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ITG Next’s 2025 High School Athletes of the Year
Young, Crisp County
Zakariyya Dwight, Crisp County
County
John Davis, Tift County
Davis, Brunswick
Heze Kent, Brunswick
Ellie Luppino, Glynn Academy
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Buford VS Milton to Open 2025 Georgia High School Football Season
Colben Landrew, Wheeler Coffee Senior Michael Strickland Solidifies His Trojan Legacy While Freshman Jimmy Timothy Has Breakout Season in 2025
Colquitt County VS Benedictine to Open
Kolby Yates, Miller County Warner Robins VS Lee County to Open
Georgia High School Football Season
Blakely
Martin
Jalaya Miller,Tift
Michas!
Blakely Young Named ITG Next’s 2025 Crisp County High School Female Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: ITG Next Archive
Blakely Young, a two-sport athlete, is ITG Next’s 2025 Crisp County High School Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Crisp Regional.
Young, a senior, is a standout on Crisp County’s softball and girls soccer teams. She has also been a member of the track team, but chose not to run track her final year at Crisp County.
In addition to Blakely’s standout athletic abilities, she has also excelled in her academic achievements. She was recognized as an honor graduate and was named salutatorian for Crisp County High School’s Class of 2025.
Crisp County head softball coach Stewart Tyler said he relied on Young a lot for her talent and experience this past season.
“Blakely plays shortstop for us, but had to also pitch a lot last year and this year due to our lack of experience,” Tyler said. “She is an outstanding student-athlete that excels on and off the field. During her senior softball season, she led our offense with a .478 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, and she only struck out one time all season long.”
Young was recognized for her offensive output this past season by receiving the Offensive MVP award for the Lady Cougars, according to Tyler.
“She also was recognized as a Region 3-2A First Team All-Region selection, voted on by opposing coaches in our region,” he said.
Tyler talked about Young’s accomplishments and the sacrifices she made to help the team, as well as her status as salutatorian.
“She works tirelessly in the classroom and in the community, and it shows in her accomplishments,” Tyler said.
As good as Young’s softball career has been, she has also had quite the success on the pitch as a member of Crisp County’s girls soccer team. She has played soccer all four years at Crisp County, and this season she reached a milestone that only a few high school soccer players will ever achieve, scoring the 100th goal of her career.
“This is Blakely’s second year playing under me, and her primary position is a forward,” said Brittany Robbins, Crisp County girls soccer head coach. “Her pure athleticism has helped her reach the milestone of scoring over 100 goals in her high school career, and it has helped her teammates compete at a higher level in our games as well.”
According to Tyler, Young will be attending the University of Georgia as a student following her graduation from Crisp County High School.
Congratulations to Blakely Young, ITG Next’s 2025 Crisp County High School Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Crisp Regional.
Presented by:
Zakariyya Dwight Named ITG Next’s 2025 Crisp County High School Male Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: ITG Next Archive
Zakariyya Dwight, a senior, is ITG Next’s 2025 Crisp County High School Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Crisp Regional.
Dwight is a 6-foot-5-inch, 175-pound small forward and shooting guard for Crisp County’s boys basketball team, and he has excelled both on and off the court.
Dwight has managed a 3.5 GPA while stringing together an impressive stat line for the Cougars this past season. He averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and six blocks per game.
“Zakariyya has been a high achiever for us,” said Towandi King, Crisp County boys basketball head coach. “He is a hard worker in the classroom and on the court for us.”
According to King, Dwight went over the 1,000-point mark for his career this past season and was voted the Region 3-2A Player of the Year.
“He also was voted as the Region Defensive Player of the Year last year as a junior and was voted All-Region First Team in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons,” King said.
For the 2024-25 season, Dwight’s contributions helped lead Crisp County to a 22-7 overall record and a second-round ap -
pearance in the state playoffs. The Cougars were 7-1 in region play, good enough for the No. 2 seed.
“Zakariyya was our inspirational leader on and off the court this year and during his entire high school career,” King said. “He improved his leadership skills each year in our Cougar program. I had the pleasure of coaching him for all four years.”
King said he expects Dwight’s success to continue as he enters the next phase of his life after high school.
“We all look forward to seeing Zakariyya in the next chapter of his career as a student-athlete,” King said.
Dwight recently committed to play basketball at the next level for Mississippi Gulf Coast College.
Congratulations to Zakariyya Dwight, ITG Next’s 2025 Crisp County High School Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Crisp Regional.
Presented by:
Buford VS Milton to Open 2025 Georgia High School Football Season
Rematch of 2024 Season Opener to Showcase State Title Contenders in Buford’s New Football Stadium
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: ITG Next Archive
ITG Next is previewing some of the best Week 1 matchups that will start off the 2025 Georgia high school football season. Last time we took a look at the season opener between state powerhouses Benedictine and Colquitt County. This time we’re breaking down the 2025 Milton Eagles and Buford Wolves, who will open the season on Aug. 15 at Buford. It’s the second game of the two-year home-and-away agreement between the two schools, and it will be one of the more anticipated rematches to kick off the 2025 season.
Milton Hoping for Repeat of 2024 Season Opener
In 2024 the two schools met at Milton’s Eagles Nest, with the host Eagles winning a close 13-10 contest.
Both teams entered the Week 1 matchup as the top ranked team in their respective classifications, with Buford the No. 1 team in Class 6A and Milton the preseason No. 1 team in Class 5A.
Milton ultimately won the 2024 GHSA Class 5A state championship, finishing with an undefeated 14-0 season. It was the second straight state title for the Eagles and Milton head football coach Ben Reaves.
Milton started and finished the 2024 season as the No. 1 team in ITG Next’s Georgia high school football rankings for Class 5A.
Buford avoided an 0-2 start to the 2024 season with a thrilling come-from-behind win in their next game against Benedictine. The Week 2 victory put Buford back even on the season at 1-1 and seemed to kickstart head football coach Bryant Appling’s Wolves, as they went on to win 12 straight games.
Buford’s streak and season ended with a 30-17 loss to Carrollton in the Class 6A semifinals. Buford finished with a 12-2 record and as the No. 3 team in ITG Next’s final 2024 Georgia high school football rankings for Class 6A.
Buford Ready to Unveil New Stadium With 2025 Season-Opening Showcase
Phillip Beard Stadium at Dexter Wood Field Welcomes Buford VS Milton in Week 1 Clash
Not only will Buford versus Milton be one of the most anticipated matchups of the early 2025 Georgia high school football season, but it will also give fans a look at the brand new, state-of-the-art stadium that will serve as home for the Buford Wolves.
Construction on the $62 million stadium started with an August 2023 ground breaking and is expected to be finished in June 2025, according to Tony Wolfe, Buford’s longtime athletic director.
“The stadium will seat 10,000 fans, including 7,000 on the home side and 3,000 on the visitors side,” Wolfe said.
Wolfe explained the different amenities the new stadium will offer to attendees.
“It will have 15 luxury seats, and each suite will seat 16 people,” Wolfe said. “Each suite will be climate controlled with windows that can be opened and closed.”
He said that TVs will be located in each suite, at the concession stands, and in locker rooms so that fans, parents, stadium workers, players, and coaches can keep up with what’s happening on the field no matter where they are in the stadium.
“Each of the concession stands will include a walk-in refrigerator,” Wolfe said. Wolfe said the home side will include 1,200 backed, stadium-style seats for reserved seating.
Wolfe said there will be a two-story field house, with the first floor housing locker rooms for the football team, cheer squad, and officials. A warming kitchen will be part of the second-floor banquet room.
“The stadium will include a 60-by-90, two-sided video scoreboard, along with a digital display ribbon running along three sides of the stadium,” Wolfe said.
If you’re looking to tailgate before the Buford-Milton game, Wolfe said that should be available too.
“My understanding is the parking lot will have tailgating areas, but I’m not yet certain what that will look like,” Wolfe said.
2025 Season Outlook for Buford
Key Players Returning for Buford in 2025
Buford will return starting quarterback Dayton Raiola, a rising senior, as the centerpiece of the offense in 2025. The pro-style QB threw for 1,953 yards with 19 touchdown passes last season. He has committed to Nebraska, where he’ll join older brother and former Buford quarterback Dylan Raiola.
The Wolves will return several playmakers who could see time all over the field, including Tyriq “Ty Boogie” Green, who is the definition of an athlete. He’ll see time on offense, defense, and special teams as a kick returner.
The Buford backfield will be in good shape with a handful of playmakers led by running back Dylan McCoy, a rising senior, who will split time with a couple of highly touted backs.
Watch for Keshon Blow to emerge as a go-to back in his sophomore season in 2025. Blow was featured earlier this year in our list of “Georgia High School Football Players to Watch in 2025 and Beyond.”
Running back Silas Nuckles, a rising junior, will also get plenty of carries, giving Buford several ball-carrying weapons for defenses to worry about in 2025.
The wideout spots will have a couple of younger guys stepping up with rising sophomores Kevin Hughes Jr., Cameron Hurst, and Braylon Williams all set to see action. Williams is an explosive kick and punt returner also.
Up front the Wolves will return four-star offensive lineman Graham Houston and 6-foot-3, 290-pound rising junior Noah Nixon, who can play guard and center.
Buford will rely on several key returners on defense in 2025.
Middle linebacker Kanon Nelson, a rising senior, emerged last season as a defensive leader for the
Wolves. He’ll be counted on as a main run-stopper in the middle of the Buford defense.
The defensive backfield could be the strength of this talented Buford team, and that’s saying a lot. They’ve got defensive back Jax Pope, a rising senior and the cousin of former Buford safety Jake Pope; four-star safety Nassir McCoy, a rising senior; and safety and athlete Ethan Hauser, a rising junior.
Athlete Jameer Cantrell, a rising junior, has offers from several major college programs and is a next-level talent to watch in 2025. He’ll likely serve as a shutdown corner, with the Wolves solid at safety with Pope and McCoy.
The Wolves are loaded at defensive end with three dominant difference-makers lining up on the edge this season. Christian Webb-Scott, a rising sophomore, will be a major disruptor for Appling’s defensive unit this season and is one of the top underclassmen in the country. He’ll see time at tight end too. The likely starters will be rising seniors Bryce Perry-Wright, who is a four-star recruit, and James Morrow.
