Here are 15 Athens-area high school football superlatives for the 2022 season
With high school football wrapped for the season and the All-Area team announced, it's time to give out several awards for the best of the best during the 2022 season.
Perhaps we should call them the Athey Awards? Maybe the Banneys? Maybe next year. For now, we'll stick with superlatives.
Here's a look at who and which teams are deserving of Athens-area postseason awards.
Coach of the Year
Ben Hall, Oconee County
Hall entered Oconee County with pressure this season while taking over a program that had built-in expectations after Travis Noland, who had grown the Warriors into a state contender every season, departed for Jefferson. Hall faced a challenging schedule from the start and kept the Warriors in Region 8-3A contention, but ultimately finished third in the region after a coin toss. Hall rallied the Warriors in the playoffs and propelled them to the Class 3A semifinals despite playing every playoff game away from Watkinsville.
Offensive Coordinator of the Year
Jon Richt, Prince Avenue Christian
The Wolverines' high-powered offense was on full display in 2022, averaging 42.5 points per game and posting 52 in the Class A Division I state finals. Richt, the son of former UGA coach Mark Richt and a former Prince quarterback himself, took over this season as Prince's offensive coordinator and helped QB Aaron Philo once again lead the state in passing yardage (4,598) while tossing 54 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. Through Richt's guidance, Prince Avenue's offense averaged 481.7 yards per game, around 250 yards more per game than the national average, according to Maxpreps.
OC of the Year:How Jon Richt's path led him back to Prince Avenue to form a strong bond with QB Aaron Philo
Defensive Coordinator of the Year
Will Peters, North Oconee
The Titans' 7.64 points per game allowed were second in Georgia, across all classifications, to only Class 5A champion Ware County (7.36). North Oconee posted four shutouts in 2022 and the 13 points allowed to Oconee County in the season opener were the most it gave up until allowing 28 to Cedartown in the Class 4A semifinals.
Best Seniors
Khalil Barnes and Bailey Stockton
It was equally impressive watching Barnes and Stockton take the field, as one or the other could provide a hair-raising moment on either side of the ball, or on special teams, at any point during a game. Stockton, the All-Area overall player of the year, led Prince Avenue with 1,425 yards receiving and 22 touchdowns while also leading the Wolverine defense at safety. Barnes, a Clemson signee and All-Area defensive player of the year, had 879 yards receiving, 442 yards rushing and 15 total touchdowns while pulling down eight interceptions at cornerback.
Best Juniors
Sammy Brown and Aaron Philo
Philo led the state in passing for the second straight year. The junior QB passed for 4,598 yards and 54 touchdowns and now has the 11th most passing yards of all time. He led the Wolverines to the state title with a 477-yard, six touchdown performance three weeks ago against Swainsboro. Brown, a five-star recruit in the 2024 class, had 1,459 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns while hauling in 246 yards receiving and two scores. He also led Jefferson's defense with 113 tackles, three pass deflections an interception.
Best sophomores
Jaiden Daniels and Christian Garrett
Daniels averaged 7.3 yards per carry as he piled up 1,474 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns while throwing for another score for Commerce. Garrett, a 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive lineman, tallied 49 tackles and three sacks this season to help Prince Avenue win the state title.
Best Freshman
Mason Townsend, Prince Avenue
Townsend started on Prince Avenue's offensive line and was a key piece to the Wolverine's state title run. Townsend recently played in the Adidas Freshman All-American Game in Naples, Florida, as one of the nation's top 9th graders.
Surprise Team
East Jackson
The Eagles had their best season since 2009 and finished the regular season at .500 or better for just the second time in school history. East Jackson finished 5-6 and reached the playoffs for the first time since that 10-2 season in 2009. After finishing 3-7 last year, East Jackson made significant improvement in 2022 and is building a more consistent program under head coach Cameron Pettus.
Best Single-Game Performance
Josh Britt, Prince Avenue Christian
Philo's six touchdowns and near-500 yards passing in the state championship game could only be outdone by a player on his own team shining on offense and defense. Britt hauled in 201 of Philo's passing yards, scored three touchdowns, led the Wolverines in tackles (10) forced a fumble and picked off a pass. It was the game of a lifetime for the Prince senior.
Game of his life:Why Josh Britt plans to ride off into the sunset following legendary state title performance
Best Individual Offensive Performance
Sammy Brown, Jefferson vs. Loganville
Brown scored six touchdowns and rushed for nearly 300 yards in Jefferson's 42-6 win over Loganville that decided the Region 8-5A championship. Brown had scoring runs of 97, 58, 34 and 17 yards, hauled in an acrobatic 30-yard touchdown pass and added another 1-yard dive.
Looking back at 2022:Now fully healthy, Sammy Brown becoming 5-star difference maker for Jefferson football
Best Individual Defensive Performance
Khalil Barnes, North Oconee vs. Oconee County
Barnes had three interceptions, and another on a 2-point conversion that doesn't go down in the stats, with a pick-6 included as the Titans defeated down-the-street rival Oconee County in the Hog Mountain Bowl.
'We got bragging rights':How North Oconee soaked in first rivalry win in three years
Breakout Star
Tyreeck Hall, Winder-Barrow
Hall burst on the scene in game one of his senior season, tallying 177 yards and a score on 26 carries. He continued the success the rest of the season to lead the Bulldoggs with 1,325 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns in 10 games. The senior played minimally as a junior and caught a break in the first game when classmate Aidan Thompson was injured on his first carry of the season. He made the most of his opportunity to become this year's Athens-area breakout star.
More:After star player's injury, Winder-Barrow's Tyreeck Hall leads Bulldoggs past Apalachee
Game of the Year
Clarke Central vs. Winder-Barrow
Clarke Central scored 20 fourth-quarter points, Winder-Barrow notched 19, and the teams swapped the lead back and forth numerous times before Clarke Central QB Lucian Anderson hit Jamarion Davis with 12 seconds left to win 37-36. The season-finale decided the final playoff team from Region 8-5A and locked the Gladiators into the playoffs while knocking the Bulldoggs out.
Greatest Game:How Clarke Central stunned Winder-Barrow and other Athens-area playoff implications
Biggest Upset
Cedar Shoals at Walnut Grove
The Jaguars had struggled through their first three games and needed a spark to their season. An early-season win at Walnut Grove was what it needed. At the time it appeared as a good win against a team without much tradition, but Walnut Grove was undefeated and in the middle of its best season in school history and on its way to just its second ever playoff appearance. The win propelled Cedar Shoals to wins in five of its final seven regular season games and a spot in the playoffs.
Best Road Win
Oconee County at Carver (Columbus)
The Warriors made their third straight playoff road trip and took down Carver (Columbus) 14-6 to advance to the Class 3A semifinals. The matchup was the ninth of 10 ranked opponents the Warriors faced in 13 games during the 2022 season.
Tall taskHow Oconee County's grueling schedule has made it one of the state's most dangerous underdogs
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens area high school football superlatives for the 2022 season
