Welcome to our 2023 All-State selections! Down below we have the Player of the Year vote. The first-team All-State selections on offense and defense are directly underneath the poll. At the very bottom of the page, we have our All-State honorable mention selections. Next week, we will post a write-up on each athlete selected for the first team and a story for the Player of the Year.

Thanks for stopping by, and feel free to comment at the very bottom!

MORE ALL-STATE

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You can only vote ONE time per hour for player of the year. The poll will end on 12/24 at 5 pm.

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OFFENSE

QB – Kaden McGatha, Pierce Co.
QB – Calliyon Thompson, Rockmart
RB – Quinton Slaughter, Providence Christian
RB – CJ Givers, Fellowship Christian
RB – Jamarion Williams, Appling Co.
FLEX – CJ Holmes, Laney
WR – Judson Petty, North Murray
WR – D’Ontae Fulton, Worth Co.
WR – Tristan Anderson, Rockmart
OL – Joshua Petty, Fellowship Christian
OL – Malik Jackson, McNair
OL – Gabe Pearce, Fitzgerald
OL – Anthony Oppedisano, Providence Christian
OL – Brock Nobles, Toombs Co.
OL – Jayden Thomas, Thomson
K – Nathan Chapman, Fellowship Christian
ATH – Jadan Baugh, Columbia

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DEFENSE

DL – Edwin Moore, Columbia
DL – Jailan Bennett, Appling Co.
DL – OJ Alexander, Providence Christian
DL – Kameryn Fountain, Washington
DL – Andrew Dixon, Worth Co.
LB – Carson Sloan, Pierce Co.
LB – Brent Washington, Rockmart
LB – Aiden Lester, Cook
LB – Brandon Brown, Fitzgerald
LB – Javon Samples, Model
DB – Josh Milhollin, Fellowship Christian
DB – Carmelo Mays, Southwest
DB – Cam Tucker, Callaway
DB – Ka’Monta Durden, Washington Co.
DB – Lagonza Hayward, Toombs Co.
P – Zac Chapeau, Athens Acd.
RET – Ny’Shaun Wallace, Cook

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Pierce County’s incredible run to the 2A state title could not have happened without the relentless effort of junior QB Kaden McGatha. The Pierce County signal-caller powered the team with 2k passing yards and 2k rushing yards on the year, making him the 2nd player in state history to ever do it. McGatha had over 50 touchdowns on the year and was named Region Offensive Player of the Year. In the championship game, McGatha ran the ball 50 times to help secure the win. Rockmart’s Calliyon Thompson didn’t even start the entire season at QB, but took over duties shortly into the fall and never looked back. Thompson threw for 2195 yards with a highly efficient 70% completion rate and 26 touchdowns on just 3 interceptions. Thompson had one of the best QBRs in Georgia at 141. He also rushed for 476 yards and 8 touchdowns. The senior can make plays on the fly, but we were impressed with his general ability to digest the defense and make consistently good reads.

Quinton Slaughter out of Providence Christian helped his team to the best season in school history rushing for 2202 yards and 22 touchdowns. Slaughter averaged an impressive 200 yards per game, which led the classification, and was named Gwinnett County RB of the Year. CJ Givers out of Fellowship Christian looks to be among the best running backs in the class of ’26. The sophomore had 1471 yards on the ground and was at the top of 2A with 24 touchdowns. Lookout for Givers, Minnesota just offered recently but more P5s should follow. Jamarion Williams out of Appling County caught the injury bug in the middle of the season, but powered through with 1259 yards and 16 touchdowns on just 177 carries. The powerful 225 lbs. running back was named Region Offensive Player of the Year. Laney’s CJ Holmes is our FLEX pick for the 2A All-State team. The senior managed 560 rushing yards and 558 receiving yards and was among the leaders in 2A with 22 touchdowns. Holmes was also an impact player on defense creating an interception and two forced fumbles. The senior was named Region Player of the Year.

