Gainesville High linebacker A.J. Johnson was named to the second team of the MaxPreps Sophomore All-American Team on Wednesday.

Johnson was a starter for Gainesville, which played in the Class AAA state quarterfinals and won the Region 7-AAA title this season. The 6-foot-2, 197-pound sophomore finished his second high school football season with 160 tackles and was named to 7-AAA All-Region team and The Times All-Hall County team.

The MaxPreps Sophomore All-American Team recognizes the most outstanding sophomore football players from across the country.

Clark commits to Western Carolina

North Hall High senior cross country runner Nolan Clark has committed to run at Western Carolina University next year.

Clark won the Region 7-AAA title this year (16 minutes, 11 seconds) and was named the Times 2008 Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year. Clark placed 10th at the state meet this year (16:37).

Clark was a sophomore on North Hall’s cross country state championship team in 2006.

Propes ranked in USTA poll

Hall County resident Lance Propes was ranked first among men’s 4.5 singles tennis players in Georgia in a United States Tennis Association poll released Saturday.

Propes, who resides in Lula. is the only area resident ranked in the poll. He is also ranked third in the men’s 4.5 singles in the USTA Southern Section behind players from Kentucky and Tennessee.