 5-2 with a 2.32, and his junior year he was 5-1 with a 2.60. He went on to pitch at Augusta University.

HAMPTON HUTTO

Hampton Hutto slugged his way to a solid career for the Tigers, helping Commerce to back-to-back region championships in the process. The 2-time All-State selection was a 1B/DH combo who hit .408 for his career and slugged .647 while getting on base at a .512 clip. He tallied 109 total hits with 14 HR and 99 RBI, adding 28 doubles. He was the BLITZ Player of the Year as a junior in 2022 after putting up a .400 average with 7 HR and 52 RBI. His senior year saw him hit .400 again with 5 HR and 28 RBI.

PEYTON IRVIN

Irvin was a hoss for Hab Central, and it showed in his spectacular senior season which saw him lead the Raiders to the state playoffs for the first time in a decade. The shortstop/pitcher hit .370 with 3 HR, 60 RBI, 60 R, 25+ XBH, and 25 SB along the way, and he went 15-6 (3 saves) with a 1.95 ERA and 135 K in his career, which included a pair of All-Region selections. Irvin played college ball for Piedmont University, going 14-9 with a 4.17 ERA and 123 K across 174.2 IP.

JARRED JONES

Jones put together a stellar second half of his career at Habersham. As a senior in 2018, he hit .333 with five homeruns, 16 RBI, 31 runs, 19 stolen bases and 22 walks. He added five doubles and two triples, and on the mound was 1-3 with a 2.80 ERA and eight strikeouts to go with one save. As a 2017 junior, he hit a mind-blowing .481 (39/81), posing 1 HR, 28 RBI, 22 R, 7 2B, 5 3B, 21 BB, .604 OBP, .728 SLG and went on the mound: 3-3, 6.13 ERA, 32 K, 30.2 IP. Jones closed his career with a .336 average, 8 HR, 64 RBI, 15 2B, 7 3B, 69 BB and 78 R, as well as a .468 OBP. Jones played at Southern Wesleyan University.

JOSEPH MANCUSO

The football Hall of Famer who went on to play (and still does) at Richmond on the gridiron, was insanely good on the mound. Makes sense…a QB with a cannon whether throwing a football or baseball. He went an outstanding 15-0 on the mound in his 3-year stint at Union County, with a 2.25 ERA and 155 strikeouts. At the dish, Mancuso batted .330 with 11 HR and 68 RBI, scoring 54 runs, stealing 14 bases, drilling 20 doubles, 3 triples, and drawing 42 walks. That’s a .449 OBP and .619 SLG. His senior year he went 6-0 with a 1.57 ERA, and also hit .356 with 4 HR and 24 RBI. His junior year was just as impressive (6-0, 1.71 ERA; .333-3-23). Mancuso was named BLITZ Player of the Year as a junior.

TUCKER MAXWELL

Maxwell only spent one season at Dawson County (2016), but it was incredible. He took home BLITZ Player of the Year honors. After winning a state title for Lanier, he went to Dawson and led the Tigers to 22 wins and a Sweet 16 run. Maxwell hit .518 with 5 homers and 37 RBI, scoring 51 runs and stealing 38 stolen bases, all while showing plenty of patience with 37 walks. He added 14 doubles and 3 triples. Maxwell was a 2016 Rawlings/Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American, earned 1^st Team All-Region and was a Georgia Dugout Club All-Star as well. He had missed his entire junior year at Lanier due to injury, but as a sophomore, batted .404 with 6 HR and earned Best Defensive Player award in helping team to top national ranking and 6A state title after going 36-2. Maxwell played for UGA, where he has a .192 average after two seasons with 8 HR, 35 RBI, 44 R, 16 SB and 11 2B. He then went on to get drafted by the Phillies in the MLB draft, but didn’t play very long in the minors.

ALEX MCFARLANE

It was a short high school career for McFarlane, but no doubt he deserves this. A transfer from the Virgin Islands, the stud pitcher (mid-90s thrower) went a perfect 6-0 with a 1.70 ERA and 66 K in a senior season that saw the Raiders get to the playoffs for just the second time in school history. He also hit .479 with 1 HR, 16 RBI, 44 R, 12 2B, 3 3B, and 19 BB. He was named an All-Region player for his efforts. A Miami commit, he was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in the MLB Draft (Rnd 25) in 2019 in the late rounds. He bypassed to go to Miami, and was 7-5 with a 4.35 ERA and 120 K for the Hurricanes. He got drafted by the Phillies in 2022 in the 4th Round to begin his pro career.

CHANDLER ROGERS

Rogers closed his Commerce career with a .430 average, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 25+ XBH, 40 SB, 70 R, and 50 BB. He went 10-6 on the mound with 4 saves, a 3.15 ERA, and 110 strikeouts. The all-around player was an exceptional fielder (.970 FLD%), and was a 2-time All-Region pick. Rogers played at USC Aiken.

COLBY ROGERS

Colby Rogers batted .430ish for his career, drove in about 50 runs, and scored another 70. He had a little bit of power as well, notching around 25 extra base hits. He had a knack of getting on base, playing solid defense, and was reliable on the mound. To knowledge (stats we know of), he went 4-2 with 3 saves and about a 2.00 ERA with 25 strikeouts, and was a two-time All-Region selection.

HUDSON SAPP

Hudson Sapp had an absolute beastly career, and since his sophomore year was already committed to play at Ole Miss beginning in 2021. The lefty outfielder batted over .510 for his career with 15 HR, 70 RBI, 105 R, 65 SB, and 90 BB. He had 25 doubles and 10 triples as well. On the mound, he registered a 5-2 record with a 0.89 ERA and 60 strikeouts. His COVID-19 shortened senior year consisted of him battling Graves Disease, yet still hit .500 with 5 HR and 18 RBI, and was 3-1 with a 1.77 ERA and 30 K, which included throwing a perfect game. His junior year was even better, as he hit .582 with 6 HR and 22 RBI, 27 SB, 23 BB, and 37 R. He also went 2-1 that year with a 0.45 ERA and 30 K. Sapp is a two-time All-State player and Region Player of the Year, as well as a two-time BLITZ Player of the Year. He played at Ole Miss before transferring to Georgia Highlands College.

PALMER SAPP

Sapp was a stellar player for the Tigers from his sophomore to senior season. In his final year at Dawson, he was named BLITZ Player of the Year after putting up 40 hits, batting .460 and adding 23 walks. He displayed power in the form of 5 homeruns, driving in 31 runs. He swiped 15 bases as well, notching a dozen doubles and two triples. In his 2018 senior season, Sapp also went 4-4 with a save and a 3.71 ERA. He struck out 40 batters in 52.2 innings of work. As a junior (2017), he put up a .444 average (40/90), 5 HR, 29 RBI, 31 R, 7 2B, 2 3B, 12 SB and went 3-0 with a save on the mound, compiling a 4.20 ERA, 17 K, 18.1 IP, 12 BB. As a sophomore (2016), his numbers were impressive as well: .429 – 6 HR – 41 RBI; 39 R, 9 2B, 2 3B, 14 BB, 18 SB; 5-2, 3.63 ERA, 37 K, 44.1 IP. In total, he hit .440 (134 hits) with 16 homeruns, 113 RBI, 115 runs, 51 stolen bases and 30 doubles as well as seven triples. On the mound, he pitched to the tune of a 3.80 ERA, going 12-7 with two saves and 97 strikeouts in over 120.1 innings of work. Sapp played at North Greenville University, Georgia Highlands, and Georgia College.

DAWSON SORRELLS

The Indians at Stephens County were blessed to have Dawson Sorrells in their program. The workhorse went 20-7 with 2 saves and a 2.26 ERA alongside 201 strikeouts. At the plate, he hit .350 with 2 homers and 55 RBI, scoring 75 runs and drilling out 27 extra-base hits. His sophomore year saw him go 9-2 with a 1.72 ERA and 51 K. He followed that with a 5-2 (3.19) 46 K junior year, and a 5-3 (2.49) 72 K senior season. Sorrells went on to play at East Georgia State.