Buford Skill Positions, Linebacker Corps Hit Hard By Graduation
The Wolves must replace several key players from the 2024 season. That list includes a lot of talent that has contributed over the past couple of seasons.
Gone are several top skill players, including wide receivers Jordan Allen, Jayvin Bennett, Kyle Carpenter, and Sam Harkness; running backs Ethan Ervin and Justin Baker; and tight ends Hayden Bradley and Cooper Berry.
The offensive line will be without Marcus Major and Brayden Burton. Defensively, Buford’s linebacker corps was hit hard by graduation. They’ll sorely miss standout Jadon Perlotte, who is now at Tennessee. Perlotte was a vicious attacker and the spirit of the Wolves defense. Fellow linebackers Kenyon Rivera, Mantrez Walker, and AJ Holloway will also not return.
The secondary will be without defensive backs Devin Williams, Chris Garland, Demarious Nibbe, and Bryce Joiner. Defensive lineman Nicco Maggio has graduated. All are now playing college football.
Gloryland lost some talent, but this will give a few of the younger guys the opportunity to show what they are capable of.
2025 Season Outlook for Milton
With three state championships in the past seven seasons – 2018, 2023, and 2024 – the Milton Eagles have established themselves as a contender for the 2025 state championship.
However, they have some big time holes to fill.
Milton’s Key Losses
It starts with quarterback Luke Nickel, who was the biggest star on a Milton team full of big-time talent. He’s off to Miami after leading the Milton offense over the last three seasons with over 10,000 yards passing and 107 touchdowns. Nickel’s skill
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set is over the top, but the Eagles will miss his poise and leadership as much as anything else.
Some serious playmakers who were major factors in Milton’s back-to-back state titles are gone, including All-State running back TJ Lester, four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley, wideout Tristen Payne, and tight ends Ethan Barbour and Hayden Tumminia. That’s some major talent that will have to be replaced.
Offensive linemen Riley Rushing, JP Katzmark, Garrett Heinecke, and Clemson commit Brayden Jacobs will all be missed up front.
Defensively, the Eagles graduated defensive backs Tyler Redmond and Ma’khi Jones.
The defensive line will be without Arkansas signee Caleb Bell and Ottawa University committ Terence Spencer Jr..
All-American kicker Alex Nover will not return, and his production will be missed. He connected on 19of-24 field goal attempts and 108-of-110 extra point attempts over his high school career.
Who Will Replace Luke Nickel at QB?
This is the question that Milton fans and, really, high school football fans around the state want the answer to.
Right now, it looks like there is a battle for QB between two players who transferred into Milton this offseason: rising senior Brayln Albritton and rising junior Derrick Baker.
Albritton played at Milwaukee Academy of Science in Wisconsin last season, throwing for 2,830 yards and 29 TDs.
Baker played for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida last season. He currently has over 15 Power Four collegiate offers.
Baker may be the leader in the fight to replace Nickel, but you can bet Reaves will let the battle play out over this offseason before making a decision.
Key Players Returning for Milton in 2025
Milton has done a good job utilizing the tight end, a position not usually counted on for a lot of offensive production. Despite losing Barbour and Tumminia, the Eagles will return Class of 2027 tight end Grant Haviland, who already has several collegiate offers.
The rest of the interior offensive line will have rising seniors Madden Mones, who currently has an offer from Penn, and Caleb Bizzell, who has offers from Liberty and Miami (Ohio). Bizzell will also see time on the defensive line.
Wideout Jordan Carrasquillo is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound rising junior with offers from Kentucky, Indiana, and Cincinnati. He’ll likely be a top passing game target in 2025.
The running back group will feature rising senior Bentley Hickman, who transferred to Milton from Homestead High School in Wisconsin this offseason. Hickman had over 1,000 all-purpose yards last season for Homestead despite missing three games.
Rising senior Walker Davis and rising junior Sheldon Atchison Jr. will also be in the mix at running back. Returning to the defending state champions’ defensive unit will be defensive lineman Christian Hunter, a rising junior; defensive lineman Gage Lawrence, a rising senior with offers from Miami (Ohio) and Liberty; linebacker Michael “MJ” Krak, a rising senior; and
linebacker Blaize Battaglia, a rising junior.
Athlete Ayden Williams, a rising senior, could fill several roles for Milton in 2025, primarily at wide receiver and defensive back. He has offers from Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and UCF.
Another Class of 2026 player returning on defense is outside linebacker Billy Weivoda, who has over 20 Division I college offers heading into the spring.
Defensive back Lawson Estes, a rising senior, is one of the best ball hawks on the Milton defense and an excellent open-field tackler. He’ll partner with fellow defensive back Tristan Lester, also a rising senior, who is another solid striker on the defense.
With Nover gone at kicker, Milton will look to either Rex Ambrose or Ciaran Meenan to fill the role. The rising juniors have each kicked previously for the Eagles. Meenan also handled some of the punting duties last year.
Milton lost a lot, but they will reload with a ton of talent.
Milton Head Coach Ben Reaves Welcomes the Big Stage
Reaves said he loves the fact that his Milton team is playing in a game that garners national attention.
“My goal at Milton is to stay nationally relevant and to always put our program on the biggest stage possible,” Reaves said. “Part of doing that is you have to play the best (teams) in and out of the state of Georgia. Buford is definitely one of the best in the state and also nationally, and anytime you play them, you know the stage and the attention will be huge.”
When asked about the importance of getting off to a strong start, especially when the early part of Milton’s schedule includes such tough competition, Reaves said it’s more about finishing strong.
“Our goal is to do everything we can do to win every game, including Game 1,” Reaves said. “Every coach and team loves that 1-0 feeling, but, more importantly, our main goal is to win Game 15, so we use this tough schedule to develop and find out who we are as a team. We need to know going into region play what our strengths, weaknesses, and other areas of concern are so that we are ready to compete for a region championship and then a state championship. So win, lose, or draw, Week 1 will not define our team or our season, but we do know it will help mold us to be the best team we can be.”
Newton Basketball Player London Smith
Voted ITG Next’s March 2025 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month
Written by: Phil Jones
Photography by: Tiffani Nikkole
Newton High School basketball player London Smith is ITG Next’s March 2025 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month.
Smith, a sophomore, was a major force behind Newton winning the GHSA Class 6A state title game over Grayson last month. She was named MVP of the title game by the GHSA after leading all scorers with 23 points to pace Newton to the 59-56 win, the first ever for the Newton girls basketball program.
Leading up to the championship game, Smith turned it up a notch during the state playoff games, averaging 21 points per game during that span.
Smith actually came up big all season, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game.
She was a First Team All-Region selection, an Atlanta Tip Off Club Third Team All-Metro selection, and a GBCA/GACA Class 6A South All-State selection for 2025.
“London’s passion for the game makes her a naturally fierce competitor,” said Jawan Bailey, Newton girls basketball head coach. “She constantly challenges her teammates when they’re not upholding the standard we have set, and she is always leading by example with the way she practices and plays.”
Bailey said he uses Smith as a guard but expects her to fill the role of both a point guard and shooting guard because of how talented and versatile she is.
Bailey said that he has coached Smith for the past three years and that each year she has grown in every aspect of her game, including even last year when she was forced to sit out after suffering from a knee injury.
“London went down with a torn ACL in the third game of the season last year,” Bailey said.
Despite her injury keeping her from playing in live games, Smith was able to practice shooting, and that has carried over to this season, Bailey said.
“She actually became a much better shooter while recovering from the torn ACL,” he said.
This season, Smith fine tuned her defensive game, making her an all-around solid player on both ends of the court.
“She is a vital part of our success,” Bailey said. “Her ability to score the ball and make plays is second to none when it comes to Georgia girls high school basketball. She works extremely hard at her craft, and that was a big part of why we were successful during the season and especially in the playoffs.
“I’m super excited to see her continue to develop her game and chase the best version of herself moving forward.”
Smith will have plenty of time to do just that. She’ll be back for her junior season in 2025-26, then for her senior campaign in 2026-27.
“She is such a well-rounded kid,” Bailey said. “She is beloved by her teachers and administrators and is an A-B student with no disciplinary record. She is a true leader for Newton High School and Newton County in general.”
Congratulations to Newton basketball player London Smith, ITG Next’s March 2025 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month.
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Wheeler Basketball Player Colben Landrew Voted ITG Next’s March 2025 Georgia Male Athlete of the Month
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Scoot Jawn
Wheeler High School basketball player Colben Landrew is ITG Next’s March 2025 Georgia Male Athlete of the Month.
Landrew, a junior, is a small forward for the Wildcats and was a driving force behind their 2024-2025 GHSA Class 6A state championship run.
Landrew led the team in scoring this past season, averaging 18 points per game, but according to Wheeler boys basketball head coach Larry Thompson, Landrew’s contributions went well beyond his ability to put the ball in the basket.
“Yes, Colb was our leading scorer this year, but he was the guy that made it go for the entire team this year,” Thompson said. “When he got it rolling, that made it so much easier for the other guys on the team because he commands so much attention when he has the ball.”
Landrew took control of a close game in the state title contest against Newton, showing just how valuable he was for the Wildcats both during the season and when it mattered the most.
With Wheeler hanging on to a slim lead with about a minute remaining in the game, Landrew stepped up. The Wildcats’ first-year player wanted the ball, and he got it. He scored their final 10 points to secure the 61-56 win over Newton and capture the 10th state championship for the Wheeler boys basketball program.
“He closed the deal for us down the stretch when it mattered the most,” Thompson said. “He took it upon himself to be aggressive going to the basket and got himself to the free throw line, and that was the difference.”
Landrew scored 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds in
the championship game, but his impact was felt in every other area on the court, according to Thompson.
“Colben got a lot of attention for his offense, but he was so good defensively for us too,” Thompson said. “He usually guarded our opponent’s biggest guy, their win guy, wherever we needed him. He was essentially our Swiss-Army-knife player. He did everything for us.”
