Mill Creek’s Downs wins Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s Mr. Georgia Award
Caleb Downs, a running back and defensive back who scored three touchdowns and made six tackles in Mill Creek’s 70-35 victory over Carrollton last week that secured the school’s first football state championship, has been named the winner of the Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s 2022 Mr. Georgia Award.
The Touchdown Club of Atlanta also named its national awards this week. The Bobby Dodd National Back of the Year Award went to QB Arch Manning of Newnan High School in New Orleans, and the Bobby Dodd National Lineman of the Year is DL David “D.J.” Hicks of Paetow High School in Katy, Texas. Manning is committed to Texas, and Hicks is committed to Texas A&M.
Downs, a 6-foot, 195-pound five-star prospect who has committed to Alabama, is listed by the 247Sports Composite ratings as the No. 1 player in Georgia as well as the No. 1 safety and No. 6 overall player nationally.
Downs finished his senior with 389 yards and 20 touchdowns rushing, 422 yards and three touchdowns receiving and 253 yards on kick and interception returns. He was second on the team with 83 total tackles, and his five interceptions gave him a school-record 19 for his career.
The Little Peach Awards, presented to the top Georgia player in each of the three underclasses, went to freshman QB Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis of Carrollton, sophomore RB Ousmane Kromah of Lee County and junior QB Prentiss “Air” Noland of Hughes.
The Touchdown Club also named a Georgia All-Star Team. Defensive players were DL Vic Burley (Warner Robins), DL AJ Hoffler (Woodward Academy), DL Stephiylan Green (Rome), DL T.J. Searcy (Upson-Lee), LB Raul Aguirre (Whitewater), Jeremiah Telander (Gainesville), LB Sammy Brown (Jefferson), LB Caleb LaVallee (Whitefield Academy), DB Caleb Downs (Mill Creek), DB Mike Matthews (Parkview), DB Terrance Love (Hughes), DB Avieon Terrell (Westlake) and P Nolan Harris (Morgan County).
Offensive all-stars were QB Prentiss “Air” Noland (Hughes), QB Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis (Carrollton), RB Justice Haynes (Buford), RB Keyjuan Brown (South Atlanta), WR Jaden Gibson (Rabun County), WR Cayden Lee (Kennesaw Mountain), TE Jelani Thurman (Hughes), OL Kelton Smith (Carver-Columbus), OL Bo Hughley (Hughes), OL Madden Sanker (South Paulding), OL Jamal Merriweather (Brunswick), OL D.J. Chester (Eagle’s Landing Christian) ATH K.J. Bolden (Buford), ATH C.J. Allen (Lamar County) and K Carson Allen (Etowah).
The DL Claborn Coach of the Year winners were state champions Josh Lovelady (7A Mill Creek), Daniel Williams (6A Hughes), Jason Strickland (5A Ware County), Danny Britt (4A Benedictine), Brett Garvin (3A Sandy Creek), Michael Youngblood (2A Thomson), Greg Vandagriff (A Division I Prince Avenue Christian) and Richard Fendley (A Division II Bowdon).