The Leaderboard: Chattooga’s Cook moves into top spot in rushing yardage

Chattooga’s Zayden Cook is the state’s new rushing leader after a 338-yard effort last week in a 45-20 victory over Mount Zion of Carroll County. Cook has rushed for 849 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 60 carries.

Cook is more than a running back, though. He’s an inside linebacker who is second on his team in tackles, averaging eight per game. He’s playing 125-130 plays per game.

Cook also is a four-sport athlete. He won the 110-meter hurdles at the Class A Division I meet last spring and was the state runner-up wrestler in the 175-weight division. He plays soccer when his schedule allows.

Cook participates in Chattooga’s SkillsUSA TeamWorks and represents plumbing on the four-man team that finished 14th during a national competition in Atlanta last summer.

As for his football running skills, Chattooga coach Roone Gable said, “He is a combination of speed and strength.” Cook is 5 feet, 10 inches and 195 pounds. He has been timed around 4.5 seconds across 40 yards at camps.

“He rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a junior behind an inexperienced, young offensive line last year in the first year of a new scheme,” Gable said. “As the line has gotten a year older, bigger and stronger in the weight room, it has allowed Zayden to show more of what he is capable of.”

Cook has one Division I offer, from Wofford.

This is the GHSA yardage leaderboard through the first four weeks of the regular season.

Rushing

849 - Zayden Cook, Chattooga (A-I leader)

671 - Elijah Hayes, West Hall (3A leader)

660 - Daniel Smith, Mill Creek (6A leader)

643 - Tysean Wiggins, Commerce

635 - Darrian Roberts, Atkinson County (A-II leader)

615 - Mark Howard, Woodland-Stockbridge (4A leader)

613 - Zo Smalls, Savannah Christian 

610 - Kalil Townes, Lovett (2A leader)

603 - Emadd Howard, Walnut Grove

594 - Zion Johnson, Newton

567 - Antavious Richardson, Greenville

564 - Christian "Deuce" Lawrence, Thomas Co. Cent. (5A leader)

