Honor Roll
Will Brock, White County: Was 4-of-11 for 136 yards and a touchdown and 57 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in a win over West Hall.
Michael Byrd, Gainesville: Had 32 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and had five receptions for 81 yards and a score in a loss to Loganville.
Kevin Christmas, North Hall: Led the Trojans with 107 yards and a touchdown on four carries in a win over Banks County.
Kyle Daniel, Jackson County: Was 19-of-26 for 210 yards and a pair of scores in a win over Elbert County.
Jordan Degraff, Chestatee: Had 63 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and was 5-of-10 passing for 71 yards in a loss to Monroe Area.
Tyler Dominy, Dawson County: Recorded three passing touchdowns in a win over Fannin County.
Garrett Holt, Jackson County: Tallied 12 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble against Elbert County.
Zavior Hoxie, Buford: Led the team with 56 yards and a score on 10 carries and had a 26-yard touchdown reception in a win over East Hall.
Taylor Ryder, North Hall: Had a pair of scores and 80 yards on two catches.
Dustin Scott, Jackson County: Paced the Panthers with 165 yards and two scores on 22 carries and 39 yards and two touchdowns on four catches.
Bryant Shirreffs, Jefferson: Was 16-of-21 for 186 yards and two touchdowns and had 81 yards and a touchdown rushing in a win over Riverside Military.
Wesley Simonton, Jefferson: Tallied 15 tackles and a pass break-up.
Max Taylor, White County: Had seven carries for 121 yards and two scores.
Deshaun Watson, Gainesville: Was 18-of-23 for 258 yards and three passing touchdowns and added 41 yards and a score on four carries.
Thomas Wilson, Buford: Had three carries for 101 yards and a score, and added an interception on defense.
Compiled by Kelsey Williamson
Lakeview quarterback Ted Reynolds has only been at the helm of the Lions offense since midway through last season. When he was put into the position, Reynolds admits he was hesitant, but coach Matthew Gruhn had confidence that Reynolds could lead the team on and off the field.
“He can handle the highs and lows of that position,” Gruhn said, “He can have a big game, and then someone else can have a big game and he’s OK with that. There’s never any selfishness.”
Reynolds certainly had a big game in last week’s 34-0 win over Towns County, recording 217 yards rushing with four touchdowns and guiding the Lions to their first winning season in school history. For his efforts, Reynolds has been named The Times Player of the Week in the final game of his high school career.
“We played our most complete game of the season,” Reynolds said, “As a senior, you never want to go out on a loss.”
Although he appears frequently among the Lions’ stat leaders, Reynolds credits much of the team’s success to his teammates and the 17 seniors that he has been playing with for years.
“It could be myself, it could be Caleb Faulkner or Trevor Price,” Reynolds said. “We just have to go out and do our job, and there’s no question that they’re not going to do their job. The offensive line did a great job.”
Gruhn and Reynolds both agree that football is the “ultimate team game,” but Gruhn also believes that Reynolds and the senior class played a huge role in this history-making season.
“(Reynolds) understood what we were trying to do,” Gruhn said. “He has a great heart for the program, and they have great heart for each other. They provided a good idea of what it takes to be successful.”
Lakeview’s offense, with Reynolds behind the wheel, found ways to execute plays, find momentum and get motivated, even after a pair of consecutive losses.
“They believed in themselves and their motivation never wavered,” Gruhn said. “We just kept doing what we were doing.”
Gruhn thinks that Reynolds’ commitment to the team, work ethic and unselfishness were key to helping the team succeed.
“He’s certainly a captain,” Gruhn said.
“I had to be a leader,” Reynolds said. “But with 17 seniors, I didn’t have to be a huge vocal leader. I tried to lead by example.”
Even though Reynolds admits that the season being finished for him and this year’s seniors is sad, he understands what the season meant for the school and the future of the program.
“It’s still a young program, but we showed that we know how to execute,” Reynolds said. “We have a sense of accomplishment. The seniors did something special.”
“They’re leaving a legacy of trying to achieve excellence,” Gruhn said. “They provided a good idea of what it takes.”