Each week, A.B. is highlighting his top performer of the week during the Thursday Night Huddle!
We will recognize an outstanding athlete for their performance. These athletes showed remarkable skill and dedication, pushing themselves to their limits and achieving great success. Their efforts inspired the entire team and provided an example for aspiring young athletes to follow. We are proud to honor these local athletes with AB’s performance of the week award.
A.B.’s Top Performer of the Week is brought to you by Culpepper Ace.
Week of August 26, 2024: Owen Redd
Owen Redd – Senior WR/DB – Edmund Burke Academy
Owen Redd had a monster performance for Edmund Burke Academy on Friday Night. He caught 8 passes for 186 yards and 3 Touchdowns, He rushed 4 times for 120 yards and 2 more TDs, and he racked up 10 tackles on Defense as Edmund Burke knocked off Trinity Christian 41-28.
Week of August 19, 2024: Jevon Edwards
Jevon Edwards – Senior Running Back – South Aiken
Edwards ran wild in the Thoroughbreds season opener. He rushed for 303 yards and 4 TDs on 37 carries as South Aiken knocked off Silver Bluff 28-18. In the process, he became the School’s All-Time Touchdown Leader with 54 TDs in just 30 career games.
Week of July 29, 2024: Lilli Stephenson
Lilli Stephenson – Evans High School – Flag Football
This choice may be a head scratcher, due to the fact that Stephenson graduated from Evans in May. However, this honor is more than warranted. Stephenson was a 3-Sport Standout for the Knights, but where she made the biggest splash was Flag Football. This week she became is the first player from Evans High School, and just the 3rd in Columbia County, to earn a Scholarship in the new, but growing, sport of Flag Football.
Stephenson made it official this week, signing with Emmanuel University, in Franklin Springs, Georgia, which is the first Collegiate Institution in the Peach State to offer Varsity Flag Football. They made the announcement back in February and at the time they were only the 15th College in the nation to offer the sport. Emmanuel was able to make this historic move thanks to a partnership with the NFL, RCX Sports and The Atlanta Falcons.
Emmanuel will be getting a good one. Stephenson, who plays Quarterback, was outstanding as a Senior for the Knights. She led Evans to an 11-4 mark, including a 6-2 record in Region Play. For the season she completed 135 of 213 Pass Attempts (63.4%) for 1,352 yards and 21 Touchdowns vs. only 4 interceptions. She also ran for a pair of scores.
Congrats to Lilli and we cannot wait to see what she does at the next level.
Week of July 15, 2024: Tyler Newsome
Tyler Newsome – Augusta / Home School
Young Golfer Tyler Newsome has been posting low scores on the golf course for several years, but recently he earned his biggest achievement on the Golf Course. The Class of 2029 Standout won the 13-14 Year Old Division title at the very Prestigious Press Thornton Future Masters in Dothan, Alabama. The Future Masters has been held in Dothan, Alabama for 75 years. Simply to be invited to play in the event is a nice feather in any young golfer’s cap, but to actually win the event puts you in some very distinguished company. Past Champions include Past Masters Champions Trevor Immleman, Bubba Watson, & another guy you may have heard of…Current World #1 Player Scottie Scheffler.
Tyler, who plays out of Augusta Country Club & Westlake Country Club, top over 100 of the top 13 & 14 year old players in the country to capture the title and he did it in thrilling fashion. After opening with Rounds of 68 and 70 the first two days, he came through in the clutch with birdies on the 17th and 18th Holes during the final round to post a 72 and get into a 3-way playoff. Then, during the playoff, he played the 6 playoff holes -1 under par to secure the win.
Week of June 10, 2024: Evan Scott
Evan Scott – Augusta Christian Football
It has been a super busy summer for Augusta Christian Offensive Tackle Evans Scott. The 6’5” 300 lb rising Senior went from a big man with potential to a legitimate Division I Prospect. Over the course of the last 12 Months he has been stockpiling college offers on a regular basis. First it was Western Kentucky who made an offer and that opened the flood gates. From there, Scott has garnered a dozen offers from great programs, and some very prestigious academic institutions. The list of offers includes Navy, Richmond, South Florida, Georgia State, Dartmouth, Bucknell, Coastal Carolina, Arkansas St., Austin Peay, App State and Duke.