Judson Petty out of North Murray was 2nd in the state with 1407 receiving yards on the year. The senior had 14 touchdowns on the year and averaged 117 yards per game, which led the classification. Petty broke the single-game receiving record with 360 yards in a game. He also had 2396 all-purpose yards and 25 TDs on top 111 tackles on defense. D’Ontae Fulton out of Worth County had another great season and earned All-State for the 2nd year in a row. The junior had 1283 yards and 88 receptions on the year and led the classification with 16 receiving touchdowns. Worth County junior was named Region Player of the Year and is a recruit to watch this offseason. Tristan Anderson out of Rockmart is another junior athlete to watch closely. Rightfully so, in 2023 Anderson had 1098 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 66 receptions. The junior was named Region Athlete of the Year.

Fellowship Christian’s Joshua Petty is considered one of the top offensive linemen in the country. With prototypical proportions at 6’5″ and 280 lbs., Petty moves incredibly well and is considered one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in the state too. He is the best-run blocker tackle in the state of Georgia. McNair’s Malik Jackson earned the rare achievement of being Region Athlete of the Year while playing on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The 6’4″ 300 lbs. senior is explosive at the point of attack and consistently gets his man down. Fitzgerald’s Gabe Pearce has been a consistent cog in their offensive attack since his sophomore year and came into his own as a senior. The 6’6″ 300 lbs. senior delivers devastating blocks which helped the Purple Hurricanes to another state semifinal finish. Anthony Oppedisano out of Providence Christian helped power their impressive offensive attack all season. The lineman was pulled across the LOS a lot and made some huge blocks in space, carving out big lands for Slaughter to run through. The senior is a good technical blocker with a mean streak for sure. Toombs County senior Brock Nobles is another two-way standout who could have made All-State on either side. The senior is a demolition man blowing up defenders and will be taking those talents to The Citadel in 2024. Jayden Thomas has consistently made a big impact on the Thomson offense. The senior stands about 6’4″ and 250 lbs. using his strong hands at the point of attack to consistently deliver big blocks for the offense.

Fellowship’s Nathan Chapman gets the nod at All-State field goal kicker. Knocking home all 10 of his field goal attempts and never missing an extra point, Chapman was a no-brainer for this selection. Chapman has plenty of leg strength making a long of 47 and putting 61/83 kickoffs into the endzone. Another no-brainer was making Jadan Baugh out of Columbia out All-State athlete. The senior had 2286 All-Purpose yards and 28 touchdowns on offense on top of 54 tackles and 6 interceptions on defense. The elite 2024 recruit was able to kick it up a notch offensively in 2023, rushing for 1483 yards and 19 touchdowns while grabbing 531 receiving yards and 6 more scores. Baugh has signed on with Florida.

Moving over to defense, where senior Edwin Moore makes the All-State team again. The Columbia senior led the classification with 31.5 tackles for a loss and also grabbed 12 sacks. Moore is an impressive two-way player who signed on with Western Carolina. Appling County’s Jailan Bennett helped the team to a top 5 finish in the regular season and consistently made his impact. The Region Defensive Player of the Year had 47 tackles and 16 tackles for a loss on the year. Providence Christian’s OJ Alexander earned Region Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2023. The powerful 6’3″ 300 lbs. interior lineman had 5 sacks on the year and ample more tackles for a loss. Alexander signed on with Miami. Kameryn Fountain out of Washington is a 6’6″ long-athletic pass rusher who will play football at the next level at Tennessee. The Washington senior was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year in his region and managed 5 sacks while taking consistent double teams. Worth County’s Andrew Dixon is a stout versatile defensive lineman who stands 6’3″ 250 lbs. and earned Region Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. The senior is an impressive run stopper using his strength to dominate the OL but has the quickness and skill to be an effective pass-rusher. Dixon is currently unsigned and with a 3.9 GPA a real steal this late in the process.