DAVID SOSEBEE

Sosebee closely resembles the success of teammate Spencer Adams (above), who was a freshman when Sosebee was a senior. Sosebee went on to much success at UGA. David Sosebee was a great talent on the mound as well as at the plate, though he’d go pro due to the success on the bump. His prep senior season saw him hit .386 with 10 HR and 30 RBI, and saw him go a mind-blowing 10-1 on the hill with a 0.63 ERA, striking out 115. He hurled seven complete games and two shutouts, earning the BLITZ Player of the Year award. He also earned it the year prior by going 7-1 with a 0.76 ERA as a junior, striking out 106 to the tune of a 0.801 WHIP. He also hit .450 that year with 14 RBI. Sosebee currently is in the MLB New York Yankees organization (AAA), and in 2018 pitched a relievers’ no-hitter, retiring 28 batters without allowing a single hit. In five seasons in the minors, he was 18-14 overall with a tiny 2.64 ERA and 28 saves to go with 296 strikeouts (against just 90 walks).

BEN STOWE

Ben Stowe was a 3-time All-Region pick from Stephens County. The Indians’ third baseman put up a solid career, posting a .333 average and .473 OBP. That includes 7 HR, 63 RBI, 64 runs scored, 30 doubles, a triple, 39 walks, and 87 total hits. Stowe played exceptional defense as well, and his senior season saw him bat .348 with 3 HR and 25 RBI. As a sophomore in 2021, he hit .367 with 2 HR and 20 RBI as well. Stowe went on to play college football at Shorter University.

DAVIS SWENSON

Davis Swenson was a rock in the rotation for the Indians, especially in his last two seasons. In that time, he went 12-5 with a pair of saves. He was 6-3 with a 2.51 with 73 K as a junior, and 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA with 81 K as a senior. He was also solid at the plate as a senior, batting .400 with 23 RBI and 15 doubles. He finished his career with 200 strikeouts, won 17 games, and had a 2.50 ERA while batting .375 with 35 RBI and 20 doubles. He was an All-State and two-time All-Region pick. He went on to play at Georgia College after first going to Gordon State College.

CJ THOMAS

CJ Thomas put together a solid career for the Leopards, racking up a 16-9 mark with a couple of saves and a tidy 1.75 ERA to go with 150 strikeouts. He hit .415ish with a homer and 40 RBI, adding 60 runs, 55 stolen bases, and 30 extra-base hits. His junior season saw him go 7-7 with a 1.60 ERA. His senior year in 2018 he went 6-2 with a 1.69 ERA, and tore it up at the plate with a state line of .511 average, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 29 R, and 22 SB. Thomas went on to play college ball at Toccoa Falls.

LANE WATKINS

Watkins was a UGA baseball player after wrapping his career up at Jefferson. He was a strong piece of the State Championship team his junior 2018 season. The first baseman/pitcher was a 2-time All-State honoree, and hit .425 with 12 HR, 70 RBI, 60 BB, 40+ XBH, 30 SB, and 75 R in his career. He also went 20-5 with a 1.80 ERA, striking out 140 batters.

BRETT WESTMORELAND

Westmoreland was one of the top power hitters in the state of Georgia during his senior year at White County. Westmoreland was the BLITZ Baseball Player of the Year in 2013 after hitting .536 with 13 HR and 31 RBI. His OBP was .673 and he scored 31 runs and notched 24 walks. A mainstay at Young Harris, Westmoreland finished his career with a .288 average with 19 homers and 94 RBI, adding 79 runs scored and 22 doubles while playing in roughly 150 games.

BRADY WILSON

Brady Wilson had a phenomenal senior year in which he went 6-2 with a 3.81 ERA, and batted .534 with a pair of homers and 19 RBI. A victim of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Wilson’s career stats, though solid, could have been much better had he not lost a full season. He won six games with a 3.95 ERA and 85 K, and hit .350 overall with five homers and 55 RBI to go with 25 doubles. He was a two-time All-Region pick, and went on to play at Truett McConnell University.

ALDEN WRIGHT

Wright missed his entire senior season due to an ACL tear from his senior football season, but still put together a fantastic high school career. As a 2015 junior, he was 10-2 with two saves and a 2.20 ERA with 45 strikeouts, and at the plate hit .434 with three homers and 21 RBI, scoring 23 runs and adding 26 stolen bases. He added six doubles and three triples that season, and totaled a .395 average with 9 homers, 64 RBI, 49 SB, and notch a .500+ OBP. He was 14-4 as a starting pitcher with 9 saves and a 2.71 ERA along with 117 strikeouts. Wright had a fine career at Maryville College, where he has been one of the top hitters in the lineup through his first two seasons, and was leading the NATION in RBI as a senior before COVID-19 abruptly ended his career. His college stats include a .348 AVG, 4 HR, 52 RBI, 36 R, and 16 2B.

BOYS SOCCER

PEYTON BARRETT

Peyton Barrett left Towns County as its most decorated individual. He led the Indians to a Final Four in his last season, and finished with 54 goals and 12 assists, including a 32 goal season as a senior. Barrett was an All-State selection and All-Region multiple times, and went on to play at Young Harris College.

ETHAN CONTRERAS

Ethan Contreras was truly far better than his stats would indicate. With 25-plus on the goals and assists output, he was a shoe-in for All-Region honors. His senior season was cut short with just one goal and four assists with the COVID problem. The center-mid had a stellar junior year with nine goals and nine assists for the Raiders.

TITO DIAZ

Diaz was a special talent for Rabun County, scoring 40-plus goals for his career, as well as over 10 assists. That gave him north of 100 total points in his career for the Wildcats, which also saw him earn All-Region honors twice. Diaz was a part of four straight playoff runs and 21 total wins.

ADAM DOWDY

Dowdy was a two-time all-region player for Habersham. Stats don’t do justice to how well he played. As a defender, he still notched some 10 goals in his career for the Raiders, and was a key part of 12 shutouts in one of the toughest regions in the highest classifications in the state. Dowdy played at the University of North Georgia.

MAX FARRIS

Max Farris came to Tallulah Falls from Highlands, and made an immediate impression. He broke the single-season school records for goals (24) and assists (14), notching 4 hat tricks (also a record), giving him career numbers of 95 points (58 G, 37 A). Farris was named All-Region and went on to play at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy then Truett McConnell University.

JAVY FLORES

Flores had an unreal 2019 senior season that led the Dragons to the Final 4. The keeper stopped over 200 balls from reaching the back of the net, and tallied 21 shutouts with a 0.9 Goals Against Average, which helped earn him an All-Region selection.

HAYDEN GENSLER

Hayden Gensler led White County to its first region title in his senior year, which saw him crush the single-season goals mark of 38 goals, and added 11 assists to earn BLITZ Player of the Year and Region POY. He had 61 career goals and 24 assists, finishing with 85 points. He went on to play at Converse College.

AARON HELTON

Aaron Helton was a top-shelf keeper for the Union County Panthers. He was a 4-year starter who posted 17 career shutouts with 111 saves and a 1.2 GAA. His best season was his senior 2021 campaign in which he had 7 shutouts, a 0.8 GAA, and 44 saves between the posts. Helton is a HUGE reason for the Panthers going to the State Championship match in 2019, his sophomore season.

