Thursday March 28th, 2024 2:49PM

No state leaders but NEGa still well represented in yardage counts

By Jeff Hart Sports Reporter

It took just past the halfway point of the 2020 season for the rest of the state to catch them but no northeast Georgia players currently lead any of the top offensive stat categories. But that doesn't mean the area isn't still heavily represented.

North Hall's Clark Howell made the biggest climb of any individual player the last two weeks climbing into the top 10 in the state rushing with 735 yards. Towns County's Kyle Oakes, who at one point led the state, sits sixth overall now with 811 yards after the Indians could not play last week, and was overtaken for the Class A Public lead by Trenton Johnson of McIntosh County Academy (946 yards). Gainesville's Naim Cheeks moved into the top 20 after another big game last week and sits 16th overall and third in Class 7A with 703 yards. Habersham Central's Joshua Pickett is 20th overall with 694 yards. 

There was a lot of movement in the passing category. Flowery Branch's David Renard (1,290  yards) no longer leads the state but is still the Class 4A leader and sixth overall.  In fact, on the strength of a huge game last week against White County, Dawson County's Zach Holtzclaw moved into the top five with 1,327 yards, just ahead of Renard in the notheast Georgia area. Brookwood's Dylan Lonergan took over the state lead with 1,524 yards. East Hall's Clete Cooper is still 10th with 1,195 yards, Rabun County's Gunner Stockton climbed to 12th with 1,141 yards, and White County's J Ben Haynes is still 21st despite being injured last week.

In receiving, East Hall's Macere Walker is 14th overall and still leads the area with 469 yards despite the Vikings not playing last week. Flowery Branch's Connor Larson is 16th overall with 465 yards and both he and Walker are less than 20 yards behind Trent Broadnax of Benedictine (482 yards) for the Class 4A lead. Jaden Gibson of Dawson County is 17th with 463 yards, West Hall's Rodrigo Lopez is 19th with 455 yards, and Rabun County's Adriel Clark, off the strength of two huge games, has jumped into the op 25 with 428 yards.

(Stats provided by Georgia High School Football Daily.)

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