One week into the GHSA playoffs, it’s clear that South Georgia will be an integral part of the championship games. The amount of talent in the area is insane to see, and the potential impact these players will have is going to be the difference. Here are the top two players in each class who will have an impact on the state championship results.
7A:
Daijun Edwards, RB, Colquitt County – The four-star running back ended the regular season with 1,212 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season for the Packers. He makes the offense tick, and for this team to reach its very best requires Edwards to receive a lot of touches. He’s one of the best in the state in an open field and will no doubt have a major impact in the GHSA playoffs.
Gary Osby, LB/RB, Lowndes – Osby is the unequivocal leader of the Lowndes Vikings, who have one of the best defenses in the nation. They’re the undisputed favorites to win the Class 7A title, and if they were to do so, Osby would be at the center of it all. He has 52 tackles, four sacks, and not to mention his 16 touchdowns on offense. Osby and the Viking defense are special.
6A:
Tate Rodemaker, QB, Valdosta – The Wildcat signal-caller is obliterating the Valdosta passing record books and now has the great opportunity of adding a state championship to the collection.
Rodemaker is a dynamic passer who is accurate at all three levels of passing, and he can make plays with his legs. His 2,529 yards and 34 touchdowns in the regular season prove his dominance, and Valdosta’s hopes are dependent on his performance.
Caleb McDowell, RB/S/KR, Lee County – Quarterback Kyle Toole is the leader on offense, and linebacker Baron Hopson is the leader on defense. But Lee County is at its very best when Caleb McDowell is around the ball.
The Trojans’ most complete performance of the season was knocking off Coffee to clinch the region title 35-17, and McDowell took that game over from the start. He opened the game with a 40-yard kick return and ended it with his name all over the stat sheet, with 120 yards rushing, nine tackles, and three touchdowns. He’s the difference maker for Lee County.
5A:
Jalen Addie, QB, Warner Robins – New Warner Robins head coach Marquis Westbrook is looking to finally get over the hump to a state championship, as they finished as runners-up in back-to-back seasons. He’ll be relying on his star quarterback, who is the team’s leading passer and third leading rusher on the team. Addie is a dynamic two-way threat, and we’ll be the key to see Warner Robins through to a title.
Thomas Castellanos, QB, Ware County – Another star quarterback, Castellanos is the Gators’ leading passer and rusher and will surely be the difference maker for Ware County’s success.
To put his impact into perspective, Castellanos has 21 total touchdowns on the year. The next highest offensive player has four. Ware County will use him and use him often.
4A:
Brent Carr, TE, West Laurens – Listed as a tight end on the West Laurens roster, Carr has the most receiving yards in the state for a tight end, and that includes Marietta’s five-star Arik Gilbert. Carr had 1,150 yards receiving and is the go-to option in the high-powered West Laurens offense. He is the best option to help the Raiders win a state championship.
3A:
Sergio Allen, LB, Peach County – A future Clemson product, Allen is the heart and soul of the Peach County defense, leading the way with 74 tackles, three sacks, and a whopping 17 quarterback hurries in 10 regular season games. He flies around the field for the Trojans and seemingly makes every play. He’s an incredible talent and one reason why this may be the year Peach County wins a state championship.
Quavien Bell, LB/RB, Pierce County – Bell is everywhere on the field for this team, and the statistics prove it. He has 479 all-purpose yards on offense to go along with six touchdowns, and he pairs that with his ability to make plays on defense.
For the season, he has 18 tackles for loss, four sacks, three fumble recoveries, and one interception. He is a game changer for the Bears, and he leads a stout defense that has only given up double digit points twice the entire season.
2A:
JaQues Evans, RB, Dublin – The record setting running back for Dublin will be the one carrying them to a potential state championship, as their one loss this season came when he was rested at the end of the year. He was second in all of South Georgia with 1,513 yards rushing on the season and helped Dublin finish eighth all-time in rushing yards in one game in high school football history.
Evans was so good this season that he broke his own school record twice and had one game where he finished with 375 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He’s an incredible talent.
1A Public:
Jamorri Colson, RB/DB, Irwin County – Colson is used all over the field for the Indians, and he takes advantage of his opportunities. In one game, he had two carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and he is the biggest big play threat for Irwin County on offense.
Defensively, he is the top cornerback on a team that has only given up 22 points on the season and didn’t give up a score in their final five regular season games. He is a highly touted player on defense, and he and the Indians are the favorites to take home the state crown.
Tyler Morehead, RB/DB, Clinch County – Not to be outdone, the team that has won the state championship in three of the last four years is led by one of the most electric players in all of Georgia high school football. Morehead is currently fifth in all of South Georgia with 1,187 rushing yards on the season and is the most important player to the success of Clinch County. The four-star recruit will be used heavily for the Panthers.
Desmond Tisdol, RB/LB, Wilcox County – One of the top prospects in South Georgia, Tisdol is one of the most dominant players in all of Class 1A. He is the kind of player who can outrun you for an 80-yard touchdown, then come back and hit you hard on defense.
