All-Area Team Selected

January 20, 2011

By Alan Richards of Griffin, Georgia High School Football


ALL-AREA TEAM: GHS RB, FCA coach win top GDN Awards







Griffin High running back Wontavious Washington highlighted the Griffin Daily News all-area football awards and team released Saturday.

The senior rushed for 1,400 yards and 17 touchdowns on 201 carries to lead the Bears to a school-record 10th consecutive state playoff appearance as the Bears (10-2) won 10 games for the third year in a row and for the sixth time in the last seven years before being eliminated in the second round of the state playoffs by Statesboro.

Washington was the unanimous choice for GDN Player of the Year as voted on by the area head coaches and GDN sports staff.

Other top individual awards went to Faith Christian Academy head coach Nelson Grist (Coach of the Year), Griffin Christian running back Anthony Lewis (Offensive Player of the Year), Griffin High defensive end Xzavier Dickson (Defensive Player of the Year), Griffin High kicker/punter Eddie Glanton (Special Teams Player of the Year) and Faith Christian Academy running back/linebacker Robert Jackson (Best All-Around).

Lewis, Dickson, and Glanton were unanimously selected for their respective awards.

Lewis rushed for an area-leading 1,886 yards and 23 touchdowns on 199 carries, while Dickson rolled up an area-leading 19 sacks not to mention nearly as many hurries and seven tackles for a loss despite being double teamed most of the season and Glanton proved to be steady making a number of clutch field goals throughout the season while being solid in the punting and extra point departments.

The selections for Coach of the Year and Best All-Around were not unanimous.

Grist, however, edged out three others (Griffin High's Steve DeVoursney, Griffin Christian's Kerry Phillips and Skipstone Academy's Nick Elliott) for Coach of the Year after leading the Lions to the Independent Christian Schools of Georgia and Alabama Athletic Association 8-man League finals.

It was his first year coaching the team and only the Lions third year in existence.

Jackson - who topped a list that included Spalding High's Powell Krepps, Griffin High's Corey Moore and Greg Worthy as well as Griffin Christian's Kyle Daniel - led the Lions on offense (142-1,274, 22 TDs rushing in 9 games), defense (93 tackles, 6 fumbles, 4 Ints) and special teams (several kicks returned for TDs) as they made a run to the finals.

The rest of the awards (listed to the left) include six Division I prospects: Dickson and teammates Moore (S), Worthy (CB), Nile Daniel (WR) and Ty Turner (TE) as well as Spalding High's Chris Mayes (DL).

GDN Awards

n Player of the Year: Wontavious Washington (Griffin)

n Coach of the Year: Nelson Grist (Faith Christian)

n Offensive Player of the Year: Anthony Lewis (Griffin Christian)

n Defensive Player of the Year: Xzavier Dickson (Griffin)

n Special Teams Player of the Year: Eddie Glanton (Griffin)

n Best All-Around: Robert Jackson (Faith Christian)

The team:

OFFENSE

Pos Name (School) Gr.

QB C. Moody (SH) 11

RB W. Washington (GH) 12

RB A. Lewis (GC) 12

RB R. Jackson (FC) 12

OL B. Serrano (GH) 12

OL N. Phillips (GH) 10

OL S. Nelms (GC) 12

OL J. Daughtery (FC) 11

OL T. Turner (GH) 12

WR N. Daniel (GH) 12

WR R. Owens (SH) 11

K/P E. Glanton (GH) 12

RET S. Eure (SA) 12

ATH P. Krepps (SH) 10

DEFENSE

Pos Name (School) Gr.

DL X. Dickson (GH) 12

DL K. Yarbrough (GH) 12

DL C. Mayes (SH) 12

DL M. Williams (SH) 12

DL C. Bailey (GC) 12

DL T. Maxwell (FC) 12

LB S. Harper (GH) 12

LB W. Fish (SH) 12

LB K. Daniel (GC) 12

LB B.Sheppard (SA) 11

DB J. Lee (GC) 12

K A. Lowry (GC) 12

RET C. Worthy (GH) 12

ATH C. Moore (GH) 12

Honorable Mention: J. Clemons (GH) DB; R. Brittain (SH) LB; R. Davis (GH) DL; J. Jones (SH) LB; Austin Gill (GC) DB; M. Terrell (SH) WR; C. Jones (FC) OL; T. Mathis (GC) Ath.

Read more: Griffin Daily News - ALL AREA TEAM GHS RB FCA coach win top GDN Awards