Since 2000, several of our local football teams have put up their best season in school history. Now Habersham sports partner Brian Carter of BLITZ Sports takes a look back at each program over the last 24 years to see which year was its best.
An argument can probably be made for each, but we based our decisions on the playoff run and other factors (W-L, region title, state ranking, etc).
BANKS COUNTY
2016
RECORD: 7-5
PLAYOFFS: RND 2
ACCOLADES: N/A
COACH: Josh Shoemaker
TOP PLAYERS: QB Griffin Goodwin, RB Clayton Dykhouse, WR Bryce Bennett, Terrence Walker, Jay Lehotsky, Demetrius Walker, CJ Thomas, Trevor Thomas
The Leopards went 7-5 and rolled up a 5-1 mark in Region 8-AA, good for a Runner-Up finish. The offense was headed up by SR Griffin Goodwin, who threw for 2,142 yards and 18 TD against 13 picks. The offense under coach Josh Shoemaker was fairly balanced, and JR Clayton Dykhouse was a force, rushing for 1,130 yards and 11 TD. SR Bryce Bennett was the top target with 986 receiving yards and 11 TD, while the defense featured SR Jay Lehotsky and his 98 tackles. JR Trevor Thomas (97 TKL), SR Demetrius Walker (95 TKL), and CJ Thomas (8 INT) were key on defense. Banks County went 4-2 at home, and shook off an 0-2 start to the year with a 54-35 win over Johnson. A loss to Union County followed, then a win over Jasper County prior to a tough loss to Rabun County. At that point, Banks was 2-4 on the season. They took off from there, with 5 straight wins, none closer than 14 points. Unfortunately, the Leopards were denied a home playoff game they deserved when KIPP forfeited the opening round. It still counted as a win for Banks County, but it wasn’t quite the same. They lost 49-0 to Benedictine in the second round. The offense generated 24 points per game, while the defense allowed 28.3.
COMMERCE
2000
RECORD: 13-2
PLAYOFFS: State Champions!
ACCOLADES: Region 8-A Champions; #1 State Ranking
COACH: Steve Savage
TOP PLAYERS: RB Monte Williams, QB Michael Collins
This goes down as the best team for Commerce alongside the 1981 State Championship team. Going 13-2 all the way to that final horn, the Tigers beat powerhouse Buford, 27-19, on the home field in Commerce on a rainy December 15, 2000 night. Monte Williams, who graduated as the top rusher in state history, had 272 yards and 4 TD on the ground that night as Commerce celebrated its second-ever title. Williams rushed for an insane 8,844 yards and 105 TD, including an 88-yd TD run in the Championship. While that game encapsulated the season, the Semifinals game was arguably better, as Commerce overcame a 14-3 fourth quarter deficit, as Williams led with 100-pluse yards and 2 TD in the final quarter alone as the Tigers won 17-14. While Williams and the offense got all the headlines for that season, the O-Line leaders were Tommy Eason, Chris Wilkie, Flint, Twion Shealer, Adam Stephenson, Taylor Massey, and Lee Sorrow. Winning the region title in come-from-behind fashion over that same Buford team set the stage for the finale. Some defensive standouts included Isaac Brown and Kyle Moore, and Nick Cox among several others.
DAWSON COUNTY
2015
RECORD: 9-4
PLAYOFFS: State Quarterfinals
ACCOLADES: Region 7-AAA Champions; #7 State Ranking
COACH: Sid Maxwell
TOP PLAYERS: QB Coey Watson, LB Luke Martin, WR/DB Tucker Maxwell, RB Hunter Mitchell, WR Austin Young, WR Nick Murphy, LB Conor Woodbury, DB Andrew Goley, DB Will Whalen
What a team this was for Dawson County. Sid Maxwell came in and took a 2-8 team and turned it into a Quarterfinals, Region Championship, 9-win team. The playoff run included wins over Ringgold at home, then over Spencer, before a loss to Blessed Trinity. Every playoff game was in Dawsonville. The Tigers won their first Region Championship in school history, made their first Quarterfinals, and had their highest ranking since 2000. Sophomore sensation Coey Watson put up 2,171 passing yards and 18 TD, rushing for another 499 with 10 scores. SR RB Hunter Mitchell had 1,296 yards and 12 TD on the ground, and SR WR Tucker Maxwell had 892 receiving yards and 16 TD. JRs Austin Young (703 rec yds, 2 TD) and Nick Murphy (126 rec yds) were key contributors as well. JR LB Luke Martin was fantastic with 133 tackles. SRs Conor Woodbury (119 TKL), Andrew Goley (99 TKL, 3 INT), and JR Will Whalen (97 TKL, 3 INT) made for a formidable defense that allowed 20.3 per game. The offense was good for 28.4. The Tigers were 4-1 on the road and reeled off five straight wins to close out the season before the Quarterfinals loss to BT.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
2000
RECORD: 7-5
PLAYOFFS: State Round 2
ACCOLADES: Region 8-AAA 4th
COACH: Jeff Davis
At the turn of the new millennium, Franklin County started out hot. The Lions went 7-5, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Jeff Davis had put together some killer teams in the 1990s as well, and this was his swan song. Since that season, Franklin has only had one other 7-win campaign. They upset Forsyth Central in the opening round, winning by one at the 1-seeded team. They dropped a 10-7 final to Carrollton to end their season.