That do-it-all label applies to more than just Landrew’s abilities on the basketball court.
He transferred to Wheeler prior to the start of the 2024-25 basketball season. Before that, he was a two-sport star at Thompson High School in Alabama and was as well known for his football-catching abilities as he was for his basketball accomplishments. As a sophomore receiver, he caught 28 passes for 568 yards and 13 TDs.
With another year of high school left, it appears that Landrew will devote his full attention to basketball and continue to hone his craft on the hardwood.
“I’m absolutely ecstatic to have him back,” Thompson said. “He’ll be a second-year player for us, and he’ll continue to work on his game this offseason and come back in better condition for his senior season.”
Landrew is rated as a four-star recruit as a small forward and has 19 collegiate offers, according to 247Sports.
Congratulations to Wheeler basketball player Colben Landrew, ITG Next’s March 2025 Georgia Male Athlete of the Month.
Coffee senior Michael Strickland solidifies his Trojan legacy while freshman Jimmy Timothy has breakout season in 2025
Written by: Robert Preston Jr. | Photography by: Robert Preston Jr. and Ashleyn Adams
“These two young men are exceptionally hard workers. It’s good to see them have some success. Good things come to those who work hard. These two worked extremely hard and had great seasons,” says Coffee Trojans head baseball coach Scott Grove when speaking about freshman infielder Jimmy Timothy and senior RHP/first baseman/DH Michael Strickland.
Timothy and Strickland, along with shortstop/RHP Ben Fussell, formed the nucleus of a Coffee team that, in Coach Grove’s first year with the Trojans, finished third in Region 2-5A and handed region champion Houston County its only region loss of the season. Timothy was named region Freshman of the Year while Strickland was Co-Pitcher of the Year. (Fussell, a junior who has committed to Mercer, was named region Co-Player of the Year. You’ll be hearing a lot more about Fussell a little later on.)
Timothy and Strickland followed different paths to notoriety this year. For Strickland, 2025 put an exclamation point on an already impres-
sive baseball career. Last year, Strickland was an All-Region selection – he hit .402 with five home runs, 26 RBI, and 40 runs scored and went 6-2 with a 1.86 ERA, 76 strikeouts, and 19 walks in 56 innings on the mound.
While Strickland was enjoying a solid junior campaign, Timothy was in middle school playing against eighth graders. He had aspirations of playing varsity when he reached high school but he knew the realities of what he would be facing when he reached ninth grade. “In middle school, I always dreamed of playing varsity as a freshman. It kept me humble and I was able to achieve my goal,” says Timothy.
His father, Jeff Timothy, is athletic director and head baseball coach at South Georgia State College in Douglas. Jimmy Timothy has had the opportunity to watch some really talented players come through his father’s program and learn from them – their work ethic, their mental approach to the game, how to overcome adversity, injuries, and balance a tough academic workload with sports.
Even with that insight,
there was never a guarantee that he would be a part of the 2025 Coffee varsity squad. “I didn’t think it was realistic to make varsity at first. But once I started working, I felt like I could make it if I got a chance,” says Timothy.
Initially, Coach Grove and his staff had Timothy working out at catcher. Everyone – Timothy included – thought the pathway to varsity would be behind the plate. Then came the field trip.
On the third day of tryouts, there was a
school field trip and two of the starting infielders went. In their absence, Timothy moved from catcher to short. He made the most of his opportunity and impressed the coaching staff – so much so that he was told at the end of practice that he had made varsity as an infielder.
As good as Timothy was on the infield, his biggest value is at the plate. He gives the Trojans an elite-caliber bat from the left side. The game wasn’t too fast for him, no situation was too big. “If you didn’t know he was
a freshman, you wouldn’t be able to tell by how he played. He played like a sophomore or junior,” says Jeff Timothy. In late March, the Trojans had the opportunity to play Lincoln-Way East of Frankford, Illinois, at Lakepoint in Kennesaw. They faced Jack Bauer, a Virginia commit who tops 100 mph. During that game, Timothy experienced a few of those three-digit offerings. He ultimately walked against Bauer after fouling off several pitches. A scout who knows Jeff watched the at-bat and sent him a
glowing evaluation, concluding that “he was not overpowered or overwhelmed.”
Timothy finished the season hitting .388 with eight doubles and a triple. He tallied 45 total hits, drove in 27, and scored 27. “He’s a very consistent player both offensively and defensively. He could handle the speed of the game and he has all the skills to be a great player. The sky’s the limit for him,” says Coach Grove.
Strickland, meanwhile, was in a different situation. If you’re familiar with Coffee baseball, you know all about him. He’s been a steady, consistent, and stellar presence in the Trojan lineup for a long time. While Strickland’s biggest value is on the mound, he’s also a great hitter whose bat has kept Coffee in games almost as much as his arm has.
Strickland admits that he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of having a new coach for his senior year. “It wasn’t ideal. I didn’t know what to expect,” he says. But if anyone has benefited from Coach Grove, it’s Strickland. Grove, a pitcher, was taken by the Atlanta Braves
in the 1987 draft. He spent six seasons in the Braves’ organization, ascending as high as double-A, before turning to coaching.
“He would talk to me, tell me I could increase my velocity and my command. Some of his methods felt weird at first but it began to click. I could see improvements. We had a tough schedule this year and he asked a lot out of us,” says Strickland.
For Coach Grove, Strickland’s true strength could be found in his command of his secondary pitches. Strickland’s velocity tops out in the low 90s but his changeup and curve ball are so good that they make his fastball look faster than it is. “He can throw his change and curve in any count. He was able to throw them in fastball counts and that kept better hitting teams off balance. It’s hard to throw both equally well and he did,” says Coach Grove.
Strickland had a lot of big moments this season. Three, however, tell his story as good as any. Against Lee County, Strickland was nursing an injury to his throwing hand. It wasn’t major, just enough to keep him out
and throwing those secondary pitches in fastball counts. It threw them off their rhythm. [Houston County head coach] Matt Hopkins said that was the best arm they had faced all year,” recalls Coach Grove.
of the lineup. In game one of a March 7 doubleheader, the two teams were in a dogfight. Strickland said he could pitch so Grove ran him out in the fifth in what was supposed to be a short outing. Strickland ended up throwing 6 2/3 innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs, striking out 10, and walking one. Coffee went on to win 10-9 in 11 innings.
A week later, in game one of a doubleheader against the Thomas County Central Yellow Jackets, Strickland threw a 98-pitch complete game shutout, striking out 14 without walking anyone.
Then there was the Houston County series. The Bears came to town undefeated in region play and ranked #3 in the state. Strickland went the distance again, defeating Houston 4-3 in a 94-pitch performance that saw the Bears manage just two hits. Strickland went through Houston’s lineup three times and emerged unscathed – something no one in the region had been able to do. Strickland struck out eight and walked four. “That team was so good offensively. He was mixing his speeds
The final game of that Houston series showed the other side of Strickland’s talents. Trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh, Strickland hit a 1-1 pitch out to left to tie the game at seven. In the eighth, Houston went up 10-7 but the Trojans loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning. Strickland came up and drove an outside fastball to right for what looked like a walk-off grand slam. The wind was blowing in a little from right and it held the ball up just enough for Houston’s Vick Gann to run it down at the wall for the final out.
When asked which of those last two at-bats he thinks about the most, he laughs and says, “The second one for sure.”
Strickland wrapped up his final season as a Trojan with a 7-1 record and a 2.02 ERA over 65 2/3 innings. He struck out 88 and walked 15. He also hit .390 with four home runs, 35 RBI, seven doubles, and three triples.
Last year, Strickland committed to Mercer as the first Coffee pitcher to sign with a Division-I program since Bradley Hastings went to Vanderbilt in 1996. Hastings, however, signed after two years at then-South Georgia College. To find a Coffee pitcher who went D-I straight out of high school you have to go back to 1987 when Michael Wilkerson signed with Georgia Southern. Strickland is indeed in rarefied air for a Trojan pitcher.
“Even though I know I can hit, at Mercer, all I will do is pitch. My calling is my arm,” says Strickland.
Jalaya Miller Named ITG Next’s 2025 Tift County High School Female Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Carson Ballenger
Jalaya Miller is ITG Next’s 2025 Tift County High School Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Georgia Sports Medicine.
Miller has just wrapped up a successful four-year career with the Lady Blue Devils basketball program, and longtime Tift County girls basketball head coach Julie Conner-Johnson is sad to see her leave.
“Jalaya did everything for our team during her time here at Tift County,” Conner-Johnson said.
That’s not just typical coach speak either.
Miller was voted the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year for Region 1-6A by region coaches, and she was poised to come back strong for her final high school season this past year.
According to Conner-Johnson, last summer during the offseason, Miller began experiencing lower leg pain. During a camp at Georgia Tech that June, Nell Fortner, the Georgia Tech women’s basketball head coach at the time, had the team trainers examine Miller, and she was diagnosed with a stress fracture that was the result of shin splints.
“Coach Fortner said then that there was no way Jalaya could keep playing, so we put her in a walking boot,” Conner-Johnson said.
That forced Miller to miss valuable playing time in AAU basketball and the early part of Tift County’s 2024-25 season.
Despite still being in pain, Miller returned to the team in mid-December and was a welcome addition to a team hit hard by injuries.
“We had four of our five starters go down to injury, and even though she (Miller) was not 100%, she really carried us,” Conner-Johnson said.
That was especially true when Tift County headed to Lowndes to take on the Vikettes, who were leading the region and were a Top 5 ranked team in Class 6A. Lowndes was 17-2 at the time and had defeated Tift County by 24 points when they met earlier in the season.
But in that Feb. 1 game, Miller played through the pain and led her Tift County team to a 57-55 upset win at Lowndes, coming up with a monster performance. Miller had 31 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks in the game.
“Her pain tolerance had to be sky high,” Conner-Johnson said.
Miller finished out the season, then immediately went back into her walking boot to allow her stress fracture to heal.
Conner-Johnson said that despite a stellar high school career that saw Miller come within 11 points of 1,000 career points, she has decided not to attempt to play college basketball.
“Jalaya had a couple of college offers to continue playing basketball, but she told me that she just wants to be a student,” Conner-Johnson said.
