SCHS holds annual Football Dinner & Awards Ceremony

Pictured, from left, are Ken Brady, Pruitt and Buzz Tatham during the award presentation for WNEG Player of the Year.

Stephens County High School held its annual Football Dinner & Awards Ceremony at the high school cafeteria and Tugaloo Center for the Performing Arts last week.  Each player on the varsity and J-V teams was recognized.  Several Awards were presented, including the WNEG Player of the Year Award that went to senior Griff Pruitt, who was a starter at receiver, linebacker, and special teams for the Indians this past season.

Other awards included:

Service Recognition—Seth McDonald

J-V Best Back—MJ Jones

J-V Best Lineman—Jackson Dean

MVP Offense—Hassan Brown

MVP Defense—Griff Pruitt

Best Special Team Player—Luke Pearson

Trigger Thomason Award—Montavis Thornton

Rising Indian Award—Gauge Edwards

Best Offensive Lineman—Isaiah Crawford

Best Defensive Lineman—Gavin Walker

Best Offensive Back—Jackson Bell

Best Defensive Back—Brandon Wheeler

Most Improved Offense—Cayden Maxwell

Most Improved Defense—Charles Cochran

Coaches Award Offense—Bronson Andrews

Coaches Award Defense—Daniel Brock

Academic Award—Senior—Griff Pruitt; Junior—Nikko Beady (BEE-dee); Soph—Tray Blackwell; Fresh—Bailey Brown & William Rudeseal

Captain Awards—Cole Beitzel, Gavin Walker, Griff Pruitt, Jackson Bell

Stephens County players that made the All Region team were also announced:

First-Team Offense—Hassan Brown, Cayden Maxwell, Isaiah Crawford

First-Team Defense—Gavin Walker, Cole Beitzel, Brandon Wheeler

Second-Team Offense—Jackson Bell, Griff Pruitt, Mike Seay

Second-Team Defense—Charles Cochran

Honorable Mention—Daniel Brock, Garrison Walker, Kamon Taylor, Kole Rogers, Montavis Thornton

Coach Frank Barden, who resigned as Indians Athletic Director and head football coach late last month, served as emcee for the awards ceremony.  He said even though this was his last group of seniors he’ll coach at Stephens County, it is a group he’ll never forget.

At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, a special picture montage of the seniors was presented to Coach Frank Barden and his wife, Tammy.