This past week Scott made a big decision. After a visit to to Duke, in Durham, North Carolina, he committed to playing football for the Blue Devils. Committing to a Power 5 School is always an amazing accomplishment, but it is especially impressive for a kid who had no offers a year ago. Scott is still extremely raw as a player, but with his size and intelligence he just may be getting paid to play one day. Someone recently asked me to compare him to another player and the first name that came to mind was D’Ante Smith from Grovetown. Smith’s recruitment heated up late as well. He wound up at East Carolina and eventually found a home with the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, Scott has a long way to go, but if he puts in the work, the sky is the limit.
Week of June 3, 2024: Derrion Reid
Derrion Reid – Former Grovetown High School Basketball Star
For the last couple of years we have sung the praises of former Grovetown Basketball Star Derrion Reid, and for good reason. The 6’7” Forward helped led Grovetown to the Class AAAAAA State Title as a Sophomore and earned All-State Honors as a Junior. He also began piling up Scholarship Offers and climbed into ESPN Top 40 players in the country in the Class of 2024. He spent his final high school campaign at Prolific Prep (California) and he continue his meteoric rise up the Player Rankings. By the time he committed to play college ball at Alabama he was ranked as a Top 10 player in the country. He was also selected to play in the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game, becoming the first player from Columbus,mbia or Richmond County to ever earn that achievement.
Well, all of that pales in comparison to the latest news on Reid. He was recently selected to represent his country as a member of the Team USA 18U Basketball Team. The squad is currently in Buenos Aires, Argentina participating in the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup. So far, Reid is more than holding his own. Through the first two contests of the event (Which runs through June 9th) Reid is 2nd on the Team in Scoring, averaging 11 points per contest. He is also averaging 8.5 Rebounds Per Game which is good for 2nd on the Team. Team USA was dominant in both games, topping Argentina 88-66 and then demolishing Belize 150-54. Ried opened with 10 points and 8 boards in the win over Argentina. Then had 12 points and 9 rebounds against Belize.
Congrats to Derrion on such a huge accomplishment.
Week of May 20, 2024: Hamilton Coleman
Hamilton Coleman – Lakeside High School Golf
What an incredible few weeks it has been for Lakeside Sophomore Hamilton Coleman. First, he led Lakeside to the Class AAAAAA State Title with rounds of 70-69 in the Championship. Those scores not only help the Panthers claim the Team Title, but it also made Coleman the Individual State Champion. Not bad for a kid who has two years remains in High School. He followed that up by shooting a -3 Under 69 to earn a spot in the 103rd Georgia State Amateur Championship, which will be held at The Augusta Country Club July 11-14. The Qualifying Score is even more impressive when you consider he did this against a lot of college players with much more experience and it tied for the Low Round of the Event.
Coleman first gained recognition in 2022 when he finished 4th in the 12-13 year old age group at The National Drive, Chip & Putt Finals at the Augusta National. We will certainly be keeping an eye on Coleman to see which feat he will pull off next.
Here is Coleman last Summer after Capturing his first AJGA Title at the Auburn-Opelika Junior All-Star.
Week of May 13, 2024: Jimmie Lewis
Jimmie Lewis – Harlem Baseball Head Coach
Jimmie Lewis IS Harlem. He graduated from the school, was an Assistant Coach with the Baseball Program and, finally, in 1979 he took over the reigns as the Head Coach. That year The Bulldogs were the Defending State Champions, but lost their first 6 games, which probably had some people wondering if they made the right choice. Well, I guess the hire was pretty good. Lewis led the Bulldogs all the way to the State Title that first year and has been piling top wins ever since.
On Saturday, Harlem swept Calvary Day School to claim the Class AAA State Baseball title for a 2nd straight season. They finished the season 38-1 and ranked 9th in the Nation according to MaxPreps. The 38 wins is a CSRA Record and it was State tile number 9 for Harlem…another area record in baseball. Over the last two seasons, Harlem is an astonishing 74-2 with a pair of State Titles.