“She is tough, tough, tough,” Conner-Johnson said about Miller.
Congratulations to Jalaya Miller, ITG Next’s 2025 Tift County High School Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Georgia Sports Medicine.
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John Davis Named ITG Next’s 2025 Tift County High School Male Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Shine Rankin of South Georgia Sports Network
John Davis, a standout left-handed pitcher and center fielder, is ITG Next’s 2025 Tift County High School Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Georgia Sports Medicine.
Davis is considered one of the best high school baseball players in the state and has committed to attend Georgia Southern University following his graduation from Tift County High School.
Davis has also played travel baseball in his high school offseason with the Aces National travel team.
Davis is considered a five-tool player with above-average speed in covering ground as an outfielder and on the bases, arm strength as a pitcher and from the outfield, hitting for average, and hitting for power.
His overall 2025 stats certainly support his recruiting profile. Davis finished his senior season with a .459 batting average and a .622 onbase percentage. He had 45 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 24 stolen bases. On the mound, Davis pitched 50 innings, with a 6-3 win-loss record and a 2.80 ERA. Davis recorded 73 strikeouts in those 50 IPs.
Davis said that he has not thought about the upcoming MLB draft,
but instead will get ready to start his college baseball career.
“June 22 is move-in day, so right now I’m most likely headed to Georgia Southern,” Davis said. “I haven’t really heard anything about the (MLB) draft, so right now I hope to just go and develop and better myself for the draft in future years to come.”
Tift County head baseball coach Greg Williams talked about the recognition Davis has received during his high school baseball career.
“JD was once again selected as the Region 1-6A Player of the Year for the third consecutive year,” Williams said. “He was awarded the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Male Athlete of the Year for Tift County High School, and now he has been selected as the 2025 Male Athlete of the Year for Tift County High School.”
Williams said while there is a lot of great talent in the state of Georgia, he thinks Davis is among the best.
“I think he’s the No. 1 player in the state below Macon for sure,” Williams said. “I’m going to miss him big time.”
Congratulations to John Davis, ITG Next’s 2025 Tift County High School Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Georgia Sports Medicine.
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Colquitt County VS Benedictine to Open 2025 Georgia High School Football Season
Written by: Phil Jones
While most of the 2025 Georgia high school football schedules are simply a flip of the home and visiting teams from the 2024 schedules, a handful of changes are scattered among the Georgia teams, and one has certainly got our attention.
The Benedictine Cadets will make their first ever trip to Mack Tharpe Stadium in Moultrie, Georgia, setting up quite the 2025 season opener against the Colquitt County Packers. The two teams have met only once previously, and that was in 1951 when they played to a 13-13 tie.
Benedictine head football coach Danny Britt talked about starting the 2025 season at the home of the Packers, known as the Hawg Pen.
“Benedictine has never played there,” Britt said. “It’s a great venue and certainly one of the toughest places to play. They have great fans, and this will be a great experience for our players, playing great competition in one of the best venues in the state.”
Colquitt County head football coach Sean Calhoun said finding an opponent to open the season against was a bit tougher than people may realize.
“It took me a while to find a game to be honest,” Calhoun said. “We had almost closed a deal with two out-of-state teams, but those didn’t come through. Then, we saw where Benedictine had an opening for their first week, so I reached out to Coach Britt, and he didn’t mind travelling, so we got it done.”
Calhoun said he is excited to welcome in a team like Benedictine while admitting that the Packers are going to be tested in the early part of their schedule.
“Ideally, we wouldn’t want a game of that magnitude only because we are looking at road games at North Gwinnett and Lee County, but at the same time we welcome the competition,” Calhoun said. “No doubt we will be tested right out of the gate this year.”
These two programs are among the best in
Georgia high school football, especially over the past decade, where they have a combined 6 state titles between them. Both Colquitt County and Benedictine won state titles in 2014, with Colquitt County repeating in 2015. Benedictine also won state titles in 2016, 2021, and 2022.
Both teams are hoping to rebound from 2024 seasons that saw Benedictine finish 7-5 and Colquitt County finish 8-4. Benedictine lost in the Class 4A quarterfinals, and Colquitt County lost to Collins Hill in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs.
The Packers and Cadets are facing similar challenges and opportunities heading into the 2025 season. Both teams must replace college-bound kickers and almost their entire offensive lines, and both teams welcome their
starting quarterbacks back from injury-riddled 2024 seasons.
Here’s a detailed look at both teams ahead of the 2025 season.
2025 Season Outlook for Benedictine
Benedictine will return the core of their offense, including quarterback Stephen Cannon, who missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury, which was diagnosed as a sprained AC joint.
“Stephen is back, and he’s 100% stronger than ever,” Britt said. “They (doctors) chose to not do surgery, and that turned out to be a great decision. He has been playing basketball this season and doing well. We are looking forward to getting him back.”
The Cadets will also return four-star recruit
Bubba Frazier, who was the team’s leading receiver and rusher in 2024. Frazier just picked up his latest offer from Notre Dame.
“He’s a speed demon,” Britt said of Frazier.
Rising senior receiver Joshua Washington is back, as is rising junior running back Stanley Smart.
“Stanley is our primary running back, and at 190 pounds he can fly,” Britt said. “He won the New Balance 16-under track meet in Philadelphia last summer.”
While Britt and Benedictine are in good shape with playmakers, the offensive line is a different story.
“We have to replace our entire offensive line, which is going to be a struggle, but I'm feeling good about our skill position guys for sure,” Britt said.
Photography by: ITG Next Archive
The defensive line is in much better shape and will be bolstered by returning three-year starter Kameron Cody and five-star edge LaDamion Guyton, who transferred into the program this offseason from Savannah Christian.
“Cody has been our main guy over there (on defense) with 30-plus offers, and of course we’re excited to have LaDamion joining us on that side of the ball this year too,” Britt said.
The secondary will return three of the four starters from last year, including Micah Williams, and linebacker Larson Little will return.
2025 Season Outlook for Colquitt County
Colquitt County returns starting quarterback Cohen Lawson, whom Calhoun said did an admirable job last season.
“When you look at
what he did for us last year as a ninth-grader, being asked to lead one of the top programs in the state was a tough deal, but I thought he did very well,” Calhoun said.
Rising senior Jae Lamar will return as the Packers’ top back for the 2025 season.
“He really burst out on the scene last year among running backs, and no one knew much about him, but they do now,” Calhoun said.
Lamar scored 13 touchdowns, including 11 rushing scores, in 2024.
Colquitt returns a good bit of experience at receiver with Na’Ryan Sumlin, Malik Walker, and A’Zhiyen Alridge.
Known for using his tight end as a main part of his offense, Calhoun welcomes back Alexis Barge Jr. in 2025.
“All those guys saw a lot of playing time last year,” Calhoun said
The offensive line was decimated by graduation, according to Calhoun.
“Our most experienced o-lineman returning is Jamaal Jackson,” Calhoun said.
Defensively, Calhoun likes who he has returning, especially up front.
“Our defensive line has been a really good group for us, and Stacey Lambright, Jacorey Anderson, and Kamdon Gay all played a lot for us last year, which is a good thing,” Calhoun said. “I’m glad those guys got a lot
of playing time.”
One of the most glaring holes for the Packers will be in their kicking game, and not only with All-State and All-American kicker Brett Fitzgerald graduating.
“We lose our long snapper (Chason Glenn), holder Logan Morris, and, of course, Brett Fitzgarald,” Calhouns said. “Two of the three are headed off to college football, and they have been together for the past two seasons, so we’ll somehow have to find three
guys to take their spot.”
Glenn has an offer from Georgia Military College. Fitzgerald is headed to Florida State University, where he will compete for the starting job formerly occupied by his brother, Ryan Fitzgerald, who also played for Colquitt County and has declared for the NFL Draft.
What will the Packers’ kicking game look like with the departure of this successful trio?
“We’re going for it,” Calhoun said, joking.
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Martin Davis Named ITG Next’s 2025 Brunswick High School Female Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Space Kings
Martin Davis, a junior, is ITG Next’s 2025 Brunswick High School Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery.
Davis is a combo guard for Brunswick’s girls basketball team.
Maria Mangram, first-year Brunswick girls basketball head coach, spoke about Davis’ qualities on and off the court.
“This was my first year coaching her, and she’s a great athlete to be around,” Mangram said. “She works hard each and every day and makes everyone around her better. She’s a great leader who leads by example.”
Leading by example was definitely one of the most successful traits Davis displayed throughout the season. She led Brunswick this season in points per game, averaging 14.8 PPG, while leading the team in field goal percentage, shooting 42% from the field. Davis also led the team in assists, averaging 3.6 assists per game, and she made it count when she went to the charity stripe following a foul, converting a red-hot 65% of her free throws.
Her on-court talents weren’t limited to the offensive side of the ball, however. Davis led the team in steals with 127 steals for the year, averaging 4.7 steals per game.
The Lady Pirates standout led the squad to a 22-win season, including a 7-2 region record. She was voted the Region 1-5A Offensive Player of the Year and was a First Team All-Region selection. Mangram said that Davis was selected as the team’s Player of the Game numerous times this season as well.
Mangram said that Davis stays busy in her free time when she is away from basketball.
“Martin volunteers her time at the different elementary schools here and at the local senior care center, Pruitt Health,” Mangram said. “She also helps out with the local mobile food pantry, which helps feed those in need.”
Davis still has one year of high school remaining, and Mangram said she is fortunate to have the senior returning next season.
“We look forward to having her back for her senior season,” Mangram said. “We should have a season for the record books next year!”
Congratulations to Martin Davis, ITG Next’s 2025 Brunswick High School Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery.
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Heze Kent Named ITG Next’s 2025 Brunswick High School Male Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Mike Brinson and Pamela Westcott
Heze Kent is ITG Next’s 2025 Brunswick High School Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery.
Kent is a Class of 2026 tight end, but is also being recruited as an offensive lineman. He is a four-star football recruit and will be making a decision very soon regarding where he’ll be taking his talents to play collegiately, according to Brunswick head football coach Garrett Grady.