562 - Aaron Bryant, Clinch County

558 - Xavier Rucker, Allatoona

554 - Jaylan Aquino, Drew

525 - Reante Byrd, Hephzibah

523 - Bryian Duncan Jr., Cairo

517 - Brayden Tyson, Brookwood

515 - Kadiphius Iverson, Westside-Macon 

511 - Will Rajecki, Sequoyah

510 - Zamarcus Lindley, Douglas County

509 - Hudson Hulett, North Murray

508 - Christian Monfort, Morgan County

506 - Nick Woodford, Northeast

500 - Marquel Deering, Greenville

497 - Joshua Troup, Richmond Hill

485 - Jason Familia, Long County

475 - Jonaz Walton, Central-Carrollton

465 - Quinterrius Gipson, Kell

464 - Noah Laban, Denmark

464 - Reginald Glover, Northeast

464 - Josiah Allen, Wheeler

456 - Austin Drye, King's Ridge Christian

454 - Jamari Welch, Athens Academy

454 - Amari Latimer, Sandy Creek

449 - Jitt Carr, Monroe Area

447 - A'merre Williams, Burke County

445 - Jeremiah Tatum, Kennesaw Mountain

443 - Jagger Reed, Murray County

437 - Lawson Sullivan, Fannin County

437 - Darius Head, Oglethorpe County

428 - Kaden Hamilton, Hiram

428 - James Skelly, North Paulding

426 - Kelby Tymes, Marion County

424 - Tayshawn Norris, Johnson County

424 - Alvin Ricks, Wheeler County

417 - Xavier Bostic, Dublin

417 - Zion McGruder, Stockbridge

416 - Colby Beach, Jeff Davis

415 - Javen Parker, East Paulding

414 - Bryson Tarver, Swainsboro

407 - Nicolas Williams, Mitchell County

406 - Tyrese Woodgett, Coffee

406 - Roderick Fuller, Treutlen

406 - Isaiah Payton, Woodstock

403 - Jamarcus Harrison, East Hall

402 - Deron Foster, Valdosta

401 - Brayden Slaughter, Heritage-Ringgold

399 - Ty Jones, Lakeside-Evans

398 - Dominique Ball, Westover

397 - Michael Battle, Pelham

393 - Walker Poyner, Lake Oconee Academy

393 - T.J. Lester, Milton

392 - Zach Belyeu, North Cobb

386 - A.B. Hilton, Screven County

386 - Qindaruis Brown, Swainsboro

384 - Evan Koger, Dade County

383 - Mason Munn, Creekview

383 - Ran Ogletree, Harris County

383 - Aalim Brown, Lowndes

382 - Brandon Lyons, Duluth

381 - Carsyn Baker, Hughes

380 - Nolan Matthews, Lumpkin County

377 - Ousmane Kromah, Lee County

374 - Demetrius “M.J.” Dowdy, Winder-Barrow

373 - Braylon Hill, Cass

Passing

1,242 - Ben Brown, Wesleyan (A-I leader)

1,228 - Antwann Hill Jr., Houston County (5A leader)

1,140 - Tanner Savasir, Cherokee (6A leader)

1,034 - Julian Lewis, Carrollton

1,008 - Devin Edmonds, Jones County (4A leader)

980 - Davis Strickland, Morgan County (2A leader)

965 - Jordan Do, Archer

952 - Lyndon Worthy, Worth County 

947 - Brooks Brien, Cherokee Bluff (3A leader)

944 - Tripp Underwood, Stephens County

923 - J.R. Harris, Central-Carrollton

888 - Kaeden Gilstrap, Walton

886 - Kade Smith, Trion (A-II leader)

878 - Weston Taylor, Cambridge

876 - Jaden Duckett, Sprayberry

863 - Hampton Johnson, Athens Academy

828 - Parks Riendeau, Camden County

825 - D.J. Hudson, Peach County

824 - Caden Hight, Heritage-Ringgold

822 - Hezekiah Millender, Clarke Central

814 - Matt Pearch, Dunwoody

811 - Kharim Hughley, Gainesville

808 - Tucker Perkins, Effingham County

806 - Brock Szakacs, East Forsyth

781 - Sean Smith, Westlake

780 - Michael Buhay, Westminster

777 - Quinterrion Stanford, Wilkinson County

775 - Blake Weldon, Schley County

763 - Titus Watkins, Oconee County

760 - Shane Throgmartin, Mill Creek

759 - Ethan Long, Adairsville

757 - Julian Shanks, Arabia Mountain

741 - Joshua Scott, Stockbridge

730 - Todd Robinson, Valdosta

728 - Elijah Fudge, Spencer

722 - Hudson Deline, Pope

721 - Darnell Kelly, Peachtree Ridge

717 - Tripp Nix, White County

712 - Rashawn Truell, New Hampstead

708 - Travis Burgess, Grayson

698 - Junior Burrus, Brooks County

686 - Jaylen Wyatt, Mays

684 - James Mobley, Calvary Day

682 - Camden Hodge, Winder-Barrow

675 - Brett Sturm, West Hall

674 - Cam Hill, Thomasville

673 - Jaylen Johnson, Thomas County Central

655 - Sean Vandiver, Burke County

653 - Charles Maxell III, Bowdon

652 - Kolby Martin, Sequoyah

648 - Nate Russell, Cartersville

648 - Nick Grimstead, North Cobb

640 - Jayden Whiteside, Marietta

639 - Tristan Parks, Hampton

638 - Dream Rashad, Mountain View

636 - Brodie McWhorter, Cass

635 - Mitch Seaman, Lassiter

634 - Ethan Latimore, Hiram

634 - Harrison Faulkner, North Oconee

631 - Luke Priester, Chattahoochee

631 - Ethan Daughtery, Lambert

629 - Stephen Cannon, Benedictine

624 - Mason Bryant, Paulding County

616 - Chaz Pate, Sonoraville

614 - Cullen McDaniel, Perry

607 - Hunter Campbell, Centennial

606 - Jayvyn Hickman, Elbert County

606 - Graham Burmeister, Woodstock

601 - Tylan Snead, East Laurens

601 - Teddy Jarrard, North Cobb Christian

599 - Luke Nickel, Milton

597 - A.J. Rahal, Riverwood

597 - Caden McGatha, Pierce County

596 - Brodie Campbell, Newnan

594 - Grant Moore, Brunswick

594 - Chase Cromartie, McIntosh

587 - Jamarcus Harrison, East Hall

586 - Deron Benson, Newton

577 - Delancy Alexander, New Manchester

577 - James Neville, Westside-Macon

Receiving

644 - Cody Bryan, Heritage-Ringgold (3A leader)