HABERSHAM CENTRAL
2007
RECORD: 11-2
PLAYOFFS: State Quarterfinals
ACCOLADES: Region 8-AAAA Champions; #4 State Ranking
COACH: Gene Cathcart
TOP PLAYERS: WR Tavarres King, QB Bo Hatchett, RB Zach Chitwood, RB Robert Renshaw, Dee Ellison, Josh Anderson
This was the golden age for Habersham Central football. The Raiders had a 10-3 2006 season, winning a region title and making the quarterfinals. But with their dynamic duo of Tavarres King and Bo Hatchett back in 2007, Gene Cathcart’s group was about unstoppable. The Raiders went 11-2, again winning the Region 8-AAAA Championship, earning a #4 state ranking, and rolling to the Quarterfinals. The playoff run began with a win over Marist, then came a 2OT win at home against Cherokee in which Hatchett faked out the defense with King as a decoy. Habersham elected to go for a 2-point conversion to either win or stay home. They rolled the dice, and it worked. Hatchett plunged in for the 36-35 win. Hab would fall at Ware County the next week, but the 2007 team goes down as arguably the best to ever play in Mt. Airy (you could make a case for Larry Black’s 1990 team or the 1973 Semifinals team). King was electric and just took the top off the defense. An opening 31-28 loss at rivals Stephens County led to the Raiders winning 11 straight. King finished with 3,726 receiving yards and 37 TD, both in the top-3 in state history at the time of his graduation. He’d take his talent to UGA, then the NFL.
JEFFERSON
2012
RECORD: 14-1
PLAYOFFS: State Champions!
ACCOLADES: Region 8-AA Champions; #1 State Ranking
COACH: T. McFerrin
TOP PLAYERS: QB Bryant Shirreffs, Sammy Williams, Wesley Simonton, Kody McDonald, Micah Carpenter, Tristan Jackson, Chandler Thompson, McKay Dickens, Hanon Price, Walter Chapeau, Connor Paul, Tay Stevens, Tyler Bowen, Rufus Whitfield
Undeniably the best Dragons team in school history! T. McFerrin, the legendary head coach, came to Jefferson late in his career, beginning in 2009. After three solid seasons, the 2012 group was poised to be his best yet. The team went 14-1, winning the Region 8-AA Championship and rolling through the playoffs all the way to the Georgia Dome, claiming the 2012 State Championship. With 580 points scored (38.7/game) and just 200 allowed (13.3), this team was pure dominant. They lost only their opening contest to Commerce on the road, then won the next 14. The only close game was a 27-21 win at North Hall until the playoffs. Once there, A 42-8 thumping of Kendrick set the tone. Westminster couldn’t muster much as Jefferson won 35-7 in the second round. Fitzgerald was a 3OT thriller in the Quarterfinals, with the Dragons winning 53-51. They beat GAC 42-14 in the Semis to reach the title game, and won 31-14 over Calhoun. QB Bryant Shirreffs and fellow SR captain Wesley Simonton (TE/LB) were the leaders. In the title game, Shirreffs had 141 rushing yards and 3 TD, and threw for 178 as well. McFerrin retired following the historic win after 38 years. Shirreffs had 38 total TD that season, and finished with 7,677 total yards and 90 TD for his career, and was a 3-star QB recruit.
