Round 1 Player of the Week: Archer’s Jonathan Do
Archer needed a Hollywood ending to beat Harrison last week, and Jonathan Do delivered on que, throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to Tyree Begne with 13 seconds left to give the Tigers a 46-42 victory in the Class 6A first round. “He has the Rocky Balboa attitude,” Archer coach Dante Williams said of his junior quarterback.
Week 12 Player of the Week: Savannah Christian’s Elijah Griffin
There aren’t many high school goals left unchecked for Savannah Christian defensive tackle Elijah Griffin, the state’s consensus No. 1 prospect who committed to Georgia last month. A region title was one of them. Savannah Christian’s game last week against Toombs County would decide the Region 3-A Division I champion.
Week 11 Player of the Week: Chattooga’s Zayden Cook
Zayden Cook became this season’s first 2,000-yard rusher Friday. That’s usually enough to get the game ball. But Cook did a little extra to make sure. The Chattooga senior rushed for 464 yards and six touchdowns, made nine tackles, intercepted two passes and punted twice for a 42.0-yard average in a 56-36 victory over Dade County.
Week 10 Player of the Week: Hillgrove’s Jaiden Moore
Sophomore RB Jaiden Moore, described by Hillgrove coach Justin DeShon as a second- or third-teamer getting extra playing time because of an injury, made the most of his moment in a rivalry game Friday night. Moore rushed for 255 yards and scored on runs of 97, 51 and 67 yards in a 30-23 victory over crosstown rival McEachern.
Week 9 Player of the Week: Rockmart’s Nate Davis
In a 24-21 victory over North Cobb Christian, Rockmart's Nate Davis rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns, made eight tackles, intercepted a pass, set up the winning drive with a forced fumble, scored the winning touchdown on a 22-yard run and made the decisive tackle on fourth-and-1 at midfield that clinched the victory.
Week 8 Player of the Week: Valdosta’s Todd Robinson
Todd Robinson isn’t planning to play quarterback or running back in college, but he sure looks like a star at both in a Valdosta uniform. Robinson, a senior committed to Georgia as a defensive back, was 21-of-27 passing for 269 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 132 yards and four touchdowns in a 56-37 victory over fourth-ranked Camden County last week.
Week 7 Player of the Week: Winder-Barrow’s M.J. Dowdy
Winder-Barrow’s M.J. Dowdy has one scholarship offer, from South Florida. Others are waiting for the running back’s junior film. The highlight reel got a boost Saturday, when Dowdy rushed for a school-record 347 yards and five touchdowns in a 57-43 victory over Habersham Central.
Week 6 Player of the Week: Norcross WR Jahsaun Clarke
Jahsaun Clarke has to be the hottest and most clutch multi-threat offensive weapon in the state these past two weeks. The Norcross senior wide receiver caught eight passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-26 victory over Peachtree Ridge on Friday.
Week 5 Player of the Week: Roswell’s Trey Smith
Roswell was tasked this season with replacing a two-year starting quarterback who threw for more than 5,500 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 with 73 total touchdowns in his career. That was K.J. Smith. Now meet Trey Smith.
Week 4 Player of the Week: Warner Robins’ Skyler Williams
With five touchdowns and 305 rushing and passing yards, Warner Robins quarterback Skyler Williams had the flashy statistics in his team’s 55-44 victory over Houston County. But they don’t tell how well he really played, according to Warner Robins coach Shane Sams.
Week 3 Player of the Week: Houston County’s Isaiah Mitchell
The old cliché about making up for lost time fits no Georgia player better than Isaiah Mitchell, Houston County’s new star receiver. Mitchell had to sit out his junior season for academic reasons. He bided his time, helping coach his new team, which his coach, Jeremy Edwards, credits with maturing him. Mitchell is now a breakout player in Georgia.
Week 2 Player of the Week: Collins Hill’s Deuce Geralds
Collins Hill is off to a 2-0 start with tight victories over ranked teams. In the latest, a 21-14 win against Woodward Academy, junior defensive lineman Deuce Geralds had three sacks and scored on a 41-yard run to break a 14-14 tie.
Week 1 Player of the Week: Fellowship Christian’s Jonathan Granby
The Fellowship Christian quarterback Jonathan Granby passed 128 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 36-35 victory Friday over defending Class A Division II champion Bowdon. It wasn’t Granby’s numbers. It was his timing and precision.