638 - John Stuetzer, Pope (5A leader)

619 - Keyon Standifer, Athens Academy (A-I leader)

595 - Isaiah Mitchell, Houston County

523 - Zach Stair, Riverwood

485 - Jaylen Elder, Morgan County (2A leader)

433 - Jaivon Solomon, Jones County (4A leader)

414 - Colby Alexander, Archer (6A leader)

413 - Carter Hayes, Wesleyan

411 - Elijah Green, Marietta

405 - Elyiss Williams, Camden County

405 - Kamari Maxwell, New Hampstead

403 - Travis Smith Jr, Westlake

390 - Cam Nixon, Cross Creek

390 - Zion Hudson, Peach County

378 - Clayton Coppock, Mays

372 - Kaden Thompson, Cherokee Bluff

360 - Kendall Sims, Schley County (A-II leader)

357 - George Lamons, Brooks County

353 - Mason Hall, Oconee County

347 - Davon Swinton, Stephens County

346 - Thomas Blackshear, Calvary Day

344 - Ethan Willingham, Trion

343 - Steele Ingram, North Cobb

340 - Wes Vail, Wesleyan

339 - Jamarion McKinney, Dutchtown

339 - Lawrence Tolbert, Riverdale

336 - Christian Ward, Walton

335 - D.J. Avery, Chattahoochee

334 - Caylen Brunson, Spencer

331 - Jayden Farley, Worth County

330 - Kaiden Prothro, Bowdon

323 - Jordan Patterson, Montgomery County

319 - Malik Brightwell, Newton

319 - Javin Gordon, Stephens County

315 - Demarcus Gardner, Cedartown

313 - Kiel Sparks, Perry

309 - Ryan Mosley, Carrollton

307 - Zeke Whittington, Habersham Central

305 - Craig Dandridge, Cambridge

305 - Brady Marchese, Cartersville

304 - Shane King, Gainesville

304 - Casani Bartlett, Lovett

302 - Landon Roldan, North Oconee

298 - Porter Allison, Dunwoody

296 - Mark Manfred, Sprayberry

292 - Hudson Cocchiara, Cambridge

285 - George Sabb, New Manchester

282 - Dube Enongene, North Paulding

279 - Kenyan Glasper, Winder-Barrow

278 - Chris Hutchinson, Alexander

277 - Chase Rhoads, East Forsyth

277 - Kayden Miller, Lithonia

275 - Kobe Adeleke-Hokes, Peachtree Ridge

273 - Tristan Houston, Westside-Macon

272 - Kel'von Scott, Burke County

270 - Collins Price, Lassiter

270 - Jatavius Hill, Wilkinson County

268 - Jorden Edmonds, Sprayberry

266 - Xavier Buckner, Mount Zion-Carroll

263 - Chasen Jones, East Hall

261 - M.J. Mathis, Houston County

259 - Avery Tanner, Central-Carrollton

258 - Tyler Render, Greenville

258 - Maddox Young, Union County

257 - Malakiah Echols, Cherokee

257 - Aiden Taylor, Grayson

257 - Ty Tillery, Morgan County

256 - Brice Whitely, ACE Charter

255 - Danny Boden, Dunwoody

252 - Jude Nelson, Social Circle

248 - Tyler Lynch, M.L. King

247 - Tre Winters, Adairsville

246 - Charlie Idom, Christian Heritage

246 - Ryan Wells, Effingham County

246 - Jabari Watkins, Thomas County Central

243 - Sean Green, Camden County

241 - Chase Marable, Westminster

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National Rankings: Milton in top three in three polls, Carrollton not far behind