“Heze has set his commitment date for July 12,” Grady said.
Kent still has another year left at Brunswick, and Grady will be looking to the multi-talented athlete to help the Pirates in 2025 in a number of ways.
“Heze has a unique skill set,” Grady said. “He can literally play anywhere on the field. We utilize him in many different ways, whether it’s as an attached tight end, split out as a wideout, in the backfield as a fullback, or even lined up at quarterback. Heze has also punted for us and has played on numerous special teams. He is really good with the ball in his hands, and even takes pride in blocking in the run game.”
During the 2024 season, Kent was used primarily as a tight end and caught 41 passes for 983 yards with eight touchdowns. He contributed to one of the best offensive units in the history of Brunswick football.
“Heze had such a great impact on our team this past year, as he was part of the highest scoring team in Brunswick High School football history,” Grady said.
The Pirates’ record-setting season included an offensive output of 517 points.
“Heze and his teammates led us to a city championship and a region championship and into the playoffs,” Grady said.
Brunswick finished 10-2 overall last season, capturing the Region 1-5A title with an undefeated 8-0 record in region play.
Grady said that Kent’s influence on his teammates is one of his biggest attributes.
“He has made such a great impact on our team,” Grady said. “His teammates look to him for leadership and guidance. He pushes those around him to elevate their game.”
Kent currently has 27 offers from collegiate programs across the country, and with one more season remaining in his high school career, that number will likely continue to grow.
Grady said that no matter where Kent decides to go, he’ll be a welcome addition for any coach.
“Heze will continue to get better and progress throughout his career,” Grady said. “He is very coachable and takes what he is taught and applies it on the field. I think the sky’s the limit for him.”
Congratulations to Heze Kent, ITG Next’s 2025 Brunswick High School Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery.
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Warner Robins VS Lee County to Open 2025 Georgia High School Football Season
Demons, Trojans Slated to Play Each Other in Week 1 for 4th Straight Season
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: ITG Next Archive and BPI Photography
ITG Next is previewing some of the best Week 1 matchups that will start the 2025 Georgia high school football season. This week, we’re taking a look at the season opener between the Lee County Trojans and the Warner Robins Demons at McConnell Talbert Stadium on Aug. 15.
This will be the fourth straight season that the two teams have faced each other in Week 1.
Lee County head football coach Dean Fabrizio said he is looking forward to the challenge of facing a program like Warner Robins.
“They are always well-coached with Coach Sams, and they have great talent,” Fabrizio said. “There’s no easing into the season when you open with them.”
Warner Robins head football coach Shane Sams said that it’s important to test your team against the best opponents you can find.
“I always look to schedule good programs, and I know Dean Fabrizio will have a great team, and they’ll be great competition, no doubt about that,” Sams said.
This year’s season opener will return to McConnell Talbert Stadium after having Lee County host the game the past two years.
Lee County is 3-0 versus Warner Robins in the previous meetings. The current streak of games between the two teams started in 2022, with Lee County winning the matchup 27-10. In 2023 Lee County battled back from a 16-7 halftime deficit to win 26-19. Last year’s 45-28 win by the Trojans started a 13-game winning streak that saw them advance to the Class 5A semifinals, where they lost their only game of the year to eventual state champion Milton.
Despite losing the 2022 season opener to Lee County, Warner Robins was able to win 10 of their next 14 games, advancing to the GHSA Class 5A finals. They lost to Ware County, finishing with a 10-5 overall record. Warner Robins finished 9-4 overall in 2023, and last season they ended the year at 7-4 overall.
Lee
County, Warner Robins Facing Big-Name Losses
Ousmane Kromah, Rasean Dinkins Among Biggest Names Lost to Graduation
The two teams will meet once again to start the 2025 season, and both head coaches will be faced with the challenge of replacing some big-time talent on opposite sides of the ball.
Fabrizio must find a way to replace Lee County’s two biggest offensive stars with the graduation of starting running back Ousmane Kromah and quarterback Weston Bryan. Kromah is headed to Florida State, and Bryan will be attending Georgia Southern.
Sams is also facing a big challenge with the loss of two defensive monsters in fourstar safety and athlete Rasean Dinkins and five-star defensive end Isaiah Gibson. Both are now at UGA.
While those are the biggest losses, they
aren’t the only ones each coach is facing.
“Obviously, when you lose players like an Ousmane Kromah and Weston Bryan, the questions are who is going to replace not only their production, but also their leadership,” Fabrizio said. “But we also lost some very good offensive and defensive linemen too.”
Sams is in the same boat at Warner Robins when it comes to linemen.
“We lose a solid guy on both lines with defensive lineman Ty’Quan Brewton and offensive lineman Freddy Pinder graduating,” Sams said.
Sams, who is in his third year as head coach, said Warner Robins will also have big shoes to fill in the defensive backfield with the loss of defensive back Nicholas Linder. Fabrizio said his team will be returning just four starters on offense and seven on the defense.
“Our leading receiver from last season, Jaden Upshaw, returns, which is huge for
Fabrizio said.
The big question for Lee County is who replaces Kromah, Lee County’s best running back in school history. Right now, that task will fall to Canton Williams, who quietly rushed for over 700 yards last season as Kromah’s primary backup.
Lee County will be in better shape defensively, especially in the secondary.
“We were a very experienced team on offense last year, while this year we return a lot of experience on defense, especially on the back end,” Fabrizio said. “Our secondary returns three highly recruited players in (rising) senior Lasiah Jackson and (rising) sophomores Trey Bush and Montravious Clay.”
Bush and Clay started all 14 games last year as freshmen.
“We have some young guys that have been waiting in the wings, so to speak, that are ready to make a name for themselves, so I look forward to seeing who steps up,” he said.
After the opener against Warner Robins, Lee County will return home for three straight games in Leesburg. They will start off facing Hapeville Charter, then a much-improved Tift County team. The Trojans will take their first bye week of the season, then they will return to action with their third straight home game versus Colquitt County on Sept. 12.
After another bye week on Sept. 19, Lee County will open up the defense of their region title against Thomas County Central and Coffee, both away games.
Following a non-region game versus Godby (Florida) on Oct. 10 at home, Lee County will resume region play versus Veterans and Northside at home, then close out the regular season at Houston County on Halloween night.
“Every year is different, but the expectation here at Lee County always remains high,” Fabrizio said about the upcoming season.
Warner Robins Roster Spots Wide Open for 2025
Demons Also Need to Find New QB
Unlike Fabrizio, who identified his likely starters for Week 1 and into the 2025 season, Sams wasn't as eager to anoint individual players just yet.
“It’s hard to pinpoint any one kid right now as far as who will be playing where,” Sams said. “We still need to evaluate guys and get through the spring before we make any decisions on who will play where, but, really, all of our guys have worked really hard this offseason.
“We have a good mix of returners from last year along with some guys emerging, so we’ll evaluate several positions and see how it plays out.”
While Sams isn’t ready to divulge names, we do know that Warner Robins will be looking for a new quarterback with the graduation of last year’s starter, Skyler Williams.
Williams, who signed with Kennesaw State, was one of the top dual-threat QBs in the state of Georgia in 2024. He finished his senior season with 1,974 yards passing and 1,054 yards rushing. He passed for 17 TDs and rushed for eight TDs. Williams was a First Team All-Region selection for Region 1-4A and was Warner Robins’ leading rusher.
The Demons also lose their second-leading rusher, Da’veon Latimore, who graduated, but the good news is that Travis “Sweet Feet” English Jr. will be back. The rising senior should assume the primary running back role in 2025 for the Demons. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season in a split role with Latimore, scoring eight TDs on 49 carries with 317 yards rushing.
One of those emerging stars that Sams could have been referring to is rising sophomore X’Zavier “Zay” Cannon. He’ll likely be counted on to contribute on both offense and defense. Cannon is an electric player who can play running back, receiver, and defensive back. His brother, Jordyn Cannon, will be a freshman and could break into the varsity roster in a number of roles, including tight end, running back, and linebacker.
Sams said that whoever steps up, his team will be ready to play a physical brand of football in 2025.
“I’m fired up about our team,” Sams said. “Our kids have taken leadership roles, and we have become a player-led team. I see a very unified team, which is huge.
“We want to be physical this year. We will continue to build our program around a physical style, and that is going to be our main focus this offseason.”
He said that all starts with getting his team stronger.
“The weight room is where it all starts
for us,” Sams said.
After opening the season against Lee County, Warner Robins’ schedule doesn’t let up a whole lot.
“It’s another tough schedule with some really good teams and coaches, and we are very excited to see how we stack up against everyone this year,” Sams said.
The Demons’ 2025 schedule includes three consecutive rivalry games against Northside-Warner Robins in Week 3 in the Crosstown Showdown, followed by a game against Houston County the very next week. After a bye week on Sept. 12, Warner Robins will battle Veterans with new head coach Steve DeVoursney on Sept. 19.
Warner Robins’ region schedule kicks off with away games at Wayne County and Benedictine before the Demons take their final bye of the regular season on Oct. 10. They’ll then return home to face New Hampstead and Ware County before finishing the regular season on Oct. 31 at Perry.
Lee County Looking to Add to State Record Season-Opening Win Streak
In addition to looking for their fourth straight season-opening win over Warner Robins, Lee County and Fabrizio also have their sights set on adding to their state record for consecutive season-opening wins.
According to Fabrizio, Lee County has the Georgia high school football state record for consecutive Week 1 wins.
“We have the state’s longest winning streak on opening week games with 15 straight wins to open the season, with seven of those being against ranked teams,” Fabrizio said.
Ellie Luppino Named ITG Next’s 2025 Glynn Academy Female Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Mike Brinson, Brinson Photography LLC
Ellie Luppino, a senior, is ITG Next’s 2025 Glynn Academy Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery.
Luppino has played at the No. 1 singles position for the Glynn Academy girls tennis team in each of the last four seasons, including this season. She also serves as team captain.
According to head tennis coach Marcus Long, Luppino has accumulated over 60 wins at the team’s top position, and at the time of writing, she has a win-loss record of 20-3 for the 2025 season.
