It takes more than a single great player to win a state title in Georgia, but most champions have a critical player who makes his teammates better.
It might be a blue-chip recruit such as Roswell linebacker Tre Lamar, the only preseason Super 11 player still playing. Or it could be a two-way starter such as D.J. Pollard, who is only 5 feet, 5 inches, 165 pounds, and has no promise of another football game after Friday.
"If you took him off our team, we would be nowhere near the team we are," Irwin coach Buddy Nobles said of Pollard.
Here are 10 of the most integral players in the state finals this weekend at the Georgia Dome.
*QB Deejay Dallas, Glynn Academy: Dallas, a junior committed to Georgia, started the season at receiver and safety but became Glynn's starting quarterback after a 2-2 start. The Red Terrors are 10-0 since. Dallas has rushed for 1,139 yards and passed for 678. Dallas plays the secondary in critical situations and has two interceptions, including one returned 85 yards for a touchdown.
*DT Shug Frazier, Buford: The Wolves allow only 52.3 yards rushing per game, 134.7 total. The epicenter of that success is Frazier, who at 6 feet, 2 inches, 320 pounds, is a run-stopper who occupies two and three linemen. He has 38 solo tackles, seven sacks and another 13 stops for losses. He is committed to N.C. State.
*P/PK Blake Gillikin, Westminster: Gillikin averages 43.8 yards per punt (45.1 in the playoffs) and has placed 17 of 38 kicks inside the 20-yard line. He has kicked 12 field goals, one for a school-record 56 yards. He has sent 67 of 82 kickoffs into the end zone, forcing opponents to start at the 20-yard line. Gillikin is committed to Penn State.
*FB J.D. King, Fitzgerald: King, a junior, leads the state in rushing with 2,377 yards on 323 carries. He has scored 32 touchdowns. King rushed for 332 yards on 45 carries in a victory over defending Class AA champion Benedictine in the quarterfinals.
*LB Tre Lamar, Roswell: Lamar has a team-leading 134 tackles with nine sacks and 16 other tackles for losses. He has forced three fumbles and returned one for a touchdown. He is committed to Clemson.
*QB Trevor Lawrence, Cartersville: Lawrence is the consensus No. 1 quarterback prospect among sophomores in the country. He's 224-of-343 passing for 3,585 yards and 42 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
*QB Chase Parrish, Colquitt County: Parrish is 209-of-304 passing for 3,195 yards and 39 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He threw for 436 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-31 victory over Mill Creek last week. He's 29-0 as a starter and thrown at least one TD pass in all 29 games.
*FB/LB D.J. Pollard, Irwin County: Pollard has rushed for 1,869 yards and 24 touchdowns. On defense, he has made 50 solo tackles, 63 assists and 12 stops for losses.
*RB/CB Milton Shelton, Blessed Trinity: Shelton has rushed for 1,806 yards and 27 touchdowns. He was taken off in a stretcher with a neck injury in the second round round against Jefferson and held to 34 yards but bounced back the next week to run for 238 yards and five touchdowns against Dawson County. He has three 200-yard games on the season, two in the playoffs. He's also he's team's best cover man in the secondary and has two interceptions.
*OL/DL Andrew Thomas, Pace Academy: Thomas, a junior, is a four-star recruit who hasn't allowed a sack as Pace's left tackle and has 10 tackles for losses on the defensive line. "Pound for pound [and that would be 305 pounds on a 6-5 frame], he's the best player on this team," Pace Academy coach Chris Slade said. "Such a smart kid, picks up every blitz, knows every defense we run."
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