NOLAN & SAWYER HEMMER

Nolan and Sawyer are two individuals, but the twins’ careers have gone hand-in-hand. The pair were Co-Players of the Year for BLITZ after a sensational senior season in 2010. They led the Raiders to 15 wins, a region title and Sweet 16 appearance, and a #3-ranking. Nolan had 27 goals and 18 assists, while Sawyer scored 4 goals with 5 assists as a defender who helped hold opponents to just 15 goals all season. Nolan was named Region 8-AAAA Most Outstanding Player as a first team All-Region honoree in 2010, and had 72 goals and 40 assists in his 80 career starts at Habersham. Sawyer also earned Region 8-AAAA All-Region first team honors and garnered team Most Valuable Defenseman honors. The brothers went on to play D-I soccer at Temple, where Sawyer played in 68 games (56 starts), scoring a goal with two assists, while Nolan started all 73 games in which he played, scoring 7 goals while adding 3 assists. He tallied 3 game-winners.

BRANDON HUDSON

Brandon Hudson was robbed. He was on track for an unbelievable stat line in 2020 before COVID hit. He had 20 goals and 7 assists, which was enough to earn him BLITZ Player of the Year honors. He finished his four-year career at Jefferson with around 50 goals and 30 assists (130 points).

CLANCY LOUDERMILK

Loudermilk left White County as one of the top players to suit up for the Warriors. He led the boys to 10 wins and a Sweet 16 berth his senior season of 2016, recording 20 goals and 9 assists with 2 Hat Tricks. Loudermilk was also named 1^st Team All-Region as a senior. He played at Truett McConnell University, totaling 4 G and 2 A.

BRANDON LUND

Brandon Lund was an outstanding talent at the prep level at Dawson County, leading the Tigers to many deep state playoff runs in his time. The forward tallied 19 goals and 14 assists as a senior, and had 22 goals and 15 assists in his even-better junior year. Both seasons earned him back-to-back BLITZ Player of the Year awards.

JOSE MIRANDA

Jose Miranda stormed onto the scene at Dawson County years ago. He was even better in his best season as a sophomore, netting 19 goals and adding 21 assists (school record). He finished his career with around 65 goals and the same number of assists for about 195 points.

ROJELIO NAVARETTE

A very special player was Rojelio Navarette at Habersham Central. The forward scored 38 goals and 24 assists, finishing with 100 career points and 2 All-Region selections as a 2-year starter. He went on to play at Piedmont College.

DENNIS PYETSUKH

Pyetsukh’s had almost identical sophomore and junior seasons. His 2017 junior year, he scored 21 goals and added 12 assists, and was named BLITZ Player of the Year for the second straight season. He also won as a sophomore in 2016 after setting the school record with 24 goals, and adding 12 assists. His senior 2018 season saw him miss half the season with injury, but he still had 8 goals and 4 assists in just seven games. He tallied 53 goals and 28 assists in total. He went on to play at Brown University.

ROBERTO QUINTAL

Roberto Quintal could take over a game! He did it often in that 2019 junior season for the Dragons, to the tune of 16 goals and four assists. His 2020 senior year was obviously short due to the pandemic, but he closed shop with well over 25 goals and 25 helpers across his career. He was an iron man on the field, as he played 1,383 minutes as a junior and rarely, if ever, came off the pitch. He was a two-time All-Region selection.

KOBI ROBBINS

Kobi Robbins had a solid career for Union County and was staring down a senior year that was poised to be terrific before the rude interruption in 2020. The Panthers forward had 40-plus goals in his career, with another 25ish assists, giving him north of 100 points.

ALAN SANCHEZ

Sanchez had a stellar career at Dawson County, where he led the Tigers to 54 wins over four seasons, including two quarterfinal runs, a Sweet 16 berth and another state playoff appearance as well as a region title. Sanchez recorded 18 goals and 16 assists (School Record) during his senior year and was named 1^st Team All-Region. Sanchez initially went to Tennessee Wesleyan, but didn’t play.

BRIAN SMITH

Smith tallied over 130 career points (50+ goals, 20+ assists) and was the heart and soul of the school’s best season ever in 2019, which culminated in a State Runner-Up finish. Smith was a 2-time All-Region selection, and the 2019 BLITZ Player of the Year.

VINCENT THOMAS

Vincent, the 2011 BLITZ Player of the Year, scored 30 goals and 9 assists that season, ending his career with an outstanding 53-7-1 team record with three region titles. His career totals included some 80 goals and 30 assists. He played a full career at Piedmont College, where he scored 19 goals and added 12 assists.

GIRLS SOCCER

LAUREN BARNES

Lauren Barnes scored or assisted quite literally 83% of Rabun County’s goals over the 4 years she was there. She had 109 goals and 27 assists, doing that with about half a season lost due to COVID-19. That translates to 136 points and 2.86 goals per game through her career. She had 65 goals as a senior, which was second in the NATION, which earned her Region POY, BLITZ Player of the Year, and All-State recognition. She went on to play at Columbus State.

BROOKE BARRETT

Barrett, the 2018 BLITZ Player of the Year, left Towns County not just as the best player in school history, but perhaps one of the better players in all of North Georgia in quite some time. The striker scored 27 goals as a senior in 2018, and added 16 assists (a rare combo of high scoring and high sharing). He final career numbers resulted in 87 goals and 58 assists, both school records. She was the MVP for the first North/South High School All-Star Game in June 2017, tallying a hat trick and an assist in the 5-2 win. Barrett was first team on the Olympic Development team for six years and was the youngest player on that team. Like her teammates on that team, she’s the latest to play in NCAA Division-I. She played twice in Italy in tournaments, winning multiple MVPs (one on loan with the boys team). Showing a great knowledge of the game, Barrett also has coached a U-8 and a U-6 soccer team. She’s also been named MVP at several camps including Top Drawer Soccer. Barrett, who held such D-I offers as Kentucky, Louisville, Georgia, The Citadel and Mercer, elected to play at Georgia Southern, scoring 2 goals (both game-winners).

TAYLOR BENNETT

Bennett was always a threat to score when she had the ball for the Lady Tigers. Bennett helped the girls to 57 wins over her four years, including two quarterfinal runs, a Sweet 16 and another first-round appearance, as well as a region title. As a junior, she notched 10 goals and 18 assists (then-School Record) and was named 1^st Team All-Region. As a senior (again 1^st Team All-Region), she tallied 19 goals and 13 assists, while missing the final handful of games (including playoffs) with a torn ACL. Bennett went on to play at Brenau.

CAMRYN CARTER

Camryn Carter was a fine player for Union County, leading the Lady Panthers to great success in her time in the program. The center midfielder tallied 40 goals and 50 assists (130 points), and went on to a solid career at Huntingdon College in Alabama.

ERIN CARTER

Carter left Stephens County as the all-time leading goal scorer, and her 2018 senior season saw her tally 25 goals, 6 assists and 6 hat tricks for the Lady Indians. Her career numbers: 71 goals, 16 assists, 13 hat tricks. Carter took her talents to Shorter University.

CHLOE DIAZ

Chloe Diaz had an unbelievable career for the Lady Tigers of Commerce. She was at the forefront of the rise of the program to a region title and State Championship game appearance as well as several deep playoff runs. The midfielder finished with 151 goals and 104 assists, graduating as the 2nd-leading scorer and 3rd in assists in school history. Her freshman 2020 season, though cut short by COVID, included 31 goals and 13 assists. Her 2021 sophomore season featured 65 goals and 42 assists, giving her 172 points (2nd in the nation and 1st in Georgia). She was named Region Co-POY with teammate Ivy Tolbert that year. She tore her ACL and missed nearly all of her junior 2022 season, but returned for the playoff run and into the State Championship match. She tallied 8 goals and 8 assists that year in limited action, but eclipsed 100 career goals at that point. In 2023, she polished off her career with 47 goals and 41 assists. Diaz earned All-State and All-Region status 3 times each. She went on to play soccer at the University of North Georgia.

ABBEY EISON

What a career for Abbey Eison, an All-State talent who was three times named All-Region. The forward led the Lady Dragons to a state title game appearance in 2022, and scored a school record 33 goals that season. She finished with 73 goals and 28 assists, multiple times putting in the game-winner. Eison had 19 G and 5 A as a freshman, 10 G and 3 A in the COVID-shortened 2020, and had 11 G and 11 A as a junior before her 33 G, 9 A senior season. She went on to play at Georgia State University.