For Lewis, he now has 898 Career Wins, which is 3rd in Georgia History and he also now has 7 State Crowns as Head Coach.
Week of May 6, 2024: Chase Dollander
Chase Dollander – Greenbrier High School Graduate
Our Performer of the Week has had an amazing run after graduating from Greenbrier just 4 years ago. He had a stellar collegiate career, with a season at Georgia Southern and two seasons at Tennessee, which including being named the SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2022. His meteoric rise resulted in him being the 9th Overall Pick in last Spring’s MLB Amateur Draft and inking a multi-million dollar signing bonus with the Colorado Rockies.
Last week Dollander made another terrific start for the Spokane Indians, Colorado’s Class High-A Minor League Affiliate. He worked 4 strong innings, allowing just 2 hits, he did not yield a run, and he struck out 6 batters. It was the 4th consecutive solid start of Dollander’s Brief pro career. For the season, he has started 4 games, allowing just 9 hits in 19.1 innings of work. He has struck out an impressive 33 batters and given up just 8 walks, while posting an era of 2.33.
If these solid performances continue, Dollander will fly through The Rockies’s Farm System.
Week of December 11, 2023: Maggie Pangle
Maggie Pangle – Greenbrier High School Flag Football
Photo courtesy of Shane Pangle
Pangle helped guide her Greenbrier squad to the CSRA’s First Flag Football GHSA State Title, and she did it in dramatic fashion. Pangle, a Junior, had to leave the game with what appeared to be a serious ankle injury. However, the wrapped the ankle inside her cleat, and then again outside her cleat, so she could return to the action. Then, with the score tied 6-6, Pangle hauled in the game winning 22-yard TD from Junior QB Kenzie Horton. The Pack would tack on a Safety to make the Final Score 14-6 as Greenbrier topped the same Lithia Springs Squad that knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago.
For the season, The Pack finished 19-1 and and Pangle led the team with 85 receptions, 829 receiving yards and 15 TD Receptions.
Week of November 6, 2023: Jim Franklin
Jim Franklin – Aquinas High School – Quarterback
Franklin was sensational in the opening round of the State Playoffs. The talented Junior Quarterback was 13 of 19 for 352 yards and 6 Touchdowns as Aquinas knocked off Glascock Co. 49-28. He also got some national recognition on ESPN due to a remarkable series of plays.
First he tossed a TD, then the next possession he had a great run to set up First and Goal for the Irish. However, on the play, he dislocated his finger. As he ran over to the Head Coach to show him the OBVIOUSLY out of place finger, his father (who is on the sidelines) grab his hand and popped the finger back in place. Franklin then trotted back on the field on threw another TD on the very next play.
For the season he is 162/244 Passing (66.4%) for 2,422 yards and 29 TDs.
Week of October 23, 2023: Jevon Edwards
Jevon Edwards – Junior Running Back – South Aiken High School
I truly do try and spread this award to as many players as I can, but occasionally there will be repeat winners. Well, this week there was simply no way to avoid a repeat winner. Jevon Edwards made the selection of any other player impossible after the game he turned in Friday Night. South Aiken edged arch-rival Aiken in a 42-41 shootout and Edwards had a game for the ages. The Junior standout carried the ball 37 times for an astonishing 442 yards and he accounted for each of South Aiken’s 6 Touchdowns. It is only the 5th 400-Yard Rushing effort I am aware of in my 29 years covering High School Football and the 442 total is the highest Single-Season Rushing Performance I am aware of. I could not find a complete listing of South Carolina Records, but for reference… Edwards would own the 7th best Single Season Rushing Performance in Georgia High School Football History (Source: www.ghsfha.org)
Week of October 16, 2023: Traevon Dunbar
Traevon Dunbar – Senior Running Back – Midland Valley High School
Dunbar is a Senior Running Back at Midland Valley HS and he is enjoying an incredible Senior Campaign. Last Friday he lead Midland Valley to a 56-28 win over South Aiken. Despite only 9 carries in the contest, he piled up 313 yards and 4 TDs Rushing. The eye-popping numbers should come as no surprise. For the season, Dunbar has 159 carries for 1,876 yards and 24 Touchdowns on the ground. More importantly, he has helped The Mustangs get off to the best start in school history. They had never had even a 4-0 start in the history of the school. 2023 has been a different story. Midland Valley is 9-0 and could capture a Region title with a victory over North Augusta this week. For his career, despite playing only 32 Varsity Games (Only 6 games as a Freshman due to Covid / On ly 5 Games as a Junior due to Injury) he has carried the ball 515 times for an astonishing 5,235 yards and 76 Total Touchdowns. Yes…that is over 10 yards a carry for his entire career.