Carson Sloan out of Pierce County did it all for his team to win the 2A State Title. Sloan was the QB of the defense making all of the right reads at linebacker while also creating turnovers. Sloan had one of the plays of the year in the regular season with a pick-six but had an even more impressive reception in the state title game showcasing his great ball skills for a linebacker. The senior was named Region Player of the Year. Brent Washington out of Rockmart played almost every snap on their run to the 2A state title. The senior led the team with over 110 tackles on the year and also had 912 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Washington was named Region Athlete of the Year and recently committed to Georgia State. Cook’s Aiden Lester was the captain of their defense and had around 90 tackles on the year for the state semifinalist. The senior is a powerful hitter who efficiently gets the ball carrier down. Lester’s run-stopping instincts and hitting is among the best in 2A. Brandon Brown out of Fitzgerald seemed to play better each week of the season, and by the state semifinals, the senior was a tackling-machine. Brown has sideline to sideline speed and that allows the linebacker to be very effective in space. Brown is a finishing tackler who consistently displays good fundamentals in the open field. Model had their best season in recent memory with 7 wins and senior linebacker Javon Samples was a major reason why. Samples might just be 5’8″, but has great instincts in anticipating where the football is headed. He totaled 114 tackles on the year and was named Region Defensive Player of the Year.

Fellowship earns another All-State spot on the 2023 team with senior Josh Milhollin. The two-way star is a true burner on the field, which helped him to 4 interceptions on the defensive side of the football. The senior was named Region Athlete of the Year and is signed on to Army. Carmelo Mays makes the All-State team for the 2nd consecutive year. Even though the senior collected his 2nd 1000-yard receiving season, Mays finds himself on the defensive side of the football for this All-State team. Mays was among the leaders in interceptions in 2A with 5 on the year and was named Region Athlete of the Year. He is signed on with Georgia Southern. Callaway’s Cam Tucker was the QB of the defense in 2023, which helped him earn Region Defensive Player of the Year honors. The senior is good at reading the defense, and even though Tucker is about 5’9″, he consistently high-points the football and disrupts the pass if not outright intercepts it. Ka’Monta Durden out of Washington County is one of the fastest players in the state of Georgia. The Region Athlete of the Year had 43 tackles and 2 interceptions on defense while also totaling 1800 all-purpose yards in the two other facets of the game. Toombs County junior Lagonza Hayward makes the last All-State defensive back spot. The Athlete of the Year had 3 interceptions on the year while also being an impact receiver. Hayward is an impressive junior athlete who should attract a lot of FBS attention over the coming months.

Zac Chapeau out of Athens Academy earns All-State punter. With pretty tough competition, Chapeau consistently made some of the most impressive punts of anyone in the state. The senior is signed on with Central Michigan and will be playing with his older brother who is transferring over from East Carolina. Ny’Shaun Wallace out of Cook is a senior who played great in 2023. The under-the-radar senior returned back two kickoffs for a score while also totaling 900 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns. Wallace is a pretty big sleeper with good route running and a dynamic athlete in space.

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HONORABLE MENTION:

