VALDOSTA —
Less than 24 hours after D2football.com released its All-America team, the Don Hansen Football Gazette announced its Division II All-America teams. Valdosta State was well represented with a school-record nine honorees.
All five Blazers honored by D2football.com Thursday — Ryan Schraeder, Edmund Kugbila, Gerald Ford, Chris Pope and Matt Pierce — were all named All-Americans by the Gazette, along with four others that were named Honorable Mentions.
Quarterback Cayden Cochran joined the group of All-Americans after tossing for 2,710 yards, rushing for 350 yards and scoring 37 total touchdowns (26 pass) in 2012.
Cochran was joined by right tackle Mesh Wokomaty, who registered 50 knockdown blocks this season and defenders Tyler Josey and Lawrence Virgil.
Josey led Valdosta State in sacks this season with 10, racking up 13.5 tackles for loss during his senior season that ended with a 35-7 win over Winston-Salem State in the national championship game.
Virgil, a native of Brooks County, finished his junior season with 52 tackles, including 12 for a loss.
He also finished with two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup.
Along with the All-America honors, head coach David Dean was also named the Division II Coach of the Year by the Gazette, giving him a clean sweep for Coach of the Year honors by postseason award publications.
Schraeder and Kugbila, both seniors, were selected to play in The Raycom Classic All-Star Game.
The game, which features seniors from all levels of college football, will be played today in Mobile, Ala. The game will be televised by CBS Sports.
Local Sports
Four more Blazers named All-Americans
Nine Blazers named to the Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America teams
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Gillespie, McPherson pleased with spring practices
Valdosta’s Rance Gillespie and Lowndes’ Randy McPherson both think their football teams got better during the recent 10 days of spring practice.
Then again, both coaches know their teams have a ways to go before the start of the football season. -
Signing day at VHS
It was signing day galore at Valdosta High School Wednesday.
Six student-athletes signed national letter of intents to compete at the next level, while two VHS athletes both signed academic scholarships to Division I universities. -
Powell signs with Shorter
Robert Powell, a member of the basketball team on South Georgia State College’s Waycross Campus, has signed a letter of intent to continue his basketball career at Shorter University in Rome.
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Sending the Blazers off
The Valdosta State softball team made the long journey to Salem, Va. Tuesday, leaving Valdosta at 10:30 a.m. with devoted fans cheering them out of the parking lot.
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All-Region teams announced
Lowndes was one win away from a trip to the Class AAAAAA state semifinals, and the success by the Vikings this season showed when the All-Region 1 baseball teams were announced Monday.
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Lowndes tennis dominates
Lowndes’ tennis team dominated the All-Region 1 teams, with coach Heath Phelps garnering Coach of the Year honors on both the girls’ and boys’ side.
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Banks Lake Youth Fishing Derby a success
The 13th annual Banks Lake Youth Fishing Derby held May 11 drew 150 children from ages 3 to 15 who competed for trophies while learning how to fish.
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Valdosta's Alakulppi ties for 2nd at state
Valdosta freshman golfer Luukas Alakulppi fired a 71 to finish in a tie for second at the Class AAAAAAA state golf tournament in Tifton.
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Brooks County's Parrish in Rivals Top 100
Brooks County rising senior Malkolm Parrish is ranked the 73rd best high school football prospect in the nation, according to the release of the Rivals.com Top 100.
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Summer camp information
VSU baseball camp coming soon
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Gillespie, McPherson pleased with spring practices