KAITLYN HOOPER

Kaitlyn Hooper was a standout for the Lady Warriors, being the go-to offensive weapon for White County. The former back-to-back BLITZ Player of the Year scored 20 goals and 8 assists as a senior, shattering her school records set the previous season of 15 goals and one assist. Hooper finished her career with 57 goals and 16 assists, and had a solid career at Asbury University.

ABI HUNT

It’s not as hard as you’d think to quantify the value of Abi Hunt. The Lumpkin defender anchored the back line for 48 shutouts in her career, and scored a goal from time to time. She was an elite defender for the Lady Indians, and a large reason why the program advanced to 4 straight playoffs, including a Final 4 (2015) and Elite 8 (2016), and ranked as high as #1 in the state at one point. Her play guided Lumpkin to 55 wins over 4 seasons. Hunt played at Kennesaw State University.

HOPE KENNEY

Hope Kenney is one of the best to ever play in Northeast Georgia. Period! If not for COVID wrecking her senior year…can you imagine her final stat line? Instead, she settles for 96 career goals and 23 career assists (215 points)…still insane. The Lumpkin County forward demolished the school single-season goals record, scoring 33 as a junior. She had 26 as a freshman, 17 as a sophomore, 33 as a junior, and 20 as a senior despite losing half the season. Kenney went on to play at Truett McConnell University. Kenney is a two-time BLITZ Player of the Year and a multi All-State player, as well as two-time Region Player of the Year.

FALLAN LACEY

Lacey became one of the top keepers in the state as a 3-time All-Region pick. She secured 40 shutouts in her career, and logged a 0.65 Goals Against Average and over 200 saves. Lacey was a key piece to a program that won 55 games, ranked as high as #2 in the state, won 2 region championships, and made state all 4 years, which included a pair of Sweet 16s (’18,’19) and an Elite 8 (’16). Lacey, a former BLITZ Player of the Year, continued her career at Brenau University.

SAVANNA MAGILL

Magill led the Lady Warriors soccer team to state all four years (39 wins), including a Sweet 16 run. She was a 1^st Team All-Region honoree in all four years — a feat in itself. Magill had 21 goals and 5 assists as a senior. She set the White County freshman record for goals (17) and the single-season mark (23 goals), as well as career goals (80), surpassing former Lady Warrior and BLITZ HOFer Kaitlyn Hooper. Magill also finished with 26 career assists. Magill signed to play at Valdosta State University, but took a year off after graduation to focus on club soccer. She had missed most of her club seasons as a junior and senior due to surgery and injuries. It has paid off — she finished the 2016 U-19 Athena A season as the third top-scorer in the state. She went to Valdosta State in 2017.

MADDY MORLOCK

Morlock was a key member of Union County’s power run in girls soccer, and in her senior 2015 season, she notched 18 goals and chipped in with 6 assists. Her junior 2014 season was even better, as she had 22 goals and 7 assists in just 13 games. She totaled about 65 goals and 25 assists in her illustrious career. Morlock later played at Shorter University.

ELLA PARKER

Ella Parker twice set the school record for Jefferson with 16 assists in both her junior and senior seasons. The 2-time All-Region selection was a defensive player truly, but her incredible versatility led to the Lady Dragons shifting her to offense during her sophomore year. Even still, she finishes with 21 G, 16 A as a junior in 2022 and 25 G, 16 A as a senior in 2023. That ended with her getting 52 goals and 35 assists over the last two-plus years combined after moving to offense. Parker went on to play at East Tennessee State University.

MARGO PERRY

Margo Perry had a stellar career between the pipes for Jefferson, holding a 1.50 goals against average, with more than 50 saves and 20-plus shutouts. Perry was a mainstay for the Lady Dragons, leading them to deep playoff runs in her time there. Her 0.55 GAA as a junior is the best in school history.

RACHEL RAJCZAK

Rachel Rajczak quietly went to work and put up stellar numbers – 67 goals and 46 assists. That’s incredible, as she was instrumental for the Lady Tigers in their pursuit of multiple region titles and deep playoff runs. The forward was a two-time All-State and four-time All-Region pick, and blasted off as a freshman with 15 goals and 11 assists. She had 21 goals and a school-record 15 assists as a sophomore, and put up 14 goals and 10 assists as a junior and 17 goals and 10 assists in her final season.

BELLA RAMEY

Bella Ramey had so much upside, but we never saw the full picture since she had multiple ACL tears that derailed half her career. Still, when healthy, she had 45 goals and 18 assists (108 points), including going for 24/9 as a sophomore for the Lady Warriors.

HAZEN RAMEY

Hazen Ramey leaves White County as the all-time leader in goals (121) and assists (39). She didn’t get a chance to do anything in COVID 2020’s marred season, but in her sophomore 2021 campaign, she exploded for 36 goals and 13 assists (single-season school record at the time). She built on that with a school-record 44 goals to go with 10 assists in 2022, and polished off her career with a 39-goal, 11-assist 2023 season. The forward was a 3-time All-Region and 2-time All-State selection, and she was critical to the deep playoff runs each season for the Lady Warriors.

ASHLEY READ

Ashley Read played some great ball for Lumpkin County, closing with 72 points with 41 goals and 31 assists. Her best season was likely the one she didn’t get to finish due to COVID stoppage in 2020. She had 13 goals and 9 assists before the stoppage. She had 8 G and 12 A as a senior. Read was a multi- All-Region selection. She went on to play at Berry College.

ALEXIS SATTERFIELD

Alexis Satterfield has been far and away one of the best scorers in northeast Georgia. The Lumpkin County forward had an eye-popping 32 goals and four assists in a junior year that is unprecedented, leading the Lady Indians to a state semifinal appearance. She followed that with 29 goals and five assists as a senior. She was named BLITZ Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016. Satterfield went on to play at Brenau.

SARAH SHOOK

Sarah Shook’s stats don’t do justice. Not that there’s anything wrong with 32 goals and 29 assists. However, like most teams, 2020 was marred by COVID. Unlike most teams though, Towns County only got 2 games in. That was a lost freshman year for Shook. Her being a key starter on the Lady Indians basketball team while they continued to make postseason runs also led to her missing chunks of each year in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Still, Shook helped guide Towns County to the Final 4 in both 2021 and 2022, and a State Championship appearance in 2023. The All-State and 3-time All-Region pick was the team MVP in both her junior and senior year despite only playing about 1/2 the season in each of the sophomore, junior, and senior campaigns.

MCKENZIE SIMPSON

Simpson, a 2-time All-Region pick, scored more than 30 goals and had more than 15 assists in her time for the Lady Leopards, closing with 75+ points. Simpson went on to play at Emmanuel College.

ABBY TOLBERT

Abby Tolbert, a multi All-State and All-Region talent that anchored the backline, did far more than you could find in a box score. The anchor for Commerce helped jumpstart the program and turn it into the powerhouse it has become. Tolbert, a center back, was part of a brick wall defense that surrendered just 10 goals in her final two seasons. She was the Region Defensive Player of the Year, and still managed to score a few times here and there.

MADISON YOST

Yost finished her career as one of the greatest goal-scorers in the state of Georgia…EVER. She finished Union’s Elite 8 2019 season with a bang, as her career finished with 103 goals and 50+ assists, giving her over 260 points when it was all said and done. Yost was a 3-time All-Region selection.

BOYS GOLF

SMITH CAUDELL

Habersham Central standout Smith Caudell all three times came in the top-10 at area/region (COVID 2020 season wiped out). He qualified for state or sectionals each time, and carded a 37.8 across 9-holes and a 75.8 across 18-holes. He was consistently among the top golfers in any given match. He was 6th at area as a junior, 7th as a freshman, and 10th as a senior. His best finish at state was a 13th-place finish in his 2021 junior year.

