Athens high school football midseason superlatives: Best players, coaches, emerging stars

Week 7 of high school football is on deck in the Athens area, providing an opportunity to name in-season superlatives as teams prepare for the bulk of region play over the next five weeks of action.

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Best quarterback

Prince Avenue senior Aaron Philo is once again one of the best quarterbacks in Georgia this season.

The three-star Georgia Tech commit ranks No. 1 in the state and No. 12 nationally for passing yards, racking up 1,926 in just seven games. He's completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 25 touchdowns and only three interceptions and added 41 carries for 263 rushing yards. He has 11,252 career passing yards, ranking sixth in the state and behind NFL quarterbacks like Trevor Lawrence and Deshaun Watson.

Philo 123 career passing touchdowns, surpassing the previous Wolverine record of 105 by Brock Vandagriff (2017-2020) for fourth place in state history.

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Best overall player

Jefferson senior runnin back/linebacker Sammy Brown headlines this category with his ability to succeed on both sides of the ball.

The Clemson commit has been outstanding for the Dragons offense, with 83 carries for 664 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, as well as four receptions for 65 yards and a receiving touchdown. That's not all he can do, though.

Defensively, he has 32 solo tackles and 23 assisted for 55 total in five games. He also recorded a sack in Week 2 against Wren, snagged an interception in Week 4 against Oconee County and deflected a punt in Week 1 against Alpharetta.

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Best offensive duo

Jaiden Daniels and Tysean Wiggins combine to give Commerce one of the most prolific offenses in the area. Daniels has been a household name since he was a freshman, but Wiggins, also a junior, has emerged as one of the best offensive players in the area, too. Combined they have piled up more than 1,300 rushing yards to help push the Tigers to a 4-1 start.

Best defender of the year

Jefferson defense has utilized every ounce of Skyler Zimmerman in the first five games of the season. The senior outside linebacker has 41 tackles, 24 solo and 17 assisted, as well as five sacks that rank him fifth in Class 5A. He also recovered a fumble in Week 4's win over Oconee County.

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Best freshman

Prince Avenue freshman wide receiver Hudson Hill has emerged on an elite roster and made a statement in the first half of his first high school football season. He has 27 receptions for 428 yards and six touchdowns, and has shown the ability to run the ball and return punts and kicks. He's proving early that he'll be a staple as Greg Vandagriff's program continues to develop stars.

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GHSA history maker

Commerce senior Ivy Tolbert kicked a 32-yard field goal in the Tigers' Week 6 game against Banks County to score her 100th career point − the first girl in Georgia state history to reach that mark.

Her longest career field goal was 46 yards, which she also notched this year.

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Most valuable player

Camden Smith is a senior quarterback with 564 yards rushing, 136 passing yards, 278 return yards on kickoff and punt returns and six touchdowns for Madison County. The son of Red Raiders coach Chris Smith, Camden is also listed as a defensive back who has helped Madison County get off to a 3-1 start. Name the football scenario — Camden Smith can be an asset for all of them.

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Emerging star recruit

Prince Avenue junior defensive lineman Christian Garrett has offers rolling in from top programs across the country, including the nearby Georgia Bulldogs and a handful of their SEC rivals like Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, South Carolina, Auburn and Vanderbilt. Coach Greg Vandagriff said Garrett has a great motor for someone of his size − 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds − and he's recorded 29 tackles, 21 of them solo, so far this season with nine quarterback hurries and a sack.

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Best first-year coach

Winder-Barrow's Robert Paxia has Winder-Barrow off to a 5-1 start after taking over a Bulldoggs program that finished 5-5 last season. Finishing strong in region play will be key of course, with matchups against Jefferson and Clarke Central among foes remaining on the schedule.

Most versatile

Sometimes it seems like Clarke Central's Kendrick Curry never leaves the field. On offense as a running back, he scored key touchdowns in wins against Cedar Shoals, Oconee County and South Forsyth. On linebacker, Curry routinely piles up double-digit tackles during games.

Best coaching performance

Bethlehem Christian coach Bruce Lane continues to work magic on the Knights' program. Last year, they went 10-2, making it to the quarterfinals of the GISA state playoffs and outscoring opponents 316-196. This year, they're off to a more dominate start, going 6-0 and outscoring opponents 259-38.

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Biggest surprise team

East Jackson is 5-0 for the first time since 2009. Under five different coaches, the Eagles' have not been able to win more than five games in a single season since '09 when Frank Caputo led them to a 10-2 record and into the second round of the state playoffs. Coach Cameron Pettus has a roster that features young stars like sophomore quarterback Drew Richardson, junior running back Quay Hill and junior receiver/defensive back Braxton Goolsby.

Don't be surprised if...

Oconee County could be in line for better results after starting 1-4. The Warriors challenged themselves with a non-region schedule that featured programs from bigger classifications in North Oconee, Clarke Central, Jefferson and Burke County.

Class 3A Region 8 won't be easy, but Oconee County won't face any teams better than who they've already seen. A state playoff berth is still up for grabs despite the rough start.

Best bounce back

Cedar Shoals dropped three straight games to start the season with lopsided losses to rival Clarke Central, Monroe Area and East Forsyth. The Jaguars didn't quit, though. They rallied for two consecutive close victories against region foes Walnut Grove and East Hall.

Cedar Shoals hosts 1-4 Cherokee Bluff on Friday, an opportunity to remain near the top of the Class 4A Region 8B standings.

Eye-popping streaks

Prince Avenue Christian has won 20 games in a row, including a 6-0 start this season and last year's undefeated state-title winning campaign.

Meanwhile, North Oconee has won 20 regular-season games in a row dating back to the 2021 campaign. The Titans are off to a 4-0 start this season after completing a perfect regular-season in '22 and winning the final six regular season contests of '21.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens superlatives: Top 2023 football moments, players and teams