Long talked about Luppino’s impact on Red Terrors tennis since she began her varsity career as a freshman.
“We asked a lot of Ellie very early in her career here at Glynn Academy, and she fully embraced those responsibilities right from the start,” Long said. “She continuously pushes herself and her teammates to be their best each day and fully embraces what it means to be a good teammate. She is a kind, compassionate teammate, but a fierce competitor driven to be the very best each time she steps on court to compete.”
Luppino has taken time to help the younger players who are working their way through the Glynn Academy tennis program, according to Long.
“In her spare time, Ellie has volunteered to help coach our middle school tennis programs and has inspired so many young people to play the game that she loves,” Long said.
Long reflected on his time watching Luppino grow from her earlier days as a freshman to her senior season and become a leading voice among her teammates.
“It has been a joy and an honor to watch her grow into such an amazing leader and person,” Long said. “She is the very definition of what we look for in a Glynn Academy student-athlete.”
That hard work and excellence on the court led to Luppino earning First Team All-Region honors in her first three seasons, with a fourth straight All-Region selection all but assured when region coaches make their picks for the 2025 season.
She has also earned the opportunity to continue her education and tennis career at the collegiate level. She signed a letter of intent for Converse University in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and she’ll start that next phase in 2026.
Congratulations to Ellie Luppino, ITG Next’s 2025 Glynn Academy Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery.
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AJ Waters Named ITG Next’s 2025 Glynn Academy Male Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Amber Cloy
AJ Waters, a state champion wrestler, is ITG Next’s 2025 Glynn Academy Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery.
Waters has finished his senior season as a Glynn Academy wrestler with a 35-1 record. He was a team captain this past season for the Red Terror wrestling program, and although he has been wrestling for his entire high school career, it seems as if he saved his best for his final year at Glynn Academy.
His accomplishments this season included winning the Lambert Christmas Invitational Tournament, winning the region championship in his class, finishing as the sectional champion, and winning the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award at the Class 5A state tournament, as he went on to capture the Class 5A state championship in his weight class.
He was also impressive in the classroom with a 4.46 GPA.
As strong as Waters was in his final high school season, he admitted that it took him a while to fully appreciate what wrestling taught him as an individual and as an athlete, and he is glad to have experienced both the highs and lows of the sport.
“Even though my road to winning a state championship wasn’t completely ideal during the whole four years, there is nothing that I would have changed because it has led me to be who I am today,”
Waters said. “It wasn’t until after my fourth year wrestling at Glynn Academy that I realized what truly I had learned from the sport, and I can confidently say that nothing has taught me discipline or sacrifice like wrestling has. It has grown me as a man, an athlete, a student, a brother, a son, and in every other aspect of my life more than anything that I have endured so far.
“Even through all the hardships and roadblocks throughout my wrestling career, I leave without any regrets, gaining more from the sport than I would have ever imagined.”
Waters will be attending the University of Georgia upon his graduation from Glynn Academy.
Pete Irby, Glynn Academy athletic director, was eager to praise Waters.
“We are proud of AJ Waters representing Glynn Academy as our Male Student-Athlete of the Year,” Irby said. “He is so deserving of this honor and all of the recognition he receives. He is a fine ambassador for all that is right about Glynn Academy athletics.”
Congratulations to AJ Waters, ITG Next’s 2025 Glynn Academy Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Summit Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery.
Presented by:
4 Questions With New Fitzgerald Head Football Coach Wes Tankersley
Written by: Phil Jones
Photography by: Dezmond Kimbrough
Newly hired Fitzgerald High School head football coach Wes Tankersley spoke with ITG Next’s Phil Jones about the expectations of being the head coach at a successful program like Fitzgerald and what Purple Hurricane fans can expect to see from the team offensively and defensively in 2025 and beyond. He also talked about the coaching staff and what his plans are for assembling his assistants.
Tankerlsley comes from Stephens County High School, where he has served as the head football coach for the last seven years. In 2024, Tankersley led Stephens County to a 9-4 finish, advancing to the Class 2A quarterfinals.
Q:
Coach, congratulations on being named as the new head football coach at Fitzgerald. I know the past few days have been crazy, but I wanted to give you a chance to address the Fitzgerald football fans and what they can expect to see from you as far as your philosophy is concerned on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.
A: I like to play a physical brand of football on both sides. We’ll be a run-first type of offense, but we’ll develop into a passing offense when we need to. We’ll throw it over the top and do what it takes to put points on the board.
As far as the defense, I’m a defensive guy, so we’re going to play a very physical style of football and get after people.
We are going to be very physical up front on both sides of the ball.
There will be three main things I will expect from our team: effort, attitude, and toughness.
Q: How bout assembling the staff you want?
A: I’m going to get started on that right away on day one. I’m going to sit down and speak to the guys that are here and get to know them a little bit. I will tell you that we’re going to move pretty quickly on that as well as a lot of other things. We have to get a lot done in a short amount of time just because of where we are at this point of the offseason.
Q:
There are going to be pretty high expectations from the fans at Fitzgerald because of the success that the program has enjoyed. What is your message to the Fitzgerald fans about expectations for the upcoming season?
A: That is one of the reasons I wanted to come here. Any coach wants to be at a place where the expectations are high, and Fitzgerald High School is definitely one of those places. But you also know that we’re going to get the resources here that will allow our program to be successful, and Fitzgerald has proven that they’ll provide what we need to be successful.
Q:What about future scheduling? You’ll have a chance to make your own schedule beginning with the 2026 season. What type of non-region opponents can fans expect to see in the future?
A:I prefer to play neighboring schools as that is a great way to build on and develop great rivalries between communities, but, at the same time, I’m not opposed to playing out-of-state teams or any team that fits with what we are looking to accomplish from a competitive standpoint. Last year at Stephens County, our non-region opponents included Oconee County, Jefferson, and Elbert County. Those are three tough teams, but if playing those types of schools makes us better, that’s what we’re going to do.
Top 5 Dark Horse Georgia High School Football Teams to Watch in 2025
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Grayson Lewis
As teams are getting ready for spring games, we thought we’d take a look ahead to the fall and the 2025 Georgia high school football season and give you top 5 dark horse teams to watch. These are the teams that most of us probably aren’t giving much of a chance to win a state championship, but could surprise everyone by the time the late rounds of the playoffs are here.
1. McEachern
The McEachern Indians will be loaded on both sides of the ball in 2025.
The offense returns dual-threat quarterback Calvin “CJ” Pittman Jr., who completed 66% of passes for 883 yards and six TDs with zero interceptions last season. He also used his speed, having rushed for 511 yards with four TDs last season. Pittman recently won the region track championship in the 110-meter hurdles.
The Indians’ rushing attack will have several talented backs competing for carries this upcoming season, starting with running back Jayreon “JJ” Campbell, a three-star recruit who has 31 college offers, including from Alabama, Indiana, and Georgia Tech.
He’ll get pushed this season with a talented group of rushers, including Campbell High School transfer Henry Pullen and rising sophomore Gavin Hammett.
Running back Gabriel Watson, one of ITG Next’s “Georgia High School Football Players to Watch in 2025 and Beyond,” will also vie for playing time in a crowded but talented backfield.
Returning four-star wide receiver Nalin Scott, a rising senior, is wanted by just about every major college in the country. He’ll be a weapon in the Indians’ receiving corps with his outstanding speed and ability to stretch the field.
The entire defense is back, led by returning three-star edges Zakir Abdul-Salaam and Darryl “Hawk” Rivers, who is a transfer from Campbell High School. Both are rising seniors. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds with an 82-inch wingspan, Abdul-Salaam has 36 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery over the last two seasons. Rivers is 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds with an 83-inch wingspan.
2. Cook
The Cook Hornets started 19 underclassmen in the 2024 season. Those young guys will return a year older and with a year of experience under their belts for the 2025 season. That group includes rising junior running backs Nigel Kenney and Markeise Miller, who handled most of the carries last year.
Also look out for incoming freshman Dawson Davis. He led Cook Middle School’s eighth-grade team to the 2024 conference championship, and he will certainly see playing time on the varsity squad in 2025.
Another incoming freshman to watch is quarterback Noel Register. Earlier this year, Cook head football coach Byron Slack said that he fully expects Register to compete for the starting QB spot.
“Noel is a great young talent who is very athletic,” Slack said. “He’s already 6 foot tall and has a natural snap to his arm.”
MJ Tippins, who assumed quarterback duties in 2024, will return to his natural position of wide reciever, opposite of last year’s leading receiver Alton Scott, who will enter his junior season.
The Hornets’ three leading tacklers from last year are back in Jabari Dawson, Brayln Bennett, and Defensive Player of the Year Carter Morrison. All three will be juniors.
The nation’s No. 1 punter in the Class of 2026 is Brooks Moore, and he is a weapon. He may be the overall top punter in the country, and he’ll be back.
Cook will be a team to watch in 2025.
3. Kell
With 10 starters returning on offense and 8 starters returning on defense, head football coach Bobby May’s Longhorns are a team to keep an eye on in 2025.
Key starters back from last year’s 7-5 squad include athlete Brayden Rouse, who had nine TDs and 118 tackles last year, and running back Quinterrius “Moonie” Gipson, the Class 4A rushing leader who rushed for 1,903 yards and 25 TDs in 2024.
Quarterback Kaleb Narcisse will be back for his senior season. He is coming off a 2024 season that saw him throw for 2,667 yards and 28 TDs.
Athlete Jowell Combay is back on both sides of the ball. Last year he scored 11 TDs with 600 yards receiving while adding 64 tackles on defense.
Returning with Combay on defense will be defensive backs Tony Forney and Jalen Williams.
Forney had 48 tackles, three interceptions, and four blocked punts on special teams last year, and Williams had six interceptions with four fumble recoveries.
4. Worth County
Worth County head football coach Jeff Hammond is one of the top offensive minds in high school football, and he’ll have several key offensive playmakers returning in 2025.
That includes one of the best QBs in the state in rising junior Lyndon Worthy, who threw for 3,408 yards and 37 TDs last year.
Joining Worthy in the offensive backfield will be last year’s leading rushers Kaden Chester, who rushed for 1,150 yards with 22 TDs, and Tre’shaun Jones, who rushed for 839 yards and 11 TDs.
