Montgomery named top defensive player in Class AAAA

Only one other time in the 25 plus-year history of Ridgeland High School football has a Panther player been named the as the Associated Press’ Defensive Player of the Year in the state in Ridgeland’s classification. That happened in 2012 when current New Orleans Saints safety Vonn Bell was tabbed with the award for Class AAAA. Now it’s happened again. Ridgeland junior defensive back Markeith “Butter” Montgomery can now add his name to that very short and very prestigious list as he was selected as the Class AAAA Defensive Player of the Year by the Georgia Sports Writers Association (AP).

Montgomery (5-10, 180) recorded 84 tackles and 22 assists this past season to go with three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and eight pass break-ups.

Those numbers helped the Panthers to a 9-2 season, a Region 6-AAAA championship and a state playoff victory over St. Pius X, avenging last year’s opening round loss to the Golden Lions.

The award is another feather in the evergrowing cap for the Ridgeland standout.

Montgomery was named earlier this year as the Region 6-AAAA Defensive Player of the Year and the region’s Co-Player of the Year. He was named to the Class AAAA All-State team by the website RecruitGeorgia.com and he earned a second consecutive selection to the Class AAAA first team by the Associated Press and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

As expected, Cartersville junior quarterback Trevor Lawrence was named the Offensive Player of the Year in Class AAAA after completing 236of-372 passes for 3,708 yards and 49 touchdowns against just nine interceptions.

Lawrence, who recently committed to Clemson, was also the All-Classification Player of the Year by the AP and the AJC and was picked as the Offensive Player of the Year in all classifications in Georgia by USA Today.

He is widely regarded as the top overall college prospect in the Class of 2018.

Joey King, who led Cartersville to a second straight 15-0 season and back-to-back Class AAAA state championships, was tabbed as the Class AAAA Coach of the Year by the AP.

Three other Walker County players earned All-State stauts by the Georgia Sports Writers Association last week.

Gordon Lee senior Drew Cobb was a first team pick as a running back in Class A. He is just the second Trojan to ever be named to the All-State first team by the GSWA (Associated Press), joining linebacker Austin Goodlet, who was tabbed in 2009.

Cobb rushed 220 times in 2016 for 1,761 yards and 30 rushing touchdowns. He added 314 yards and five more scores as a receiver and recorded nearly 100 tackles as a defensive back.

Ridgeland junior running back Jalyn Shelton picked up Class AAAA second team All-State honors for the second straight season. He ran for 1,432 yards and 23 touchdowns this past fall and also completed 5-of-9 passes for 240 yards and three TD’s.

Another Ridgeland player, senior Grayson Moore, was named as an Honorable Mention pick for Class AAAA. Moore ran for 738 yards and nine TD’s, while catching 11 passes for 270 yards and four more scores.