TIFTON — The 2007 All-Tiftarea offense would put up some big numbers against any defense in the state.

Junior Nick Prostko will be given the reins of the offense.

This past season, the Tift County Blue Devil only saw action in eight games, but still led the area in passing.

On the year, Prostko completed 57.7 percent of his passes — 128-for-222 — for 1,344 yards. He had nine touchdown passes and five interceptions on the year.

Irwin County’s Terry Ashley led the area in rushing with 1,501 yards on 221 carries, an average of 6.8 yards per carry. The senior also caught 22 passes for 438 yards, an average of 19.9 yards per catch.

He had 16 rushing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns on the year. He also scored a touchdown when he returned a fumble recovery for a score.

The other first-team running backs are Buster Jackson of Worth County and Thad Williams of Cook High.

Jackson ran the ball for 1,306 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

Williams rushed for 980 yard and had 309 yards receiving. He also scored 18 touchdowns.

Jared Davis of Tift County had 41 catches for 444 yards and two touchdowns this year. He is joined as a first-team wide receiver by Turner County Rebel Hiawatha Parker, who had 22 catches for 459 yards and three scores.

R.J. Davis of Fitzgerald is the first-team tight end. He was the second-team All-Region 1-AA tight end this past year.

Zach Allen of Tift County and Jamie New of Berrien were each named first-team All-State and they lead the first-team All-Tiftarea offensive linemen.

They are joined by Worth County’s Jarvis Newberry, Cook High’s Chris Castleberry and Irwin County’s Chris Powell.

Tift County’s Kaream Hess, the first-team All-Tiftarea athlete, averaged 152.4 yards per game this past season.

The senior only played in eight and a half games due to injury, but still rushed for 957 yards on 181 carries. He also caught 36 passes for 338 yards and scored 12 touchdowns.

Tift County’s Jordan West is the first-team place-kicker. He converted 4-of-9 field goals and 30-of-33 point afters in 2007.

The second team has Turner County’s Jeremy Stevenson at quarterback. At the running back spots are Cook High’s Shannon Brown and Jawan Smith, as well as Fitzgerald’s Jemea Thomas.

Trenton Pruitt of Fitzgerald and Andrew Kicklighter of Tiftarea are the second-team wide receivers, while Justin Wilson of Tift County is the second-team tight end.

The second-team offensive linemen are Cook’s Cody Greeson, Fitzgerald’s Eddy Drawdy, Tift’s Thom Roberson, Turner County’s Keyshawn Odum and Tiftarea’s Zach Phillips. Berrien’s Khalid Lamar is the second-team athlete, and Cook’s Will Dobbins is the second-team place-kicker.

NOTE: This continues a series for this week.

The All-Tiftarea Coaches of the Year, Cook’s Jim Scroggins and Tiftarea Academy’s Marvin Barton, were named in Wednesday’s Gazette. Tomorrow will see the 2007 All-Tiftarea defense, and Saturday’s paper will feature the 2007 All-Tiftarea Players of the Year.





2007 All-Tiftarea



Offense

First Team

QB - NICK PROSTKO - TIFT CO.

RB - TERRY ASHLEY - IRWIN CO.

RB - BUSTER JACKSON - WORTH CO.

RB - THAD WILLIAMS - COOK

WR - JARED DAVIS - TIFT CO.

WR - HIAWATHA PARKER - TURNER CO.

TE - R.J. DAVIS - FITZGERALD

OL - ZACH ALLEN - TIFT CO.

OL - JAMIE NEW - BERRIEN

OL - JARVIS NEWBERRY - WORTH CO.

OL - CHRIS CASTLEBERRY - COOK

OL - CHRIS POWELL - IRWIN CO.

ATH - KAREAM HESS - TIFT CO.

PK - JORDAN WEST - TIFT CO.



SECOND TEAM

QB - JEREMY STEVENSON - TURNER CO.

RB - SHANNON BROWN - COOK

RB - JAWAN SMITH - COOK

RB - JEMEA THOMAS - FITZGERALD

WR - TRENTON PRUITT - FITZGERALD

WR - ANDREW KICKLIGHTER - TIFTAREA

TE - JUSTIN WILSON - TIFT CO.

OL - CODY GREESON - COOK

OL - EDDY DRAWDY - FITZGERALD

OL - THOM ROBERSON - TIFT CO.

OL - KEYSHAWN ODUM - TURNER CO.

OL - ZACH PHILLIPS - TIFTAREA

ATH - KHALID LAMAR - BERRIEN

PK - WILL DOBBINS - COOK



HONORABLE MENTION: WES CARTER AND CODY JOHNSON - TIFTAREA; MALCOM DIXON, JOHN TORELL AND JAMAL WATSON - TIFT CO.; LESTER GREEN, ADRIAN WEST AND ZACH HASTY - TURNER CO.; JERNARDO HARRIS, RANDY MERRITT, TIM ROWE, JEREMY KENDRICK, JAKE ROBINSON AND T.J. PAYNE - COOK; NICK WILLIAMS, TEVIN STEWART, ALAN SANDIFORD AND MICHAEL CROSSIN - FITZGERALD; JUSTIN TUKES - WORTH CO.; MARCUS WALKER - IRWIN CO.; AND TIMMY SOLIDAY - TURNER CO.