It's no surprise that no team has more Class AAAAA preseason all-state picks than Buford, which has won 10 state titles in 15 years. But it is an upset that Woodland of Stockbridge has just as many.
Woodland is a Henry County school that has never won a playoff game. The Wolfpack could be poised for a breakout season under Steve Davenport, whose teams have finished 7-3 in his first two seasons.
Woodland's preseason all-state players are OL James Ohonba, rated the No. 17 tackle prospect nationally among juniors; DL JayQuan Coles, who has a Division I offer; and CB Yusuf Corker, a top-40 recruit in Georgia who is strongly considering South Carolina and West Virginia. Woodland easily could've had a fourth as LB Tre Allen, another D-I prospect, with an offer from Ole Miss and others, was considered.
Buford, the AAAA runner-up last season, is represented by OL Dean Powell, an Army commit; LB J.D. Roof, a Georgia Tech commit; and LB Jake Simpson, a Wake Forest commit.
Rome also has three players on the team, all on defense - brothers Jaylen Griffin (committed to Virginia Tech) and Jaquon Griffin and DL Adam Anderson (SEC and ACC offers as a junior).
Teams with two picks are Stockbridge, Jones County, Bainbridge and Carrollton.
The AAAAA team is unusual in that regions 2, 3 and 5 have no representatives. No other classification is so imbalanced. Region 2 has only five teams, and the region favorite, Ware County, graduated six of its seven first-team all-region members. Region 3 had several good candidates, but what figured to be its top player, Starr's Mill RB Rico Frye, has left for Creekside. The new Region 5 has only one returning playoff team - Columbia at 5-6.
Offense
QB - Bradley Hunnicutt, Jones County
RB - Dameon Pierce, Bainbridge
RB - Chris Rodriguez, Ola
RB - Jalen Holston, Stockbridge
TE - Kemari Averett, Grady
WR - Nick Singleton, Jones County
WR - Jalen Browder, East Paulding
OL - Christian Armstrong, Warner Robins
OL - Case Cook, Carrollton
OL - Christian Glover, Bainbridge
OL - James Ohonba, Woodland (Stockbridge)
OL - Dean Powell, Buford
PK - Anthony Robledo, Cass
Defense
DL - Adam Anderson, Rome
DL - JayQuan Coles, Woodland (Stockbridge)
DL - Kelton Dawson, Stockbridge
DL - Jaquon Griffin, Rome
LB - Jaylen Griffin, Rome
LB - Solon Page III, Kell
LB - T.D. Roof, Buford
LB - Jake Simpson, Buford
DB - Zay Brown, Clarke Central
DB - Yusuf Corker, Woodland (Stockbridge)
DB - Quindarious Hale, Carver (Atlanta)
DB - Terrill Hall, Decatur
P - Sam Barge, Carrollton
Coming Monday: Class AAAAAA
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