Rising senior and tight end Jayden Farley, who had 710 yards receiving on 37 catches in 2024, will be a top target for Worthy again in 2025.
The defense will return eight starters, including defensive end Josh McGee, offensive and defensive lineman King Toomer, linebacker Daylon Smith, and defensive back Khalijah Thomas. McGee had 51 tackles and three sacks last season. Toomer, a rising senior, had 62 tackles, including 13 TFLs, over the past two seasons. Smith, a rising junior, had 76 tackles and led the team in sacks last year with four. Thomas had 46 tackles, two forced fumbles, and led the team in interceptions last season.
5. Cambridge
There’s another team from Milton, Georgia, to keep an eye on in 2025, and it’s the Bears of Cambridge High School. Head football coach Tyler Jones led Cambridge to the Class 4A quarterfinals last season despite finishing as the No. 4 seed in Region 6. That’s the same region as another of our teams listed here: Kell.
Jones has some talent returning this year, including arguably the best receiving tandem in the state in rising seniors Craig Dandridge and Hudson Cocchiara. The duo combined for 124 catches and 2,723 yards with 24 touchdowns last season. Cocchiara’s 66 receptions was No. 1 in the GHSA Class of 2026, and Dandridge’s 1,443 yards receiving was fourth best in the state. Dandridge also had a pick 6 last year, and he is listed as a four-star recruit. Both are receiving interest from multiple Division I colleges. The QB situation is undecided with three candidates battling it out this offseason to fill the vacancy left by last year’s starter, Weston Taylor. Jordan Higdon is a rising junior who will battle with a couple of talented newcomers in Marcus Turk and Connor Langford. Turk is a Class of 2027 dual-threat quarterback who has transferred in from Milton. Langford is a rising senior who came over from Duluth, where he threw for 2,976 yards and 35 TDs the last two seasons.
Cambridge boasts one of the best kickers in the state in rising senior Leo Attard. Also back is speedy safety Cam Parodi, who has 12 Division I college offers.
Who Replaces the Top Georgia High School Quarterbacks in 2025?
Written by: Phil Jones
Photography by: Faizan Bokhari and ITG Next Archive
Last season, Georgia high school football fans were treated to some of the finest quarterback talent we have ever seen taking snaps behind center.
Carolltons’s five-star quarterback, Julian “JuJu” Lewis, may have been the most heralded QB to ever play the position that the state has ever witnessed. He received just about every award that a high school football player could and is considered to be one of the primary reasons the GHSA agreed to allow Georgia high school athletes to benefit from NIL deals.
Quarterback Luke Nickel led Milton to back-toback state championships and had the ability to take over a game, which he did many times during his reign as a three-year starter for the Eagles.
AJ Hill was a four-year starter as Houston County’s quarterback. At 6-foot-4, Hill was a pro-style QB with a huge arm.
Weston Bryan was a bruiser-type quarterback for Lee County. He threw for 29 touchdowns and rushed for 34 touchdowns in 2024 while combining for over 4,000 yards rushing and passing.
They are all gone now.
Let’s take a look at their possible replacements and hear from the coaches themselves about who could be their starting quarterbacks in 2025.
Who Replaces Carrollton QB Julian “JuJu” Lewis?
Dylan Bishop, a rising senior, will likely be the guy leading the Trojans for the 2025 season.
Bishop stepped up last year when Lewis went down with a thumb injury in the quarterfinal matchup against Hillgrove. Bishop showed that he was up to the task, completing 10-of-14 passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
Bishop proved he’ll be ready when his name is called. Now it’s his turn to show what he can do as the starter for the Trojans.
Who Replaces Milton QB Luke Nickel?
It appears the battle to become the new starting QB at Milton could come down to two newcomers who arrived this offseason.
Derrick Baker, a rising junior, transferred to Milton from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds with a strong and accurate arm, he will compete for the starting job.
Brayln Albritton, a rising senior, transferred to Milton from Milwaukee Academy of Science in Wisconsin. At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, he is coming off a junior season of over 2,800 yards passing with 29 TDs.
Milton head football coach Ben Reaves said it’s going to be fun watching the battle to replace one of the best to ever take snaps under center at Milton.
“It’s a big deal to be the starting QB at Milton High School,” Reaves said. “Luke helped elevate this program and left his legacy, and I cannot wait to watch the guys battle it out this spring to take over where he left off and see how high they can elevate the program as well.”
Who Replaces Houston County QB AJ Hill?
Hill, a four-star recruit, raised the bar of Houston County football, leading the Bears to the state quarterfinals in 2022 and again last season.
Those are big shoes to fill, and with Hill off to play college ball at Memphis,
Houston County head coach Jeremy Edwards must now turn to Hill’s replacement.
“It’s a battle right now between (rising) junior Grey Dunlap and (rising) sophomore Ryan Maxwell,” Edwards said.
Edwards gave a comparison between the two: “Ryan has a super strong arm and played last year as a freshman, but he is well built to be a freshman. Grey is a cool, cerebral-type player who is mobile and has the ability to extend plays.”
Edwards said he is not opposed to playing both.
“If we have to platoon them, we will do that if that’s what gives us the best chance to win,” Edwards said.
Who Replaces Lee County QB Weston Bryan?
Bryan, a dual-threat QB who is bound for Georgia Southern, will be missed for his ability to run and pass equally well.
“Weston had a phenomenal senior season and career for us, and obviously it’s going to be tough to replace him,” said Dean Fabrizio, Lee County head football coach. “But the thing is, if you’re a good program, you lose good players every year, and when you’re talking about kids 13 to 16 years old, the progress that they can make in one offseason is huge. We’ve got some good kids here, and I’m excited to see what they can do this spring.”
Fabrizio said the QB position is wide open at the moment.
“We’ll see who steps up,” he said. “It’s still early.”
As we have seen, transfers can impact the quarterback position more than any other spot on the field, especially when it comes to replacing a top-tier QB like the four we have mentioned here. Just keep that in mind. We’ll certainly keep you updated.
No Easy Path to 2025 State Title for Wheeler Boys Basketball
2025 Class 6A State Championship Is Larry Thompson’s 4th in 8 Seasons as Head Coach
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: ITG Next Archive
Not many high school boys basketball teams play a more treacherous regular season schedule than the Wheeler Wildcats from Marietta, Georgia.
For Wheeler boys basketball head coach Larry Thompson, it’s been a successful blueprint for developing his teams through the first half of the season and preparing them for the rigors of what it takes to make a state championship run.
So far it’s worked out quite well. The Wildcats recently claimed their 10th overall boys basketball state championship with a 61-56 win over
rival Newton. That 2025 state title is Thompson’s fourth at Wheeler.
Thompson said this year’s schedule was one of the most daunting he has put his team through in recent years.
“We played another really tough national circuit this season,” Thompson said. “I mean, we played against some really good teams.”
Thompson took me through the early part of the season, when the run to the championship began.
“We played Cedar Grove to start the season, and they were a state finalist,” Thompson said.
Cedar Grove finished the season 28-4 and played for the Class 3A state title, falling by a point to eventual champion Sandy Creek.
“Then we played a solid Gainesville team after that,” Thompson said.
Wheeler won both games.
Wheeler then traveled to Utah, where they took part in the 5 for the Fight National Hoopfest, a three-day tournament held on Nov. 25-27 that featured some of the top high school talent in the country.
“We played Tempview, who is one of the best teams in Utah,” Thomp-
son said. “Then we played Prolific Prep, who is probably one of the top four teams in the country.”
Prolific Prep has lived up to that designation, having just captured its third straight Grind Session World Championship. The Grind Session is a circuit of basketball tournaments played over the winter that features the top high school basketball teams from Canada and the United States.
Wheeler defeated both Prolific Prep and Tempview.
“That was a good start for us, going 4-0 to start the season,” Thompson said.
Wheeler suffered its first loss of the season to the Columbus Explorers from Miami, Florida. The Explorers won the Florida Class 7A state championship this season and are ranked as the top team in the country by both the ESPN Top 25 and the MaxPreps national high school boys basketball poll.
Prior to Christmas of 2024, Wheeler once again headed west, traveling to Hawaii to take part in a Nike Elite sponsored tournament.
“We went out to Hawaii and played in the ‘Iolani Classic,” Thompson said. “That’s a Nike event,
and we are a Nike Elite team, and it’s a big showcase event they host out there every year.”
He said that only eight teams from the U.S. mainland are invited to play in the event each year, and it was yet another testing ground to see how his Wildcats stacked up against the best of the best in high school basketball.
“We try to take a trip like that every year at the start of the season because we want to test ourselves and see where we are,” Thompson said. “But this year we were fortunate to take two trips, so we got a really good test
early in the season.”
Like in the 5 for the Fight National Hoopfest in Utah, Wheeler faced some of the nation’s top teams in the ‘Iolani Prep Classic.
In addition to local Leilehua High School, Wheeler faced national powerhouses Imhotep Institute Charter High School from Pennsylvania; St. Paul VI Catholic High School from Virginia; and Brewster Academy, New Hampshire’s top ranked team.
Wheeler won three of the four games, falling only to Brewster.
“There were some heavy hitters we played early on, and it was a
great test for us,” Thompson said.
Thompson acknowledged that heading into the season he knew he had the personnel to handle such a demanding schedule.
“I don’t put together a schedule as tough as this one every year, but if I think our talent level dictates that we can compete, then I’ll do it,” Thompson said. “We had a great mixture of talent this year. We had two seniors that started, plus a third senior that came off the bench and played a big role for us.”
Leading the starters returning to the Wheeler boys basketball team next year will be point guard Kevin Savage, who is currently a sophomore.
The current juniors who will return for their senior seasons include this year’s leading scorer, power forward Colben Landrew; shooting guard Kota Suttle; guard Lamarrion Lewis; and wing Amare James.
“We definitely have
Seniors Mansur McClain and Tylis Jordan were two of the starting five this season, while the “sixth man” was senior Jacob Taylor. Those will be the only losses to graduation for Thompson and Wheeler.
some depth and experience returning for us next year,” Thompson said.