SAGE CULPEPPER

Sage Culpepper twice was an Area Champion, guiding the Tigers to multiple state tournament appearances in the process. The two-time State Top-5 finisher was often low medalist throughout his career, especially in the final two seasons. His 18-hole average of 75 and 9-hole average of 37.5 was very solid.

JEREMY DAVIS

Davis was a 4-year leader for Commerce, helping the program to 4 consecutive top-10 finishes at state. His scoring average of 76 made him one of the best golfers in school history, and 3 times he finished state in the top-15, including a 5th place finish. Davis was a 3-time All-Area golfer and the 2019 BLITZ Golfer of the Year.

AARON GEORGE

George has been forgotten by some as a state champion contender during his time at Lumpkin County. He was a three-time All-Region and All-State selection (2009-11) and claimed individual Region Championships in both 2010 and 2011 as a junior and senior, and was the State Runner-Up in 2010. As a junior in 2010, he averaged a 71.4, while dropping that to a 71.1 in his senior season and finishing third at state. George was the BLITZ Golfer of the Year in both of those seasons. He went on to a solid career at the University of North Georgia.

LEE MCCOY

Lee McCoy was a state champion in his lone season at Habersham Central after moving from Florida. He was the 2012 Golfer of the Year after winning his state championship. He had seven tournament wins and scored a 69.9 average. His career at UGA was even better, as he finished it with a sixth place finish in the national tournament. He was the SEC Player of the Year, and SEC tournament champion, and set UGA records for career average (70.87) and single-season average (70). His amateur highlight came in the Valspar Invitational, where he played alongside Jordan Spieth, and beat him, while placing fourth in the PGA event, but was unable to collect on the winnings ($292,800). McCoy has since made the PGA Tour as a regular.

COOPER ROLAND

Roland was a four-year letterman for the Raiders, and was a leader even as a freshman. We don’t see that often. He was consistently the top one or two golfers in the program for three straight seasons, and his scoring average hovered in the 70s. He was third in the region in 2018, and averaged a 79 throughout his senior season. Roland played at Truett McConnell.

GARRETT ROWLAND

Rowland was a fantastic high school golfer, and was named BLITZ Golfer of the Year back-to-back in 2014 and 2015. As a junior, he placed 3^rd at region with a 79, and placed 7^th among 3A golfers at state with a 75. He reached new heights as a senior, averaging under 74 and became the 4A state runner-up while carding an unbelievable 71. This led to Rowland being named 1st Team All-State. He had finished fourth in region, but rebounded and polished off his career in incredible fashion. He had six tournament victories and was a part of the winningest senior class in White County history, as the Warriors made state three straight years with Ben Turner and Duncan Moody. This included a 2013 region championship. Rowland was selected to the GHSGCA (Georgia High School Golf Coaches Association) Ryder cup team, Team North, which won. He also holds the distinction of completing 11 straight tournament rounds during his senior year without a 3-putt. Rowland played college golf at Piedmont College.

HENRY SHARPTON

Henry Sharpton was a 3-time team captain for the Commerce Tigers, and definitely showed why on the course. He posted 3 top-5 finishes at Area (COVID 2020 season prevented a 4th), and 3 top-15 finishes as state, including a personal-best 7th place as senior in 2022. He was 15th at state as a freshman in 2019, 12th in 2021 as a junior, and 7th in 2022 as a senior. He carried a 77 18-hole average and 37 9-hole average to finish out. Sharpton was an All-State golfer.

GIRLS GOLF

SELAH ANDERSON

Selah Anderson was fantastic at Habersham Central. She was the Area Champion as a senior, and twice was inside the top-20 at state. Her 9-hole average was 37.5 and 78 across 18-holes.

ASHLEY BLACKBURN

Blackburn was a standout golfer for Habersham Central, and was the team low medalist three years. She holds the scoring records for the Lady Raiders, and advanced to the state tournament as a senior individually after averaging an 86. Blackburn played a full four seasons at Truett McConnell, and as a sophomore set the school’s one-day and two-day scoring record and was captain from sophomore through senior year.

MADISON CALDWELL

Madison Caldwell was back-to-back-to-back BLITZ Golfer of the Year from 2013-15. Just 12 days after surgery during her senior season, she captured a region title (her third) with a 77, then captured her first state championship with a 73 (winning by five strokes)! She came within one stroke of winning the championship her junior season. Caldwell starred at Western Carolina University.

CAROLINE CRAIG

Craig was a State Champion in her sophomore year, and placed 6th in her junior season as well. She helped the Lady Warriors finish in the top-5 in 3 straight seasons, and had a scoring average around 72. Craig was highly recruited and chose to play at UGA while holding several offers. Craig was a 2-time BLITZ Golfer of the Year.

CATIE CRAIG

From day one, it was clear not many around could compete with Catie Craig. She won a state championship as just a freshman, was twice a state runner-up, and won a region title as well as finishing a runner-up once. The top-5 ranked golfer in the state of Georgia averaged a 36.5 for her career. She led the Lady Warriors to a team State Championship as a senior, herself coming in Runner-Up in that 2021 season. She was named BLITZ Golfer of the Year all 4 years of her career, and went on to golf at Western Kentucky.

CAMERON FORD

Cameron Ford holds just about every school record at Commerce, including a 41.53 scoring average for a career. She is a 3-time top-10 finisher at state, twice finishing in the top 5. She also has the same marks at Area.

CARA GOWDER

Gowder was a standout golfer at Banks County, and was named 2012 BLITZ Golfer of the Year as a junior. She averaged a 79 that season, and finished 7^th at state with an 82. That came on the heels of a region runner-up finish (80). Gowder went on to play golf at Young Harris for three seasons.

BRINSON HALL

Brinson Hall averaged 43.21 for her career, and was a 3-time state top-10 finisher who helped guide her TFS team to a State Runner-Up finish in 2021. Hall and teammate Maggie Jackson took turns breaking and setting every school record. She was a 2-time Area Runner-Up, and went on to play golf at Troy University.

MAGGIE JACKSON

Maggie Jackson had a sensational career, evidenced by her 41.06 scoring average (9-hole). She won double-digit tournaments, placed in the top 10 at state twice (including 3rd overall in 2021 as a senior), was a 2-time Area Champion, and led her TFS team to a State Runner-Up finish. Jackson and teammate Brinson Hall took turns breaking and setting every school record. She was named BLITZ Golfer of the Year in 2021. She went on to play at Wofford College.

CANDLER KIMSEY

Kimsey was a solid golfer for the Lady Warriors, helping lay the foundation for what is now one of the top programs in the state. She was named all-region second team in her 2013 season. As a senior in 2014, she was named to the first team all-region and was region runner-up. Kimsey had an excellent career at Young Harris, averaging 78.9 her senior year, 78.6 as a junior, 82.8 as a sophomore and 86.4 as a freshman. She had five top-10 finishes and two top-5, and was named to the Peach Belt All-Conference Second Team in 2018.

KARSON KIMSEY

Kimsey was an All-State golfer who helped build the White County program into a powerhouse. She was an Area Runner-Up, and finished 14th in the state tournament. Kimsey went on to play at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

MCKENZIE MCREE

McKenzie McRee was a very reliable leader for Commerce golf, and three times finished in the top 15 at state, including twice in the top 10. She was a one-time area runner-up, and annually led the Lady Tigers to state. Her junior year saw her finish as the runner-up in area play, and then finish third at state. Her shooting average consistently remained in the low 80s.

SYDNEY MORGAN

Sydney Morgan was a standout for the Dawson County Lady Tigers. She was the top golfer on the team for several seasons, and won an Area Championship as a junior in dramatic fashion in a one-hole playoff. Morgan was 4th at Area as a senior, and 3 times was top-5 in the Area. At state, Morgan was inside the top-15 twice, including coming in 13th in 2018 after being 4th following the first day of the tournament.

