High school running backs with 2,289 yards rushing and 40 touchdowns on 13-1 teams are natural candidates for Georgia player of the year. So are five-star linebackers who make 153 tackles and sign with Clemson. Sammy Brown, a senior at Jefferson, was both. “He does everything you can ask a football player to do,” Jefferson coach Travis Noland said.

Keith Maloof of Norcross is the Atlanta Falcons’ coach of the year, an annual award that recognizes high school football coaches for their character, leadership and work in the community. Maloof, Norcross’ coach since 1999, became the all-time leader in coaching victories in Gwinnett County this season with 202.

Craig Bennett, who started Cambridge’s football program in 2012, was announced as Pickens’ coach on Thursday afternoon. Mount Pisgah Christian and Salem also announced hires this week. Bennett guided Cambridge, a north Fulton County school, to its first region title in 2022 and playoff appearances each of the past four seasons.

Carrollton quarterback Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis is the Gatorade state football player of the year in Georgia, the company announced Wednesday. Lewis, the consensus No. 1 sophomore football prospect nationally, passed for 3,094 yards and 48 touchdowns with only two interceptions for an 11-2 team that reached the Class 7A quarterfinals.

Twenty-seven of Georgia’s most highly recruited football players will play this week in Orlando and San Antonio in the two most prestigious national high school all-star games. The Under Armour All-America game will be played Wednesday in Orlando. The All-American Bowl, in San Antonio, will be Saturday at 1 p.m.

Milton, Thomas County Central and Mill Creek finished as the top Georgia teams in the final 2023 national high school football rankings, which were released last week. Milton, which defeated Walton 31-21 in the Class 7A final to win its second state title in six years, was the state’s highest-rated team in five of eight widely recognized polls.

The football championships’ return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium drew a record paid attendance of 50,622 this week, far outpacing the 27,442 average total attendance from the previous four years at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium. “Pleased but not surprised,” GHSA executive director Robin Hines said Thursday.

Milton scored 24 points off turnovers in the second half after trailing 14-7, and Jacorey Stewart finished it with a 5-yard interception return for a touchdown with 52 seconds left. Luke Nickel (committed to Miami) was 19-of-25 passing for 201 yards while Milton registered three interceptions and three sacks against Walton star quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski.

Coffee led 21-0 at halftime after three long scoring drives, two sustained by fourth-down conversions, and then turned the game over to its state-leading defense and the physical running of Fred Brown, who finished with 166 rushing yards on 35 carries.

Elliott Colson threw TD passes to four receivers, two in the second quarter to start a 28-0 run that broke open what had been a 14-14 game. Interceptions helped turn the tide. With Savannah Christian down only 21-14 and inside Cedar Grove’s 15-yard line, D’Marcus intercepted a pass in the end zone.

Pope scored the go-ahead touchdown with 3:55 remaining, and the Greyhounds stopped an extra-point attempt with 20 seconds left to preserve the one-point victory. The two Cobb County teams were both in the state finals for the first time.

Boosted by special teams, Thomas County Central took a 28-0 first-half lead. When Woodward Academy got within 14 points twice in the second half, Jaylen Johnson responded immediately to each, throwing TD passes of 57 yards to Tre-Von Pringle and 37 to Malachi Thomas.