LUMPKIN COUNTY
2023
RECORD: 12-1
PLAYOFFS: State Quarterfinals
ACCOLADES: Region 7-AAA Champions; #5 State Ranking
COACH: Heath Webb
TOP PLAYERS: QB Cal Faulkner, RB Mason Sullens, LB Will Wood, WR/DB Harper Davenport, WR Luke Evans, WR Nolan Matthews, DE Gerald Walker, Jr, Preston Cox, Connor Greilich, Connor Bagley, Nate Gilleland, Will Staples
It’s fresh, but still the best season not just in the last quarter-century for Lumpkin County, but the best season in Indians history. JR QB Cal Faulkner and SR RB Mason Sullens guided an offense that scored 41.9 points per game, won the 7-AAA Championship, won 12 games, and went undefeated until falling to Savannah Christian in the Quarterfinals. The Indians got each playoff game at home. There wasn’t really a close game for Heath Webb’s team until the September 29 game against Wesleyan, a pivotal 30-21 win. White County provided an unbelievable match that went 4OT and ended with a Sullens walkoff TD for the 61-55 win (might be the best game we at BLITZ have ever been to). A win over Dawson the next week sealed the first-ever region title. The playoffs included a blowout win over Gordon Lee, then a 2OT 45-42 thrilling win over Oconee County thanks to a walkoff field goal by Staples. Faulkner, a Georgia Tech 3-star commit, passed for 1,706 yards and 19 TD against just one interception, and rushed for 929 yards and 17 TD. Sullens was unreal, reeling off 2,281 yards on the ground with 36 TD, and adding 202 receiving yards and 4 TD. Best team in program history, and guys like Will Wood, Gerald Walker, Jr, Preston Cox, Connor Bagley, Connor Greilich, Harper Davenport, Luke Evans, Nolan Matthews, etc made it possible. Hard Work Pays Off!
RABUN COUNTY
2017
RECORD: 14-1
PLAYOFFS: State Runner-Up
ACCOLADES: Region 8-AA Champions; #1 State Ranking
COACH: Lee Shaw
TOP PLAYERS: QB Bailey Fisher, WR/DB Austin Jones, WR Braxton Hicks, DB/WR Cole Keener, LB Gavyn Jones, LB Dawson Henricks, DE Jackson Webb, Justin Wilkes, RB Brison Beck, Austin Sosebee, Mason Sprinkle
The Wildcats have had some unbelievable runs and teams, and you’d probably put the Gunner Stockton squads right there with this one. But 2017 stands apart because Rabun made the run all the way to the State Championship game, and got to host it against Hapeville Charter. This special, talented senior class put it all together. Bailey Fisher capped off his illustrious career with 3,341 passing yards and 43 TD, along with 1,283 rushing yards and 27 TD. He finished with 170 total TD and 9,383 passing yards and 113 TD. JR Austin Jones (2,282 career rec yds, 24 TD) and SO Braxton Hicks (3,490 career rec yds, 46 TD) were joined in the receiver room by All-State Cole Keener, who still has one of the best catches we’ve ever seen in person in the Quarterfinal win at Screven County. Speaking of the run, the Wildcats straight up obliterated opponents all season, with a 22-point victory at Stephens County the closest regular-season game. That meant a region title and an easy first-round game. A 49-6 win over Chattooga was followed by a 35-2 win over BEST. In the Quarterfinals, it was a 56-14 game that featured a second-half explosion at Screven County. Then back home against mighty Brooks County, where Rabun won 23-12 and got the single best individual play we’ve ever witnessed on an Austin Jones TD in the closing moments to seal it. After the Mercedes-Benz game was postponed due to snowy weather, Rabun County won a coin flip to host the title game. Hapeville won 35-23, but this Brotherhood created by legendary coach Lee Shaw stands as the best team in Rabun County history, as the offense had 684 points (45.6/game) and the defense allowed just 172 (11.5).
