ATLANTA — The first-ever Score Atlanta Georgia High School Football and Flag Awards Banquet welcomed the greatest athletes and coaches from around the state to the Teamsters Local Union 728 Sunday afternoon.
The Atlanta Teamsters’ campus played host to the banquet where the coaches and players were recognized for their stellar achievements on and off the field this season.
Awards were handed out for the football all-classification teams for offense and defense. The kicker of the year, the breakout offense and defensive players of the year, the leading rusher, the leading receiving yardage leader and the passing yardage leader. There were coaches of the year for each classification/division and assistant coaches of the year for tackling football.
The announcement of the ‘Ricky Aspinwall Award’ was a moving moment, highlighting the tragic, fragility of life and remembering a man who risked, and lost, his trying to stop violence. Aspinwall, 39, died in the Sept. 4 shooting at Apalachee High School after leaving his classroom to run toward the sound of loud popping.
He ran toward the danger, not away from it.
The inaugural recipient of the award — which represents what it means to love, to care and to protect — was Aspinwall himself. His wife Shayna and his friend Matt Tanner accepted the award and received a standing ovation from those in attendance.
IJ Rosenberg, the owner of Score Atlanta, who helped found the event, opened the ceremony announcing the flag football all-classification teams for offense and defense. Rusty Mansell, of On3Sports and DawgNation, then announced the All-Classification offense and defense for the boys.
Lee County’s Ousmane Kromah was named Mr. Georgia Football. The 6-foot, 205-pound senior running back is committed to Florida State and rated as a 4-star recruit by 247Sports and is the No. 4 running back, nationally and the No. 15 overall recruit in the state. He had 152 carries for 1,290 yards and 15 touchdowns this season and caught 31 passes for 693 yards and eight touchdowns.
Also nominated for Mr. Georgia Football was Georgia Tech-signee Tae Harris, Cedartown’s 4-star safety.
“It’s an honor to be recognized,” Harris told Najeh Wilkins. “I can’t wait to get back to work for the next chapter in my life.”
The sentiment was seconded by Georgia Tech’s 5-star commit Josh Petty of Fellowship Christian. the 6-foot-5, 265-pound offensive tackle committed to the Yellow Jackets this week and was in attendance.
“I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity and recognition,” Petty said. “It is a great chance to meet fellow athletes and enjoy some Georgia (high school) football greats.”
Cortez Redding, the 4-star Jonesboro junior safety, was named the ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ and has interest from Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kentucky and Florida State.
“It’s a blessing to receive this award,” he said. “I want to thank god all my coaches, teammates, and family who motivated me and supported me through the whole year. It was a great season. I learned and grew a lot! Best part is I have another year at this and I can’t wait to see what god has in store for me! Once again thank everyone.”
Prince Avenue Christian 4-star running back Andrew Beard might just be a sophomore, but he has interest from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Miami and Oklahoma to name a few. Beard earned the ‘Offensive Breakout Player of the Year’ award for his achievements this season.
“It means a whole lot to me that I was honored with the breakout player of the year,” he said. “Coming into the season I knew I would be given the chance to do big things and with the help of my teammates and coaches I’ve made it come into reality.”
The boys all classification team represented the best of the best of players around the state, creating a star-studded roster.
“I’m honored to receive the award,” said Jonesboro cornerback Jontavius Wyman, a 3-star recruit committed to Georgia. “All the hard work paid off from the beginning of the Spring. I wanna thank God! My Mom! my coaches and teammates for receiving this award. Just everybody who was there throughout the whole season. Thank you!”
The Miss Georgia Football honor was awarded to McEachern’s Chelsea Njoku. The senior quarterback is 346-of-593 passing for 4,176 yards and 68 touchdowns and rushed for 412 yards and 12 touchdowns. Her yardage leads the state ahead of second-place Serenity Hickman of Columbus, who has passed for 3,580 yards and 72 touchdowns.
See the full all-class and all-division teams for tackling and flag football and the capsules for the Miss and Mr. Georgia Football below as well as lists of the coaches of the year.
2024 MR. GEORGIA FOOTBALL FINALISTS
Milton, QB, Luke Nickel
Going into the season, Nickel was an AJC Super 11 pick and has been impressive throughout the year. Nickel led the Milton Eagles to their best start since 1952 with a 10-0 regular season record. What has been most impressive is that Nickel has spread the ball around this year to hit elite playmakers Ethan Barbour, CJ Wiley, and Tristen Payne who all have more than 400 yards receiving this season. Nickel has thrown for 2,312 yards and 24 touchdowns with a 66% completion percentage. He has been one of the most efficient passers in the state and has Milton as a state title contender in 5A. So far this year, he has beaten notable opponents that include American Heritage (FL), Buford, Blessed Trinity, and Gainesville. Nickel is currently committed to the Miami Hurricanes.
