Cole Speer named Region 7 Player of the Year
Leonard wins award as number of Jackets earn All-Region
By unanimous choice, Calhoun senior standout wide receiver/ defensive back Cole Speer was named the 5A Region 7 Player of the Year when the recent AllRegion teams were announced.
In all, the Yellow Jackets did very well on the All-Region first and second teams with a number of players recognized.
Besides Speer, one of their other senior stalwarts, running back/ defensive back Gage Leonard, also earned one of the League’s Special Recognition awards, as he was chosen the Region’s AllPurpose Player.
Cartersville running back Amari White was named the Region’s Offensive Player of the Year while Blessed Trinity junior linebacker Mavrick Torrico and Cass senior Ian Lowe were voted the Region’s Co-Defensive Players of the Year.
Cartersville senior Phillip Schlitz was named the Special Teams Player of the Year and Cartersville head coach Conor Foster was named the Region 7 Coach of the Year with the Purple Hurricanes going 5-0 to win the Region championship.
The Yellow Jackets did have six players named to the Region 7 first team offense with 16 players in all voted onto the team.
After Calhoun, Hiram, which went 1-4 in the league, was second with four players on the elite offense. That included the Hornets having the All-Region kicker
and punter.
Two players each were chosen from Cartersville, Blessed Trinity, and Cass and Woodland had
no representatives on the offense.
Senior quarterback Christian
Lewis, who started all 15 games for the Yellow Jackets this season and had 36 touchdowns and just four interceptions, was the only quarterback named to the first team.
The league selected three running backs, three wide receivers, two tight ends and five offensive linemen as AllRegion and Calhoun was represented in each area.
At running back, sophomore Caden Williams was voted onto the first team by the coaches, along with senior wide receiver Quin Smith, freshman tight end Emaree Winston, and senior linemen Kendrick Kirby and Jace Warren.
Calhoun had just one player — senior inside linebacker Christopher Lewis — named to the All-Region 7 first team defense.
In all 16 players were also named to the first team defense with five linemen, three inside linebackers, three outside linebackers, four defensive backs and a punter selected.
Cartersville had the most defenders on the elite squad with five while Cass had four and Woodland, which was 0-5 in the Region, had three. Hiram had two, including that punter who was selected on both sides, while Blessed Trinity had one.
Calhoun had two seniors named to the second team defense, which had 13 players
on the roster.
Senior inside linebacker Mason Green, who was one of the team’s top tacklers, and senior outside linebacker Blaze Hammett, who was also one of their top playmakers, were both voted onto the second team rundown unit.
Cass had the most backups on the defense with four while Woodland had three, and Calhoun, Cartersville, and Blessed Trinity had two apiece.
In a real surprise, the Yellow Jackets did not have anyone named to the All-Region second team offense, which had 13 members on it.
Five players from Cartersville were selected for the backup offense with three from Hiram and two more each from Cass and Cartersville and one from Woodland.
The Yellow Jackets had three players receive honorable mention.
Senior wide receiver Peyton Law, who is now starring for the basketball team, along with junior offensive lineman Brody Balliew, were named on offense.
Senior defensive end Rex Walraven was an honorable mention for Calhoun on defense.
The Yellow Jackets were second in their Region this past year with a 4-1 record, but they played in the 5A state championship game less than two weeks ago against Warner Robins in Atlanta.
Calhoun finished the year with an excellent 12-3 record.