Big seasons on defense

By Steve Carter/sports editor

TIFTON December 27, 2007 10:05 pm

— High school football in the Tiftarea is some of the hardest-hitting in the state.
If you don’t believe it, just ask some of the offensive players who got hit this past season by the members of 2007 All-Tiftarea defense.
Not only did Tiftarea Academy’s Thomas Ganas have a big year on defense — 38 total tackles and three interceptions — the first-team All-Tiftarea defensive back also had an all-around excellent season.
The senior rushed for 1,260 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. He made punt returns for 350 yards and also had a 35-yard punting average.
Ward Massee of Fitzgerald had 69 total tackles on the year , including 14 for loss yardage. He also had six sacks, three fumble recoveries and six pass breakups. That earned him first-team honors as a defensive back.
Worth County’s Robert Span is another member of the first-team All-Tiftarea defensive backfield. The senior had 28 total tackles on defense, three interceptions, six pass breakups, 11 special teams tackles, three caused fumbles and one fumble recovery. He did all of that while also putting up 1,424 all-purpose yards on offense, scoring 13 touchdowns.
Cook High’s Michael Henley is another member of the first-team defensive backfield.
In 2007, Henley had 31 total tackles, 15 pass breakups, one tackle for loss yardage, two interceptions, four fumble recoveries and one caused fumble.
Finally, Tiftarea Academy’s Daniel Griner rounds out the first-team defensive backfield.
Griner led the Tiftarea with five interceptions, two of which sealed Panther victories in 2007. He also had 37 total tackles on the year.
The first-team linebackers are led by Cook’s C’Reon Arnold, who led the Hornet defense with 84 total tackles. He also had 18 tackles for loss yardage, four pass breakups, 15 sacks, two caused fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Tift County junior linebacker Josh Abbott had 90 total tackles and one sack for the Blue Devils in 2007.
Fitzgerald’s Malcolm Lundy had 98 total stops for the Purple Hurricanes in 2007. He also added 15 tackles for loss yardage, seven sacks, four caused fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two blocked punts and one interception.
Rounding out the first-team All-Tiftarea linebacking corps is Tiftarea Academy Panther Tripp Giddens, who led the Tiftarea with 119 total tackles in 2007. He also graded out at 80 percent as an offensive guard.
Along the first-team defensive front are Worth County’s Meshack Williams, Tift County’s Larry Bryant, Fitzgerald’s Anthony Brooks and Cook High’s Tevin Sims.
Williams had 64 total tackles in 2007. He also added 14 sacks and 16 tackles for loss yardage.
Bryant had 69 total tackles for Tift County. He added eight sacks, three caused fumbles and according to Tift County coach Jay Walls, at least 18 tackles for loss yardage.
Brooks had 86 total tackles, including 12 for loss yardage. He also had six sacks, two caused fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three blocked punts and three pass breakups.
Finally, Sims had 61 total tackles, nine pass breakups, six tackles for loss yardage, four blocked kicks, 17 sacks, four caused fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
Irwin County’s Terry Ashley is the first-team All-Tiftarea punter. The senior averaged 38.6 yards per kick in 2007. He also had 83 total tackles, three sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery for a touchdown as a linebacker.
The second-team defensive backfield features Tift County’s Blake Reddick and Ricky Pierce, along with Irwin County’s Fred Marshall, Worth County’s Arthur Blackmon and Cook’s Jawon Smith.
Four linebackers were named second-team All-Tiftarea. They are Cook’s Josh Miles and Kenny Tippins, Turner County’s Dee Hayles and Worth County’s Jorjdan Lawson.
The defensive line for the second-team features Tift County’s Shayon Green, Fitzgerald’s Willie Coney, Berrien’s Quaz Harris and Irwin County’s Terrence Woodward.
The second-team punter is Berrien’s Caleb Matthews.

NOTE: This is a third in a series this week. The All-Tiftarea Coaches of the Year were named Wednesday, the All-Tiftarea offense was named Thursday and the All-Tiftarea Players of the Year will be named Saturday.

On the All-Tiftarea offense yesterday, Tift County’s Jarrod Bateman should have been listed as a honorable-mention pick.