Cedartown, ATH, Tae Harris
Harris finished his 2023 season as an all-state selection by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association. In 2024, he turned it up a notch and has been a constant fixture on the Mr. Georgia Watchlist every week this season. This season, he has rushed for 800 yards and has 219 receiving yards to go with 17 total touchdowns. On defense, he has 63 tackles, four tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and a defensive touchdown. Cedartown utilizes his skill set by implementing him in a multitude of ways on offense. Harris was named Region 7-4A Player of the Year and has been one of the best players in the state this season on both sides of the ball. He has helped lead Cedartown to a 9-1 regular season record and is currently committed to the Clemson Tigers.
Lee County, RB, Ousmane Kromah
Lee County running back Ousmane Kromah will end his historic high school career with another massive season. Kromah, a consensus 4-star running back and Florida State-signee, helped lead Lee County to an undefeated regular season, finishing ranked second in Class 5A according to the AJC. Kromah finished the season with 1,003 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, while adding 467 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver. He chose the Bulldogs late in his recruitment, a process that saw a close battle between Georgia, FSU, and Auburn until the very end, however flipped his commitment on December 4th to Florida State. Kromah will look to add to his already impressive list of awards, which includes being named AJC Super 11, 2023 6A Offensive Player of the Year, 2023 AJC First Team All-State, and two GACA South First Team All-State selections.
Savannah Christian, DL, Elijah Griffin
With all of the talent out of the state of Georgia in the 2025 recruiting cycle, none are rated higher than the 6-foot-5, 285-pound 5-star defensive tackle out of Savannah Christian, Elijah Griffin. With his imposing stature and freakish ability off the line, Griffin has asserted himself as not only one of the best players in the state, but one of the top recruits in the country. The 5-star is rated as a top-10 recruit across all major recruiting boards and rated no further than the third-highest rated player in the state. The senior has totaled 49 total tackles with a team-high 24 tackles for loss in nine games this season for the Raiders. The defensive lineman announced his commitment to play for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs in mid-October.
Carrollton, QB, Julian Lewis
Julian Lewis has a 29-1 regular season record as a starting quarterback for the Trojans and is 35-3 with the top-ranked Trojans entering this year’s playoffs after completing a perfect 10-0 season. Lewis reclassified to the Class of 2025 before this season and despite having just three varsity seasons, is just 239 yards (9,761) shy of reaching the 10,000 career passing yards mark. This season, Lewis has thrown for 2,549 yards with 36 touchdowns and just four interceptions with a career-high 144.3 QB rating and a state-wide best 76.6 completion percentage. Lewis’ 132 touchdown passes rank him fifth on the all-time career list behind Gunner Stockton, Trevor Lawrence, Aaron Philo and Deshaun Watson—all of which were four-year starters. Lewis’ 132 touchdown passes are the most by any Georgia quarterback through their first three seasons. His play throughout the 2024 season has earned him Region 2-6A Player of the Year and he clinched his third region title with a 21-of-26 performance for 290 yards and two touchdowns against Douglas County. Lewis has thrown six touchdowns in three different games this season and has also rushed for two touchdowns.
2024 MISS GEORGIA FOOTBALL FINALISTS
Locust Grove, QB, Katie Smith – Smith has led Division 2 No. 1-ranked Locust Grove to a 20-0 record during her senior season. She has passed for 77 touchdowns and 3,444 yards on 308-of-501 passing.
McEachern, QB, Chelsea Njoku – Njoku is the state’s passing yardage leader this season and, throughout the regular season, she has led the Division 4 No. 1-ranked Indians to a 23-0 record during her senior campaign. She is 327-of-551 passing for 3,878 yards and 65 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions.
Locust Grove, WR, Skylar Anderson – The junior receiver is one of Locust Grove’s Smith’s favorite targets and has 99 receptions for 1,107 yards and 21 touchdowns this season for the Division 2 No. 1-ranked Locust Grove squad.
Milton, WR, Caroline Marshall – Marshall is just a sophomore but has 71 catches for 1,313 yards and 18 touchdowns. She has amassed over 100 receiving yards three times this season.
Harris County, QB, Madalynn Cauley – During her junior season, Cauley is 259-of-368 passing for 3,224 yards and 53 touchdowns with just eight interceptions to lead Division 1 No. 3 Harris County to an 18-4 record. She passed for season-highs of five touchdowns in a 47-0 victory against LaGrange and a 63-0 victory against Troup County, both games on Oct. 30.