STEPHENS COUNTY
2005
RECORD: 11-2
PLAYOFFS: State Quarterfinals
ACCOLADES: Region 8-AAA Champions; #6 State Ranking
COACH: Travis Noland
TOP PLAYERS: RB Tauren Poole, RB Deshaun Scott, QB Will Cox, WR Frank Brown
The Indians were a powerhouse under coach Charlie Winslette, but 2005 marked the beginning of the Travis Noland era. Right off the bat, he got his team to 11 wins, a region title (first of 3 in a row), and to the Quarterfinals, which Stephens County has yet to return to. The offense generated 32.3 per game while the defense buckled down to allow just 9.9. Elite! Stephens won its first 8 games of the season before the lone regular season loss to Brookwood. After securing the region crown though, the Indians beat Chestatee 49-0 in the first round, then a slim win over Cartersville at home (21-15) got them to the Quarterfinals. They went to Peach County and lost 56-42. Next-level star Tauren Poole (Tennessee) and Deshaun Scott were among the standouts, along with Will Cox and Frank Brown. This team set the bar that the current Stephens County powerhouse teams are trying to hurdle, though it’s worth mentioning the 1958 State Championship team and the 1988 Runner-Up team.
TOWNS COUNTY
2017
RECORD: 5-6
PLAYOFFS: State Rnd 1
ACCOLADES: N/A
COACH: John Cornett
TOP PLAYERS: RB Zach Davenport, DE Logan Cowart
The Indians don’t have a strong history in football. Still, Towns County, since 2000, has had three teams stand out – 2008, 2017, and 2021. The 2008 team won 7 games, but didn’t play in the postseason. The 2021 group may have had the most talent, led by RB Kyle Oakes and LB Seth Gillis. However, they didn’t win more than four games. The 2017 group, meanwhile, had a blend of talent and postseason, as the boys went 5-6 overall and made the first playoff run in school history. It was a loss at Pelham, but it truly invigorated Hiawassee. RB Zach Davenport and defensive standout Logan Cowart were the go-to leaders.
UNION COUNTY
2019
RECORD: 10-2
PLAYOFFS: RND 2
ACCOLADES: Region 8-AA Runner-Up; #6 State Ranking
COACH: Brian Allison
TOP PLAYERS: QB Pierson Allison, WR Sawyer Drake, WR Kyle Morlock, RB Jonah Daniel, LB John Mancuso, Sloan Sutton, Noah Underwood, Kaston Hemphill, Clayton Lester
The offense! Union County averaged 36.3 points per game and gave up 17.7 while going 10-2 overall, finishing Runner-Up to rivals Rabun County in the region. The Panthers made got their first-ever playoff win, beating South Atlanta before falling at Metter the following week. They were ranked #6 in the state, and recorded their first and only 10-win season in school history. The SR-led group that included Pierson Allison (2,954 pass yds, 28 TD; 413 rush yds, 6 TD) and WRs Sawyer Drake (2,829 career rec yds, 27 TD) and Kyle Morlock (career 1,509 rec yds, 18 TD), and star JR RB Jonah Daniel (1,570 rush yds, 16 TD in 2019). Seniors John Mancuso and Sloan Sutton were unreal, and juniors Noah Underwood, Kaston Hemphill, and Clayton Lester were stalwarts as well.
WHITE COUNTY
2010
RECORD: 9-3
PLAYOFFS: RND 2
ACCOLADES: Region 7-AAA Runner-Up; #10 State Ranking
COACH: Gregg Segraves/Tommy Flowers
TOP PLAYERS: RB Ashely Lowery, QB Cole Segraves, Tyler Dotson, Cam Segraves, Patrick Jones, Levi London, Ryan Kennedy, Mark Bardenwarper, Tyler Hamilton
You could argue that since 2000, White County’s 2010, 2013, and 2020 teams are all about neck-and-neck. While that’s true, the 2010 group sort of jumpstarted the success for the Warriors by becoming the first football team in school history to win a playoff game. They were runner-up in the region only to powerhouse Gainesville (Deshaun Watson’s freshman season). Throughout the season, 3-star Kentucky commit Ashely Lowery just torched teams on both sides of the ball. He had 1,340 rushing yards and 15 TD along with 258 receiving yards and a score that season, and closed with 4,423 career total yards and 43 total TD. Cole Segraves broke out as a star QB. He left after that season to follow his dad to Colquitt County, and ended his career with 6,558 total yards and 47 total TD, but did lead the Warriors to a playoff win at home over LaGrange. White County lost the next game to Grady on the road, but it remains one of the best seasons in school history. Gregg Segraves started out as the head coach before Tommy Flowers took over for the stretch run.