He has offers from Penn St., Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Michigan St., Arkansas, Louisville, & Boston College and South Carolina has started to show serious interest in the last few days.
Week of October 9, 2023: Jevon Edwards
Jevon Edwards – Junior Running Back – South Aiken High School
Jevon Edwards was injured early in the season, but since he has returned to full strength he has certainly showcased the incredible talent that made him one of South Carolina’s Top Running Backs. Now, for the 2nd Time in less than a month, he has earned Our Performer of the Week. In South Aiken’s 38-15 win over Airport, Edwards carried the ball 26 times for 250 yards and 4 Touchdowns. He also helped the Thoroughbreds pick up their 2nd win in the last 3 weeks (after starting the season 0-5). Edwards is only a Junior but he already has a handful of D-I Offers and that list is definitely going to grow. For the season he now has 803 yards and 10 TDs on just 127 carries.
Week of September 25, 2023: Kasai Jones
Kasai Jones – Wide Receiver/Defensive Back – Thomson High School
Kasai Jones is a 5’10” 180 lb Wide Receiver/Defensive Back who transferred in to Thomson from Ware Co., and what an impact he has had. Jones seems to always be around the football and usually if he is touching the ball, good things happen. Well, he took that theory to new heights on Friday Night. Thomson blast Josey 56-7 and Jones took advantage of every opportunity he had in the contest. He had two carries for 94 yards and scored on both rush attempts. He caught Two Passes for 62 yards and two more scores and he scooped up a fumble and, yep, you guessed it… he ran that back for a TD as well. Five Touches, 5 Touchdowns… It does not get much better than that.
Week of September 18, 2023: Jevon Edwards - Football
Jevon Edwards – Junior Running Back – South Aiken High School
Edwards missed the first few games of the season, due to injury, and his Thoroughbreds struggled to an 0-5 mark, but the talented back was finally at full strength last Friday and had quite a performance. He carried the ball 35 times for 206 yards and 3 TDs as South Aiken picked up its first win of the year 41-30 over #6 Clinton. He is already over 3,000 career yards despite being an underclassman after bursting onto the scene in 2021 with 1,071 yards and 11 TDs on just 135 carries. His numbers soared last season, as he carried the ball 214 times for 1,702 yards and 23 TDs. He is already has 3 D-I Offers including East Carolina and Old Dominion and that number should rise this summer.
Week of September 11, 2023: Amare Clark - Football
Amare Clark – Senior Quarterback -Grovetown High School
Clark was sensational on Friday Night, accounting for 7 Total Touchdowns as Grovetown knocked of Jefferson Co. 63-43. He threw for 182 yards and 5 touchdown and rushed for 108 yards and 2 more scores. As if that wasn’t enough, he also intercepted a pass on defense. The 63 points is a school record for Grovetown helped the Warriors improve to 2-2 on the season. The open Region play this Friday as they host arch-rival Evans.