KATIE GRACE RANDALL

Katie Grace Randall was a star since her freshman year at Stephens County. That first season in 2019, she was 8th at area and 36th at state. After the 2020 season was wiped away due to COVID-19, she was 5th at area and 11th at state in her junior year. She saved the best for last, claiming the Area Championship and came in 7th at state in her final go-around. Her 9-hole average was 40, and 81 across 18-holes.

MORGAN RYLEE

Morgan Rylee was one of the state’s top golfers while playing at Banks County. The two-time All-State selection finished in the top 10 individually as a freshman while guiding the Lady Leopards to a 3rd-place finish. She was All-Region three times, and was the region runner-up as a senior, and led her team to state all four years. Rylee played a solid career at the University of North Georgia.

MOLLY VINSON

Vinson was a 3-time All-Region pick, and performed very well each time she repped Rabun County at state. All 3 times, she finished in the top 20, including a 7th place finish. Her scoring average hovered around 78. She went on to play golf at Young Harris College.

BOYS TENNIS

MARCUS BERNINGER

Marcus Berninger, if not for COVID-19, would have joined elite company in going over 60 wins for his career. He settled for 55, dropping just 4 matches in his varsity career at #1 singles. Berninger was a two-time BLITZ Player of the Year.

THOMAS FLOWERS

Flowers led the Warriors to an 8-8 season his senior year (2010), and was named BLITZ Player of the Year while putting together a solid 15-1 record at #1 singles. Flowers lost only once at #1 singles in his high school career, going 70-4 overall. Flowers went on to ABAC on a tennis scholarship.

CARSON KEENER

Carson Keener had a career marked with consistency. Aside from playing doubles one year, he went between #2 and #3 singles and collected a record of 34-12. He was an All-Region choice, and a 2018 Positive Athlete Northeast Georgia pick. The four-year starter was pivotal to the success of the Stephens County boys program.

GABE MARTIN

Martin was a solid #1 singles player for Banks County, guiding the program to its first Elite 8 in 2018. He notched over 30 wins and was a 2-time All-Region pick, as well as a former BLITZ Player of the Year. Martin was also a standout basketball player who excelled in his long range shooting.

BEN SMITH

Ben Smith was a mainstay in the lineup for the Stephens County Indians. At #2 and #1 singles, Smith put up double-digit wins each year from his sophomore thru senior season. That included winning 12 matches as a junior and 10 as a senior. He was a 4-time All-Region selection, and finished with an overall record of 46-10.

TREY WILCOX

Wilcox played for both Rabun County and Tallulah Falls, and had stellar success in both places on the court. He was good. 41-2 good over a three-year span from 2015-17, three-peating as Player of the Year. He was 10-1 as a senior at Tallulah Falls. As a Rabun junior in 2016, he was a perfect 19-0, winning 93% of his games within matches and 100% of his sets. That’s domination. Even as a sophomore in 2015, Wilcox went 12-1, winning 91% of his sets and 75% of his games. Wilcox was first-team all-region all three years.

GRIFFIN WILKINSON

Griffin Wilkinson played most of his matches at #1 singles. He gathered up 32 wins there, and was a two-time All-Region selection for Stephens County.

GIRLS TENNIS

CADY GEDDINGS

Cady Geddings was a standout for the Lady Indians at Lumpkin County, posting back-to-back-to-back 10-plus win seasons at #2 singles. After going 13-3 at the #2 singles line as a 2021 junior, she piggybacked off that with a 16-3 2022 season, giving her 53 wins in her career against just 6 losses. Geddings went on to play tennis at Brenau University.

GINEVRA GRADASSI

The 2019 BLITZ Player of the Year, Gradassi proved herself one of the top players in the state. She was the Region POY in her senior season, leading the Lady Dragons to a deep playoff run. She was 18-2 overall.

JADEN HOARD

Jaden Hoard spent her career winning 90% of her matches. She was twice named All-Region, and went 51-6 overall at #2 singles behind Chloe Smith. She was a big part of 3 region titles and 3 deep playoff runs.

IZZY KINARD

Kinard left Lumpkin as one of the top tennis players in school history. The #1 singles star was a 3-time All-Region selection, and went 43-6 over her career for the Lady Indians. Kinard was also a star softball player, and chose to play that at the next level at Shorter University.

HALLIE REEVES

Reeves put together a fantastic tennis career at Rabun County, going 13-1 at #2 singles in her junior year and 9-3 at #1 singles as a senior, being named Player of the Year. She combined for roughly 35 wins in her career and helped the Lady Wildcats to multiple state tournament berths.

MADISON ROGERS

Madison Rogers was a 4-year #1 singles talent, going 40-16 overall, often in a very tough region. She went 18-3 as a senior in leading her team to a Final 4 appearance, and she was 4-0 in state tournament play. She was named All-Region.

SAVANNA SCOTT

Scott made the BLITZ HOF in both tennis and basketball. While basketball is what she ended up having the most success, she also had a stellar tennis career at Rabun. As both a sophomore and junior, she was named BLITZ Tennis Player of the Year. In 2015, she went 12-0 at #3 singles while helping the Lady Cats to their first region title in 20 years. She was named 2^nd Team All-Region, and won 77% of her sets and 78% of her games. As a junior in 2016, she again was undefeated at #3 singles, going 13-0, winning over 95% of her sets and 84% of her games. As a senior, she went 9-1 overall at #2 singles, finishing with a career record of 34-1. Scott signed a basketball scholarship with University of North Georgia.

CHLOE SMITH

A 4-year #1 singles player, Chloe Smith was brilliant for Banks County, leading the girls to 3 region titles and an Elite 8 as well as 2 Sweet 16s. She went 52-8 in her career, and was a 4-time All-Region selection and 3-time BLITZ Player of the Year winner.

BRITTANY STEWART

Brittany Stewart was a two-time BLITZ Player of the Year, and led the Lady Indians to a region championship and state playoff appearance. The #1 singles star was 11-5 as a senior and 27-7 in her career as a number one, and 37-13 overall. Stewart played two seasons at the University of North Georgia, going 7-0 overall.

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

GREY BOURLET

Grey Bourlet finished his career by leading the Tallulah boys to a 3rd place podium finish at state. The vaulter and hurdler was a 5-time top-5 placer at state and 6 times came in top 10. He won 4 area titles individually, and 3 times was runner-up. His PRs include a 13-6 in PV, 14.97 in 110 MH, and 40.67 in 300 MH.

GUY GOBER

Also a cross country BLITZ Hall of Famer in this class of 2019, Gober was a 3-time state champion and 5-time region champion in track & field. He placed in the top 10 at state 7 times in the 1600 and 3200 runs. His 1600 PR of 4:29 and 3200 PR of 10:05 are both school records. Gober has won BLITZ Runner or T&F Athlete of the Year twice. He continued his career at UGA.

BRANDON MARTIN

Brandon Martin, also a Cross Country BLITZ HOFer, won 5 region titles in track and field, and once was a runner-up. The distance star was a 2-time state champion (giving him 5 total state titles adding his cross country ones), and 6 times in track and field came in the top 5. His PR for the 800 was 2:04, 4:31 for the 1600, and 9:29 in the 3200. He guided the track and field program for the boys at Commerce to multiple state titles. Martin went on to compete at Emmanuel College.

ELI MORRIS

The 2019 BLITZ T&F Athlete of the Year, Morris excelled in hurdles as one of the best in the nation among high schoolers. He won a pair of state titles in the 110 and 300 meter hurdles as a senior, and won 2 region titles as well. All told, he had 4 state top-5 finishes, and his PR for the 110 (13.63) and 300 (37.67) were the best in the state. He went on to compete at Baylor University.

