All-county offense is led by gang of Knights Evans tops list with 7 selections
Editor's Note: This is the second of three football all-county columns from Ashley Brown. Today's column will concentrate on the offensive all-county team. The all-county coach and player of the year awards ran Dec. 16, and the defensive all-county team will run Sunday.
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Here is the offensive All-County First Team:
QB -- Tyler Bourdo, senior, Augusta Christian
Bourdo is a winner. He has played for the state championship in football and baseball each of the past three years. This season he accounted for 30 touchdowns and guided an offense that averaged 35.3 points per game. Bourdo finished 62-for-109 through the air with 13 touchdowns. He also carried the ball 93 times for 622 yards and 17 touchdowns.
RB -- Jonathan Finch, sophomore, Evans
Finch started the season as an unknown but quickly made a name for himself thanks to his blazing speed and lightning-quick moves. His numbers might not blow you away, but no running back was bigger for their team down the stretch. Finch finished with 504 yards on 117 carries and six touchdowns.
RB -- Jay Harmon, senior, Augusta Christian
Harmon led the county in rushing with 1,133 yards on 166 carries. The 6-1, 205-pound bruiser also tied for the county lead with 17 rushing touchdowns. He was an All-Region selection and named to the North/South All-Star Team.
WR -- Jonathan Nicely, senior, Evans
As a senior, Nicely finally realized all the potential that has oozed from his 6-5 frame for the past four years. He was as good as any receiver in the state once region play began. He finished with 54 catches for 869 yards and three touchdowns, and no one will forget the final series he turned in vs. Statesboro: five catches, including a 22-yard touchdown for the win. He was All-Region in 3-AAAA and will get plenty of attention from recruiters over the next couple of months.
WR -- Andy Gray, senior, Greenbrier
Football was sort of an afterthought for Gray, but he might want to reconsider that. He was outstanding in 2007, hauling in 35 passes for 511 yards and three scores. He made more clutch catches than anyone, excluding Nicely, in the area.
WR -- Trey Henderson, senior, Evans
Henderson was so good at defensive back that people overlooked his offensive numbers. He led the area in touchdown grabs with eight and caught an impressive 36 passes for 451 yards on the season.
TE -- Dustin Banks, senior, Lakeside
This was one of the easiest picks I had this season. Banks was outstanding for the Panthers. He caught 31 passes for 496 yards and was selected to the Region 3-AAAA All-Region Team.
C -- Michael Heredia, senior, Evans
Heredia gets the nod as the county's top offensive lineman. He was voted to the 3-AAAA All-Region team after grading out better than 90 percent and amassing 24 "pancake" blocks. He has not had a bad snap in the shotgun in two years.
G -- Matt Holmes, Junior, Evans
Holmes was solid all year for the Knights. He managed 17 pancakes and graded at nearly 85 percent this season.
G -- Will Brinson, senior, Evans
Brinson was another great lineman for the Knights this season. He graded out better than 88 percent and produced 15 pancakes in 2007.
T -- Dylan Turner, junior, Greenbrier
The 6-2, 265-pound Turner was outstanding on both sides of the ball for the 'Pack. He will definitely play on Saturdays in 2008. Greenbrier attempted 287 passes this season, and Turner was part of a unit that did not give up a single sack.
T -- Zach Cooper, senior, Augusta Christian
Cooper has been the top lineman award winner at ACS for two years in a row. He anchored the group that opened holes for the highest scoring offense in the county.
Athlete -- Brandon McCladdie, junior, Evans
McCladdie was the Knights' jack of all trades this season. He rushed for 121 yards and a score. He caught 26 passes for 262 yards and two more touchdowns, and he also managed six interceptions on defense.
PK -- Steve Bloedel, junior, Augusta Christian
Bloedel broke the Lions' single-season scoring mark with 70 points this fall. He was 52-for-55 on extra points and connected on 6 of 11 field goals with a long of 43 yards.
P -- Travis Cerasuolo, senior. Augusta Christian
Kevin Millward has had a stranglehold on this award the past couple of years, but Cerasuolo averaged 39.1 yards per punt to take top honors.