FOOTBALL ALL-CLASSIFICATION TEAMS
OFFENSE
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chattooga RB Zayden Cook
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Prince Avenue Christian RB Andrew Beard
KICKER OF THE YEAR: Colquitt County’s K Brett Fitzgerald
QB Luke Nickel (Milton)
QB Julian Lewis (Carrollton)
RB Ousmane Kromah (Lee County)
RB Brayden Tyson (Brookwood)
OL Alex Payne (Gainesville)
OL Mason Short (Evans)
OL Brandon Anderson (North Cobb)
OL Cortez Smith (Parkview)
OL Josh Petty (Fellowship Christian)
TE Elyiss Williams (Camden County)
TE Heze Kent (Brunswick)
WR CJ Wiley (Milton)
WR Landon Roldan (North Oconee)
WR Travis Smith Jr. (Westlake)
ATH Todd Robinson (Valdosta)
K Noah Godhard (Blessed Trinity)
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jonesboro S Cortez Redding
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Pebblebrook S KJ Green
EDGE Herbert Scroggins (Benedictine)
EDGE Andre Fuller (Grayson)
EDGE Waylon Allen (ACE Charter)
DT Gregory Jackson (Union Grove)
DT Elijah Griffin (Savannah Christian)
DT Sichan John (Hebron Christian)
LB Savion Husband (Mays)
LB Braxtyn Davies (Northgate)
LB Tyler Atkinson (Grayson)
CB Christopher Hatfield (Long County)
CB Terrious Favors (Carver-Atlanta)
CB Jontavius Wyman (Jonesboro)
S Tae Harris (Cedartown)
S Kortnei Williams (Northeast-Macon)
P William Bates (Ware County)
FOOTBALL HEAD COACHING AWARDS
COACH OF THE YEAR: Drew Swick (Collins Hill)
6A COACH OF THE YEAR: Luqman Salam (Harrison)
5A COACH OF THE YEAR: Brett Vavra (Sprayberry)
4A COACH OF THE YEAR: Dustin Adkins (Ola)
3A COACH OF THE YEAR: Marquis Westbrook (Peach County)
2A COACH OF THE YEAR: Winston Gordon (Hapeville Charter)
A-DIV. I COACH OF THE YEAR: Chad Cheatham (Fannin County)
A-DIV. II COACH OF THE YEAR: Dondrial Pinkins (Mitchell County)
PRIVATE COACH OF THE YEAR: Josh Alexander (Athens Academy)
FOOTBALL ASSISTANT COACH AWARDS
6A ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Greg Carswell (Grayson)
5A ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Jonathan Thompson (Lee County)
4A ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Jeremy Ruark (Cedartown)
3A ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: John Amofah (Douglass)
2A ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Justin Newman (Carver-Columbus)
A-DIV. I ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Adam Turner (Fannin County)
A-DIV. II ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Doug Huff (Lincoln County)
PRIVATE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Bruce Miller (Hebron Christian)
RICKY ASPINWALL AWARD: Ricky Aspinwall (Apalachee)
FLAG FOOTBALL ALL-CLASSIFICATION TEAMS
OFFENSE
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Columbus QB Serenity Hickman
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: SE Bulloch QB Emma Cate Barron
QB Chelsea Njoku (McEachern)
C Catie Ricketson (Oconee County)
WR Alexandria Lofton (Columbus)
WR Caroline Marshall (Milton)
WR Alana Calhoun (Milton)
WR Lynn Thompson (Whitewater)
RB Kalayah Wesley (Dutchtown)
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Colquitt County LB Amareyia Knighton
BREAKOUT PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Therrell RUSHER Kaylee Pinkston
RUSH Angelina Williams (Locust Grove)
LB Serenity Hickman (Columbus)
LB Amareyia Knighton (Colquitt County)
CB Caylnn Singletary (Colquitt County)
CB Aniya White (Paulding County)
S Shiann Carey (Wheeler County)
S Sierra Lowery (Calvary Day)
FLAG FOOTBALL COACHES AWARDS
COACH OF THE YEAR: Jake Burgdorf (McEachern)
DIVISION I COACH OF THE YEAR: Marci Cochran (SE Bulloch)
DIVISION 2 COACH OF THE YEAR: Thomas Mills (Loganville)
DIVISION 3 COACH OF THE YEAR: Brandon Harwell (Blessed Trinity)
DIVISION 4 COACH OF THE YEAR: Kassie Smith (South Forsyth)
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