Speaking of the 202526 season, does Thompson feel like he’s got the team to win a second straight championship?
“Well, all those guys will go through AAU basketball and other offseason stuff over the spring and the first half of the summer,” Thompson said. “Then, we’ll get back together in June, and I’ll see how they have matured. Then, we’ll see if we can put the pieces together to make another run.”
Amareyia Knighton Named ITG
Next’s 2025 Colquitt County High School Female Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Dunkan Photography
Amareyia Knighton, a two-sport student-athlete, is ITG Next’s 2025 Colquitt County High School Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Vereen Sports Medicine.
She excelled as a do-it-all athlete for head coach Kirk Woodall’s flag football team and as a member of the girls basketball squad, coached by Stephanie Cody.
Knighton received quite a bit of recognition for both teams.
For her accomplishments as a key member of the Packers flag football squad in 2024, Knighton was named Colquitt County’s Player of the Year, was an All-State selection for the second time, was recognized as the Area Player of the Year, and was named the state’s All-Classification Defensive Player of the Year.
“She is one of the best athletes and pure football players I’ve ever seen, boy or girl,” said Woodall, who also serves as an assistant coach on Colquitt County’s football team. “She is strong and fast, a true sideline-to-sideline player.”
In 2024 Knighton helped Colquitt County to the flag football area championship for the second straight year.
Knighton ended her senior season with 13 touchdowns while racking up over 1,000 yards of total offense. She had 147 tackles/ flag pulls with 14 tackles for loss, including eight sacks. She also had seven interceptions.
Her accomplishments have earned her a full scholarship to Brewton Parker College, according to Woodall. He said that after talking with the Baron flag football coaches, it sounds like they are expecting great things from Knighton.
“They want her to direct the defense as a middle linebacker because she’s such a talented defensive player, but with her offensive skills, they are going to teach her to play receiver and use her in some receiver packages on offense as well,” Woodall said. “She can honestly play anywhere. She’s the best flag football player I’ve ever coached.”
Cody was equally impressed by and complimentary of Knighton’s skills as a shooting guard for the girls basketball team.
“I have been fortunate to have coached Amareyia for her entire high school career, and it’s been amazing to see her growth year after year,” Cody said. “She is the complete player. She can take the ball to the basket as easily as she can step back and shoot the 3.”
Knighton accomplished quite a scoring milestone this past basketball season, eclipsing the 1,000-point career mark. She ended up with a career total of 1,302 points, according to Cody.
“She averaged 12.6 points per game this past season and averaged five rebounds per game,” Cody said.
Cody said she’s not sure if Knighton will attempt to play basketball in addition to flag football at Brewton Parker, but that Knighton could probably do both if she wanted to.
“If she is asked to play basketball, I’m sure she’ll say yes,” Cody said.
Congratulations to Amareyia Knighton, ITG Next’s 2025 Colquitt County High School Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Vereen Sports Medicine.
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Logan Paradice Named ITG Next’s 2025 Colquitt County High School Male Athlete of the Year
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Rob Saye
Logan Paradice, a three-time state champion wrestler, is ITG Next’s 2025 Colquitt County High School Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Vereen Sports Medicine.
Paradice has wrapped up his high school wrestling career with an outstanding 114-2 record, with those two losses coming in his first season wrestling as a freshman. He has not been scored on since then. His first of three state championships came in his freshman season, when he captured the GHSA Class 7A state title in the 132-pound weight class. He won his second Class 7A state title as a junior, wrestling in the 150-pound weight class. His third championship came this past season, when he won the Class 6A state title in the 150-pound weight class. Paradice was 45-0 this past season, his final year as a high school wrestler.
Paradice did not wrestle as a sophomore due to moving out of state for a year with his family, but he returned to Colquitt County and picked right up where he left off.
“I have been around Logan since he started wrestling in the sixth grade, and you could always tell that he was a special wrestler,” Colquitt County wrestling head coach Benjy Scarbor said. “He’s always been relentless and has always had the right technique, even when he was younger.
“He can do anything he wants when he’s on the wrestling mat.”
You could say that wrestling is in Paradice’s blood. It’s certainly in his DNA, according to Scarbor.
“He comes from a wrestling family,” Scarbor said. “His father, Jeremy, wrestled, and his brother, Austin, was a two-time state champion.”
While Paradice’s high school wrestling career may be coming to an end, he is far from finished. He will continue wrestling at the collegiate level after receiving a scholarship to Northern Iowa University, known for its premier college wrestling program.
The Big-12 program finished ninth nationally in the NCAA Championship team standings, but finished as the top ranked team in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I Men’s Wrestling Mid-Major Coaches Poll.
“Logan visited there earlier in his high school career and really liked the school and the coaches there,” Scarbor said.
Scarbor said he has no doubt Paradice will continue to be successful as he enters collegiate wrestling.
Throughout the many matches and tournaments Scarbor has attended with Paradice as a participant, Paradice has always been considered one of the best, and Scarbor doesn’t expect that to change anytime soon.
“He’s the baddest guy in the gym,” Scarbor said.
Congratulations to Logan Paradice, ITG Next’s 2025 Colquitt County High School Male Athlete of the Year, presented by Vereen Sports Medicine.
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Charlton County Track Athlete Kiara Green Voted ITG Next’s April 2025 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month
Written by: Phil Jones
Photography by: Stephanie Green
Charlton County High School track and field standout Kiara Green is ITG Next’s April 2025 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month.
Green has participated in multiple sports throughout her high school career, including softball and cheerleading. She has also competed in gymnastics.
Green has participated in track and field since the sixth grade, and it’s the sport she has truly excelled in. Her main events are the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 4x100-meter relay, and 4x200-meter relay.
So far this season, Green has broken her personal best time in the 100. Her previous best time was 11.98 seconds, but this year she exceeded that with a time of 11.91.
She also recently beat her personal best time in the 200. Her previous time was 25.10, and her new personal best time is 25.00.
Green holds the fastest time in both the 100 and 200 in the state in Class 1A-Division II and will have an opportunity to run even faster times. At the time of writing, Green is headed to Albany, Georgia, to compete in the GHSA Class 1A-Division II Track and Field State Championships. She will be competing in the 100, 200, and 4x200 relay.
Green will be attempting to repeat her performance in last year’s state championships, when she was able to battle through obstacles that had prevented her from winning a state championship in previous seasons and overcome an injury to lead the Charlton County girls track team to its first ever state championship.
“Despite Kiara qualifying for the state competition on multiple occasions, there were unforeseen circumstances, such as illness or personal loss, that prevented her from participating,” said Brittany Green, who is Kiara Green’s mother.
It looked as if Lady Luck was going to rise up against Kiara Green once again when on the first day of state competition last year Green felt a sharp pain in her foot, but she did not let the discomfort get in the way of competing for a state championship. Green went out and won first place in every event to qualify for state.
The pain in her foot got worse. Green, however, would not be denied. With her team trailing by 19 points in the state championship, she reached down deep and won her last two races of the day to give her team 20 points, winning the state championship by 1 point.
Immediately following the event, Green went to the hospital, where it was determined that she had sustained a stress fracture.
Green has made her way back and is healthy once again
“Sports have been an integral part of Kiara’s life, shaping her character and instilling in her the values of discipline and perseverance,” Brittany Green said about her daughter.
Kiara Green has also achieved greatness away from sports. She was honored as the 2025 Homecoming Queen at Charlton County High School and served as the Junior Class President.
Green has maintained a 3.7 GPA and has been accepted at LSU and Alabama for her academic achievements, but she is hoping to secure a track scholarship so that she can continue to participate in track after high school.
Congratulations to Charlton County track and field athlete Kiara Green, ITG Next’s April 2025 Georgia Female Athlete of the Month.
Miller County Baseball Player Kolby Yates Voted
ITG Next’s
April 2025 Georgia Male Athlete
Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Tony Cook
Miller County High School baseball standout Kolby Yates is ITG Next’s April 2025 Georgia Male Athlete of the Month.
Yates has just wrapped up his senior season as a member of the Miller County Pirates baseball team. He played shortstop, catcher, and pitcher this season and throughout his career at Miller County.
Yates was nominated for the Athlete of the Month because of his outstanding season and final month of the 2025 season. Yates batted third in the Pirates’ batting order, finishing the season with a .419 batting average, .514 on-base per-
centage, 36 hits, 25 RBIs, and 16 walks.
Over his three-year career with the Pirates, Yates had a .375 batting average, .504 OBP, 71 hits, 55 RBIs, and 44 walks.
He was named to the All-Region team each of his three seasons playing for Miller County, and he was selected as the 2025 Region 1 Offensive Player of the Year for Class 1A-Division II.
In addition to his stellar hitting, Yates was also effective on the mound this year when called upon to pitch for Miller County. He had 42 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched with a 2.45 ERA.
Yates helped lead the
Miller County baseball’s team to a second-place finish in the region this year and a 21-8 overall record. The Pirates advanced to the second round of the state playoffs, where they fell to Lake Oconee Academy.
In addition to starring for his high school team, Yates also played travel ball with Prime 9 under head coach Jason Hurst.
Although Yates’ high school baseball career has come to an end, he is far from done playing baseball. He has signed to play college baseball at Gordon State University and will be joining the Highlanders this fall, according to his father, W.C. Yates.
of the Month
W.C. Yates has also worked with his son since he started playing baseball at an early age.
“Kolby started playing T-ball at 4 years old and baseball when he was 7, then moved on to travel ball when he was 9,” W.C. Yates said. “Kolby and I have worked on his craft from a very young age, and I have tried to teach him that being consistent was more important than being perfect.”
Kolby Yates said that he was honored to have been chosen as ITG Next’s Athlete of the Month for April. “It (being selected) shows the support I have at home and in the com-
munity for me to have won by receiving the most votes,” he said. He attributed his achievements to being pushed to succeed by his parents and his sister, Ryleigh Yates, who plays softball and will also be playing at the collegiate level after signing with the University of Montevallo. Congratulations to Miller County baseball player Kolby Yates, ITG Next’s April 2025 Georgia Male Athlete of the Month.