Week of September 4, 2023: Corey Tillman - Football
Corey Tillman – Quarterback – North Augusta High School
Last week North Augusta QB Corey Tillman turned in a fabulous performance for the Yellow Jackets. He went 12 of 13 passing for 155 yards and rushed for 149 yards and another TD as North Augusta surprised #7 Greenwood 49-40. The 5’10’ Junior Dual-threat QB has been consistently good in each game this season & North Augusta sitting at 3-1 on the season
Week of August 28, 2023: Jack Rhodes - Football
Jack Rhodes – Sophomore Wide Receiver – Aquinas High School
Jack Rhodes turned in quite a game on Friday Night. He caught 11 passes for 198 yards and 3 TDs as Aquinas picked up a big win over a solid Savannah Country Day Squad. Not bad, considering Wide Receiver is Rhodes’s 2nd Position. The talented Sophomore also plays QB and last year showed his metal as a freshman when Starting QB Jim Franklin was injured. He was called on as a freshman to lead a possible playoff team. Well, he did not disappoint. Rhodes was 118 of 168 passing (70.2%) for 1,273 yards and 9 TDs in just 5 games as the starter.
With Aquinas graduating All-Area WR Kevin Douglas, Rhodes has been called on to play receiver and he has become Jim Franklin’s go-to target. Again, Rhodes is only a Sophomore and has a big future…no matter what position he plays.
Week of August 21, 2023: Jayden Eason - Football
Jayden Eason – Defensive Lineman – Silver Bluff High School
Eason on a Recruiting Trip to Charleston Southern .
Last Week’s winner, Traevon Dunbar, turned in an even bigger performance this week with over 300 yards rushing and 2 Touchdowns as he led Midland Valley to a huge win over Strom Thurmond. He could have easily been a back-to-back winner. However, Silver Bluff Senior Defensive Tackle Jayden Eason edged him out with a game for the ages. Last season, as a Junior at North Augusta, Eason had a solid season. He was an All-Area Performer as he tallied 66 tackles, 8 Tackles for loss and 4 QB Sacks.
Well, his numbers from Friday Night’s blowout win over Socastee HS (Myrtle Beach) were so good, for most players would consider it a solid SEASON. Socastee beat Silver Bluff last year 21-0, but this time around the Bulldogs were dominant, as they posted a 46-0 victory. For the game, Eason had 14 Tackles, 10 Tackles for Loss and 2 QB Sacks. That is not a misprint…10 TACKLES FOR LOSS…IN ONE GAME. The 6’0” 280 lb beast is getting looks from several small schools and if he continues to post these type numbers that list will certainly grow.
Week of August 14, 2023: Traevon Dunbar - Football
Traevon Dunbar – Senior RB Midland Valley High School
Traevon started his Senior Season off with a bang last Friday Night. He rambled for 267 yards on 26 carries and scored a pair of 2nd half Touchdowns that broke a 21-21 tie and carried Midland Valley to a 35-21 Victory.
Dunbar rushed for 863 yards and 16 Touchdowns in just 6 games (Due to Covid) his freshman season. Then, he exploded for 1,908 yards and 28 TDs on just 212 carries as a Sophomore. Last season he was limited to 5 games due to a torn ACL, but still managed 587 yards and 6 TDs on just 56 rush attempts. That gave him over 3,300 yards and 50 Touchdowns on the ground in just 23 Varsity Games entering this season.
The 5’10” 190 lb. Standout is a 3-Star Recruit according to 24/7 Recruiting and is ranked as the #10 player in South Carolina. He currently has more than a dozen Division I offers, including Penn St., Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, and Boston College.
Week of July 31, 2023: Tyler Wallace - Football
Tyler Wallace – Junior- Evans High School Football
Photo Courtesy of CM Photography
When it comes to football, in most cases, the Skill Position Players get all of the attention. Well, the tide may be turning slightly because the CSRA has boasted several quality Special Teams Players in recent years. One such player that deserves some recognition is Evans Junior Kicker Tyler Wallace.
Wallace took over the starting kicking and punting duties from Evans last season. And, while he is definitely a solid punter, his kicking ability is arguably the best in the State. Last season he was 22 of 24 on PATs and 3 of 5 on Field Goals for the Knights. He has been even batter on the Summer Camp Circuit. He recently attended the prestigious Kohl’s Professional Football Kicking Camp and came away as one of the most highly ranked kickers in the United States. He was dubbed a 5-Star Kicker and Ranked #6 in the Nation and #2 in the State at his Position. The good news kept coming for Wallace as his also recently garnered his 1st Division I Offer from North Alabama.