Jamir Brown, Redan/Brooks Moore, Cook/Anthony Tyson, Sumter Co./Antonio Barron, Vidalia/Javaris Harris, Laney/Storm Hunt, Thomson/Joshua Banks, ELCA/Dannie Daggett, Laney/Ahmad Bridge, Therrell/Ben Watson, Spencer/Roderick Jackson, Thomson/Josiah Davis, Berrien Co./Joe Drew, Pierce Co./Austin McGee, Athens Acd./Keshon Deloach, Toombs Co./Camden Hickox, Appling Co./Tailen Sampson, Northeast/Nahzir Turner, Rockmart/Rain Banick, Providence Christian/Mally Hancock, Northeast/Jaiden Thompson, Rockmart/Edwin Favor, ELCA/Lovon Simmons, Fitzgerald/Elijah Howard, Pierce Co/Mykel Reed, Appling Co./Jaylon Smith, Appling Co./Bryant Foster, Sumter Co/Wilson Reagan, ELCA/JoJo Shuman, Callaway/Case Holloway, Fannin Co./Danquavious Cummings, Thomson/Camren Gunn, Callaway/Jeremias Heard, Model/Breedjy Guerrier, North Cobb Christian/Rinaldo Callaway, Southwest/Raymond Dixon, North Cobb Christian/Darion Smith, Appling Co/Caleb Lee, Providence Christian/Max Beverly, Vidalia/Jensen Goble, Union Co./DeMarcus Horne, Spencer/Koryon Hoard, Callaway/Noah Prior, Athens Acd./Anthony Riad, ELCA/Deshaun Coleman, Callaway/Jordan Jones, Thomson/Gary Gaither, Spencer/Caiden Tanner, Union Co/Lyndon Worthy, Worth Co./Ben Klassen, Providence Christian/Chase Dupree, Southwest/Drew Folsom, Cook/Skyler Williams, North Murray/TJ Stanley, Toombs Co./Kaleb Scarbary, ACE/Cameron Beasley, Washington Co./Jonathan Granby, Fellowship/Jah’kiaus Jones, Thomson/Jeanarion Kamga, Westside-Augusta/Keshun McKever, Cook/Lawson Sullivan, Fannin Co./Lamaze Williams, Columbia/Braylen Rader, Union Co./Anthony Jeffery, Thomson/Kaden Chester, Worth Co./Jamari Welch, Athens Acd./Aaron Davis, ACE/Carson Callihan, Fannin Co./Nick Woodford, Northeast/Kaleb Crawford, Putnam Co./Matthew Miller, Providence Christian/Hudson Hulett, North Murray/Brice Whitley, ACE/Evan Haynes, Fellowship Christian/Jake Bailey, Rockmart/Teddy Jarrard, North Cobb Christian/Keyon Standifer, Athens Acd./Malik Sands, Southwest/Javen Jackson, Worth Co./Seth Rutan, Union Co./Emmanuel Clark, McNair/Amare White, Northeast/Spears Martin, North Cobb Christian/Cooper Born, Fannin Co./Charles Harris, Columbia/Camden Cooper, Banks Co./Zyreese Scott, Toombs Co./Jacob Daley, North Murray/Fenix Felton, ELCA/Robert Walker, Banks Co/Sherman Smith, Worth Co./Roynard Tolbert, Columbia/David Ruddell, ACE/Ja’Kori Jones, Cook/Ja’Zeil Lester, East Jackson/Aaronn Blackmon, East Jackson/Cain Jefferson, Columbia/Carter Mullis, Jeff Davis/Caden Watson, Banks Co./Armani Thomas, Westside-Augusta/Orinate Curry, Northeast/Zantavius Towles, Northeast/Contrail Kitchens, KIPP/Braylen Dietrich, Toombs Co./George Childs, Mount Paran/Jose Algeria, Rockmart/Gavin Walker, ELCA/Camdon Miles, Gordon Central/Kyshwan Pitts, Cook/Lewis Baker, Jeff Davis/Deondrae Paschal, Fitzgerald/Broshaun Snead, Sumter Co./Braylen Terry, Sumter Co./Duke Johnson, Dodge Co./JT Mitchell, Dodge Co./Jakobi Jones, Glenn Hills/Marquise Lattiner, Rutland/Jordan Green, Rutland/Artause Johnson, Spencer/Dray Duncan, Spencer/Mason Paschal, Kendrick/Justyn Williams, Spencer/Trent Griner, Appling Co./Carson Jacobs, Brantley Co./Sam Sapp, Vidalia/Edwin Burt, Appling Co./Treshawn Moore, Appling Co/Wade DiBiase, Pierce Co/Jah Evans, Pierce Co./Tristian Williams, Tattnall Co./Gregg Edwards, Tattnall Co./Malachi Moreland, Westside/Vintavious Scott, Washington Co/Jamere Roberts, Thomson/Tyrikus Jones, Thomson/Tyson Waller, Putnam Co./Varney Shannon, Columbia/Kavious Leonard, Callaway/Xae Anderson, Callaway/Chase Story, Landmark Christian/Marcus Martin, KIPP/Daniel Dukes, Therrell/Quentorion McClendon, Therrell/Taylor Stephens, Mount Paran/Cedaric McGhee, South Atlanta/Elijah Hunter, South Atlanta/De’Zavion Holman, BEST/Jaden Rivera, North Cobb Christian/Bang Touray, Therrell/Rylan Alexander, Therrell/Riley Davis, Model/Austin Newton, North Murray/Terrique Gray, Cook

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