All-Area Coach of the Year: Flowery Branch's Lee Shaw
All-Area Football Team
All-Area Player of the Year: Flowery Branch's Daniel Drummond
First-team offense
Blake Sims
Athlete
School: Gainesville
Grade: Junior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Stats: 2,453 passing yds, 24 TDs, 822 rushing yds, 18 TDs
Connor Shaw
Quarterback
School: Flowery Branch
Grade: Junior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Stats: 2,146 passing yds, 22 TDs, 946 rushing yds, 10 TDs
Daniel Drummond
Running back
School: Flowery Branch
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 245
Stats: 1,102 rushing yards, 8.7 per carry, 13 TDs
Ben Souther
Running back
School: Chestatee
Grade: Junior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 200
Stats: 1,563 rushing yards, 8.0 avg., 18 TDs, 1 KO ret TD
Julian Suber
Running back
School: Riverside Military
Grade: Junior
Height: 5-9
Weight: 175
Stats: 1,729 rushing yards, 8.2 avg., 22 total TDs
Rodney Gibson
Wide receiver
School: West Hall
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 180
Stats: 61 receptions, 889 yards, 9 TDs
Tai-ler Jones
Wide receiver
School: Gainesville
Grade: Junior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Stats: 81 receptions, 979 yards, 12 TDs
Julio Arteta
Offensive line
School: Chestatee
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 260
Stats: 95 knockdown blocks, 12 pancakes
Daniel Blitch
Offensive line
School: North Hall
Grade: Junior
Height: 6-6
Weight: 330
Stats: 13 pancakes; Graded out 76% on the year
Bucky Free
Offensive line
School: Flowery Branch
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 255
Stats: Led line that paved the way for 5,000 yards of offense
Justin Hadden
Offensive line
School: Johnson
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 260
Stats: Two-time All Region, 3.5-year starter
Nick Williams
Offensive line
School: Gainesville
Grade: Senior
Height: 5-11
Weight: 240
Stats: Two-time All Region; Graded out 92% in 2008
Zach Mills
Kicker
School: Chestatee
Grade: Senior
Height: 5-9
Weight: 170
Stats: 40/43 PATs, 4/4 FGs
First-team defense
Sterling Bailey
Defensive line
School: East Hall
Grade: Sophomore
Height: 6-5
Weight: 235
Stats: 65 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 15 hurries
Izaan Cross
Defensive line
School: Flowery Branch
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 255
Stats: 115 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, 15 hurries
Josh Jackson
Defensive line
School: Gainesville
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 255
Stats: 99 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 7 hurries
Shammond Stringer
Defensive line
School: Gainesville
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 255
Stats: 70 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 4 hurries
A.J. Johnson
Linebacker
School: Gainesville
Grade: Sophomore
Height: 6-3
Weight: 225
Stats: 160 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 6 hurries
Thomas Sprague
Linebacker
School: North Hall
Grade: Junior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 220
Stats: Area leader with 173 tackles in 12 games
Chase Vasser
Linebacker
School: Chestatee
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-4
Weight: 210
Stats: 135 tackles, 83 solo, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Jonathon Cain
Defensive back
School: Chestatee
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
Stats: 114 tackles, 68 solo, 2 INTs, 5 passes defended
Nathan Jones
Defensive back
School: North Hall
Grade: Junior
Height: 5-11
Weight: 170
Stats: 109 tackles, 8 INTs
Chris Lipscomb
Defensive back
School: Flowery Branch
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185
Stats: 55 tackles, 4 INTS, 11 passes defended
Greg Palmer
Defensive back
School: Flowery Branch
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Stats: 152 tackles, 4 INTs,
9 passes defended
Kiante Young
Athlete
School: East Hall
Grade: Senior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 190
Stats: 53 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 fumble return TDs
Will Monday
Punter
School: Flowery Branch
Grade: Sophomore
Height: 6-3
Weight: 175
Stats: 38.1-yard average,
9 inside the 20
Second-team offense
Athlete: Graham Duncan, Sr., North Hall
Quarterback: Shunquez Stephens, So., West Hall
Running back: Teryan Rucker, Jr., Gainesville
Running back: Marquise Stephens, Sr., West Hall
Wide receiver: Justin Byers, Sr., Chestatee
Wide receiver: Terrell Penland, Sr., West Hall
Tight end: Chris Cannon, Sr., Johnson
Offensive line: Jared Crandall, Sr., Flowery Branch
Offensive line: David Jones, Sr., Chestatee
Offensive line: Jackson Kearns, Sr., North Hall
Offensive line: Colton Keig, Sr., Riverside
Offensive line: Michael Waters, Jr., Gainesville
Kicker: Nick Saye, Sr., Lakeview
Second-team defense
Defensive line: Ben Clark, Sr., Flowery Branch
Defensive line: Josh Owens, Sr., Johnson
Defensive line: Sam Weaver, Sr., North Hall
Linebacker: Gilberto Espinoza, Jr., Johnson
Linebacker: Phillip Gaines, Sr., Gainesville
Linebacker: Aaron Gambrah, Jr., Riverside
Linebacker: Alberto Sanabria, Jr., Gainesville
Linebacker: Cory Sanderson, Jr., Flowery Branch
Defensive back: Xavier Ervin, Sr., Gainesville
Defensive back: Rod Frazier, Jr., Flowery Branch
Defensive back: Caleb Stewart, Sr., West Hall
Athlete: David DeLeon, Sr., Flowery Branch
Punter: Scott Eichler, Sr., West Hall
Honorable Mentions
QB Lucas Bersin, Jr., Riverside
ATH Haughton Carswell, Sr., Lakeview
RB Imani Cross, Fr., Flowery Branch
P Jake Dunn, Sr., North Hall
WR Kyle Glennon, Sr., Riverside
WR Juwon Jeffries, Sr., Gainesville
TE Nick Johnson, Sr., Gainesville
LB Lex Little, Jr., Lakeview
TE Brandon McKinney, Jr., Riverside
RB Avery Nix, Sr., North Hall
OL Michael Parr, Sr., Chestatee
ATH Anthony Prophet, Jr., Johnson
RB Mantevius Rucker, So., Johnson
ATH Mick Shannon, Sr., Johnson
ATH Ethan Souther, Sr., Chestatee
OL Taylor Stowe, Jr., Gainesville
OL Sloan Strickland, Jr., Gainesville
OL Austin Todd, Jr., Flowery Branch
TE Kyle Weatherly, Sr., West Hall
LB Gage Brown, Sr. West Hall
DL Tevin Keith, Sr., Flowery Branch
LB Ishmail Nuckles, Jr., West Hall
LB Lex Little, Jr., Lakeview
LB Diego Osegueda-Weiner, Sr., Riverside
DB Robbie Poole, Jr., Chestatee
ATH Corey Richardson, Jr., East Hall
LB Jerry Rodriguez, Sr., East Hall
LB Jeremy Wilkins, Jr., Chestatee