ZATRICK PEARCE

Pearce was an incredible athlete for Tallulah Falls, and a state champion, as well as a 2-time state runner-up. The sprinter/jumper placed in the top 10 at state on 6 occasions, and won a pair of region championships. He also had 9 region/area top-10 finishes. His PRs for each event: 100M (10.94), 200M (21.85), 400M (48.14), and Long Jump (21-7). Pearce was a BLITZ Athlete of the Year, and went on to star at Augusta University.

AUSTIN PIERCE

Austin Pierce became one of the top sprinters in the state, winning a state championship his junior year. The speedster was named the BLITZ Track Athlete of the Year subsequently and went on to compete at the Naval Academy.

JACOB POSTON

Poston was an elite runner for Dawson County, accumulating quite the honors in track & field as well as cross country. In T&F, he was a 4-time region champ and 2-time runner-up, and 3 times finished in the top 5 at state (6 times in the top 10). He ran a PR of 1:57 in the 800 and a 4:21 in the 1600. Poston went to run at Augusta University. He was a 2-time BLITZ Athlete of the Year.

JACKSON RAMEY

Jackson Ramey went full beast mode as a thrower for Banks County. He was a two-time region champion in the shot put, and two-time runner-up in the discus event. At state, he was a runner-up and third in discus, and 10th and 7th in shot put. Ramey will continue his career at Wingate University. Ramey’s personal best in the discus event is 157-6.5, and 48-7.5 in the shot put.

MATTHEW SCHROEDER

Matthew Schroeder is a two-way BLITZ HOFer (earning it in XC as well). The distance star won a pair of state titles in his 2022 senior season, taking the top spot in the 800 and 1600. In track and field, he let go of the 3200 after his junior year. It paid off, as he won the region titles in the 800 and 1600 as well as a senior. He finished with four top-10 finishes at state and three region titles. His PRs including 1:54 in the 800, 4:22 in the 1600, and 9:57 in the 3200. He could have had more had he not lost the 2020 season.

ANDREW SEAY

Seay was an incredibly gifted athlete at Hab Central, nearly winning a state title in shot put. That 2010 season earned him BLITZ Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors. He placed third at the USATF Region III Junior Olympics with a PR of 156-4 ½ in the discus. At the Region 8-AAAA meet, Seay won the shot put at a PR of 47’11 and took third in the discus. He took second in both events at the USATF Georgia Championships. Seay went on to compete at the University of South Carolina.

SHANNON SEGARS

Shannon Segars was before COVID looking to repeat as a state champion in the long jump. He is a one-time state champion, and came in third another time at state in that event. He won an area title in the long jump, and was a runner-up once. In the triple jump, he finished sixth at area once. Segars was named BLITZ T&F Athlete of the Year in 2020, and headed to Kennesaw State University to continue his career. His PR in the long jump is 23-1, and 42-7.5 in the triple jump.

ETHAN SMITH

Ethan Smith had a stellar career in cross country and probably moreso in track and field. He won a total of five region titles, two of them individually (junior year in 400 & 800). In 2021, he won region titles in the 400, 800, 4×400, and 4×800. He was the anchor on the 4×400 team that won region in 2022 (while finishing second in the 400, 800, and 4×200). He finished inside the top-5 at state three times (and had four podium finishes in total), including fourth and fifth in the 800 in junior and senior year, respectively. He was a vital part of the Dawson County record-setting 4×400 and 4×800 teams, which each won a region title as well. His PR in the 400 was 51.53 and 1:56 in the 800.

GRIFFIN STEPHENS

Griffin Stephens played a huge role in the incredible success of the Banks County Leopards track and field program. During his time, he was a two-time state runner up in the distance events (1600/3200), a one-time region champion, and a 4-time placer in the top 10 at state. His PR in the 1600 was 4:34, and it was 9:58 in the 3200. Stephens is also a BLITZ Hall of Famer in Cross Country, and was Runner of the Year as a senior.

CHARLIE WOERNER

Woerner is also a BLITZ HOFer in football. The 2014 BLITZ Track & Field Athlete of the Year as just a sophomore, he was exceptional in shot put, discus and 110 meter hurdles. That sophomore year he placed 3^rd in the state in 110 meter hurdles and shot put, and 4^th in discus. He won the region title in shot put and 110 meter hurdles. In his senior year, Woerner was region champ in shot put and discus, finishing 6^th in shot put at state while winning a state title in discus. Woerner’s football career was more prestigious, where he played at UGA and was then drafted by the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL in 2020.

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

PADEN BELL

Paden Bell put up one of the best single performances at state we have ever seen in her sophomore 2021 season. Keep in mind, she’s of the group that lost her entire 2020 season due to the pandemic. Still, Bell had a pair of state titles, 6 region titles, and finished in the top-5 at state 5 times and top-10 8 times. She did all this in multiple events. Primarily a distance runner, Bell took on the daunting task in the 2021 State Championships to run the 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. She won the state title in the 400 with a PR of 1:01.13 and the 3200 in a PR of 12:25.95. She was the Runner-Up in the 800, and came in 4th in the 1600 in a PR of 5:44.37. She was the Region Champion in all 4 of those events that season. She cast aside the long distance runs from there on out, and went with the 400 and 800 as a junior. She won region in the 800, and came in 5th at state. Her PR in that event was 2:31.85. She was 7th at state in the 400 that season, but also began to compete in such events as long jump, 100 meter hurdles, 200 meter, shot put, javelin, as part of the Hephathlon. In her final season (2023), Bell competed in the long jump, high jump, and 300 meter hurdles and did away with all primary running events. She won a region title in the long jump, and came in 7th at state and 6th at state in the 300 meter hurdles. Her PR in the long jump was 16-11.5 and 47.94 in the 300 MH. Bell goes down as one of the best track and field athletes in the BLITZ-era (2009-present), competing in nearly every single event. She also was a prominent member of several region title and state-placing relay teams. Bell went on to compete in track and field at East Tennessee State University.

ANNA DAVIS

Davis made TFS history by becoming the first female to win a state title, and won two as a senior in 2018 in the 100 meter hurdles and 300 MH, earning her BLITZ T&F Athlete of the Year honors. She totaled two area championships in her career (300 in 2018, 400 meter dash in 2016), and six area runner-up finishes. At state, she had the two championships, two runner-up finishes in 2017, and seven top-5 finishes and 9 top-10 finishes. She qualified for state all four years, participating in the 100 and 300 meter hurdles, 400 meter dash, pole vault and long jump. Davis went on to compete at Davidson College, setting several hurdles records before going to Northeastern for her Super Senior season in 2023.

EMMA GARRISON

Garrison, also a BLITZ HOFer in cross country (2-time state champion), excelled in track with five region titles (3 1600, 2 800) in long distance events. She was the 2016 state runner-up in the 800, and six times placed in the top-10 at state, four times in the top-5. Garrison’s PR in the 800 was 2:21, and 5:17 in the 1600. She was a finalist for the Wendy’s Heisman Award. Garrison went to the University of Georgia to run cross country.

JENNA GEARING

Jenna Gearing made it into the BLITZ HOF for Track & Field along with Cross Country. Just add to her list of accomplishments. See above for her career highlights. The now-Clemson long distance runner had her pick of the litter for where to run next, but Clemson won her over. She was an All-ACC talent, and eventually wound up competing for the University of Kentucky and becoming a standout distance runner in the SEC.

RACHEL GEARING

Gearing is one of those special track & field all-around athletes and was named BLITZ T&F Athlete of the Year in back-to-back years. She was a two-time state runner-up and won seven region titles as an individual. Her senior 2018 season, she took the region crowns in the 400, long jump and triple jump, and did the same exact thing in her 2017 junior year. She participated in 10 state meet events in her career (7 individual, 3 relays) and placed in the top five in all but two events (both relays). She was the 2017 runner-up in the triple jump and runner-up in the 2018 400 meter dash. Gearing went on to compete at Penn State University.

TAYLOR GRIMMETT

Taylor Grimmett was a key cog in the Rabun County track & field machine. She was a three-time region champion in the 100 meter hurdles, placing twice in the top 10 at state in that same event. She was a two-time region runner-up in long jump and triple jump, and placed 9th at state in the long and 13th (twice) in the triple at the state meet. Her PRs: 15.78 in the 100 MH, 54.22 in the 300 MH, 17-0.25 in the long jump, and 34-11.5 in the triple jump.

KATHERINE LAW

Katherine Law makes the HOF in both XC and TF. The long distance champion was a four-time state runner-up in distance events in track and field, and a seven-time top-10 finisher. She was runner-up at state in the 3200 twice, and once each in the 800 and 1600. She won six total region titles (one in the 800, two in the 1600, three in the 3200). The bigger the distance, the better she performed. Her PRs include 2:18 in the 800, 5:03 in the 1600, and 10:51 in the 3200. Law took her talent to UGA.

KATE MASSEY

Massey, a former Athlete of the Year, goes down as one of the best long distance runners in Commerce history, sweeping the 1600 & 3200 area events for all four years, generating eight region championships for herself. She won both events at state in 2016 as a sophomore, and again won the 3200 in 2018 as a senior to close her career. She was the state runner-up four times and only finished 3rd one time in her career at state. Massey’s career PRs for are 5:35 for the 1600 and 12:09 for the 3200. She is also a BLITZ Hall of Famer in Cross Country.

PERRYN MORGAN

Perryn Morgan won a state title in the pole vault for Rabun County, and was a 4-time top-10 state finisher. She won 4 region titles and 10 times finished top 5 in the area. Her PRs include 10-0 on PV, 89-10 on discus, 1:03 in the 400, and 2:56 in the 800. Morgan went on to compete in Track & Field at Piedmont University.

FRANKIE MULDOON

Muldoon, also a CC HOFer for BLITZ in the class of 2019, won 4 region championships in track & field, and 4 times placed in the top 10 at state in the 1600 and 3200 runs. Two of those times she came in the top 5. Her 5:19 1600 PR and 11:44 3200 PR were some of the best in school history. Muldoon earned a pair of BLITZ Runner of the Year awards and continued her career at Georgia State University.

JADA PITTMAN

Jada Pittman leaves Jefferson as one of the most successful athletes in recent memory in track and field. She finished her career with a state title in the long jump, and was fifth that year in the 100. She won a total of seven region championships, and seven top-10 finishes at state. Her PR was 12.17 in the 100, 19-3.25 in the long jump, and 36-5 in the triple jump. Imagine what else she could have done had she not lost the 2020 season to COVID-19.

ZOE SANCHEZ

Zoe Sanchez, also a Hall of Famer in cross country, earns that distinction in distance track & field as well. She won the state title in the 3200 as a junior, and was runner-up in the 1600. She was likely to perhaps win both titles in region and state in 2020 before the COVID shutdown. Still, she finished her track and field career with a state title, three region crowns, five state top-5 finishes, and a PR or 5:44 in the 1600 and 11:52 in the 3200. For her efforts, she was named BLITZ Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 2019 and 2020, and both of those years was also BLITZ Cross Country Runner of the Year. Sanchez headed to Mercer University to continue her career.

SHELBY SPEED

Shelby Speed was an elite thrower for Banks County. Overall, speed collected 5 region titles and 3 State Championships as well as a state runner-up, starring in the discus and shot put. She was able to finish her career in 2023 at the State Championships with not only winning both events, but setting PRs in the process. In discus, her throw was 153-01, while she had a 43-07 in shot put. Speed finished Region RU in shot put in 2021 and 11th at state, while being the Region Champ in discus and winning the State Championship as well. In 2022, she was the Region Champ in shot put and 11th again at state, while being the Region Champion and State Runner-Up in discus. In 2023, Speed was the Region Champion and State Champion in both shot put and discus. Speed was invited – and excelled – at the Wingfoot Night of Champions, placing 2nd in discus and 3rd in shot put. She went on to compete in track and field at Kennesaw State University.

MADALYN WALTERS

Also a cross country BLITZ HOFer, Walters deserves to be in both with her resume. The one-time region champion in track & field was in the top 3 on 4 different occasions. She also finished top 5 in state 4 times, including twice as a state runner-up. Her 5:21 PR in the 1600, and 11:43 PR in the 3200, rank among some of the best times in school history. Walters ran next at UGA.

SALLY WOERNER

If there’s a better track and field athlete that can do it all, we aren’t aware. Woerner was a 7-time region champion (3 in 100 MH, 2 in 300 MH, 1 each in HJ & 1600). She won the 2A state title in the 100 meter hurdle in her 2014 senior season and was thus named Athlete of the Year by BLITZ. She recorded some 37 major wins, and was a top-five finisher at state five times (2 in 100 MH, 2 in 300 MH, 1 in 1600). She competed at the D-I level at Western Carolina University, where she placed 6th in the 100 MH, 4th in the 400 MH, 3rd in the Heptathlon and anchored the 4X400 team that place 2nd in WCU’s recent repeat of the Southern Conference Outdoor Championship. Find us someone else who can dominate in hurdles, sprints, long distance, throwing events, jumps and relay…you won’t!

HALL OF FAME PLAYERS

INAUGURAL CLASS OF 2016 – 27 INDUCTEESCLASS OF 2017 – 31 INDUCTEESCLASS OF 2018 – 62 INDUCTEESCLASS OF 2019 – 66 INDUCTEESCLASS OF 2020 – 52 INDUCTEESCLASS OF 2021 – 46 INDUCTEESCLASS OF 2022 – 49 INDUCTEESCLASS OF 2023 – 36 INDUCTEES

FOOTBALL

CADE ADAMS

PIERSON ALLISON

MICHAEL BABERS III

PEYTON BACKER

LOGAN BARNES

TREVAE CAIN

COLE CHANCEY

BRUCE CLARK

COLBY CLARK

SEVAUGHN CLARK

BEN CLEVELAND

KALEB CRANE

AJ CURRY

DONOVAN CURRY

TYLER DOMINY

KEVIN ELLISON

BAILEY FISHER

JADEN GIBSON

BLAKE GOWDER

J BEN HAYNES

BRAXTON HICKS

ZACH HOLTZCLAW

BRODY JARRARD

AUSTIN JONES

COLE KEENER

TAVARRES KING

MASON KINSEY

CAM LACY

SHAWN LOVELL

ASHELY LOWERY

JOSEPH MANCUSO

LUKE MARTIN

ZACH MATTHEWS

TUCKER MAXWELL

CLAY NELSON

KYLE OAKES

KOLT OWENBY

LEVI PATE

BRYANT SHIRREFFS

MALAKI STARKS

GUNNER STOCKTON

CHAZ THORNTON

COOPER TURNER

HARLEY VAUGHAN

JOSHUA WADE

COEY WATSON

CHARLIE WOERNER

COLBY WOOD

COLE WRIGHT

SOFTBALL

JENNA ABBOTT

JACY AYERS

JAYCIE BOWEN

COURTNEY & CRYSTAL BUSBEE

MATTIE CANUP

LEXI CASH

LAKEN CHAMBERS

PAIGE COOK

MADI CRONIC

TYBEE DENTON

CALLIE DYER

KENZIE FLEMING

BRIGHTON HARDER

BELLA HENSON

CARSON HOBBS

ANGIE HUGHES

HARLEE INGRAM

MORGAN JACOBSON

JOY LEWIS

JASMINE LOWERY

JILL MARTINET

LANEY MCGEE

SYDNEY MCGINNIS

JESSICA MORGAN

TABITHA MORRISON

MALLORY PARSON

EMILY PERRIN

INAUGURAL CLASS OF 2016 – 27 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2017 – 31 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2018 – 62 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2019 – 66 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2020 – 52 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2021 – 46 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2022 – 49 INDUCTEES
CLASS OF 2023 – 36 INDUCTEES