UTC announced on Wednesday that head football coach Rodney Allison's son, Sloan Allison, has signed a scholarship with the Mocs.
Allison quarterbacked the Boyd-Buchanan football team to a second-round playoff berth after one of the toughest schedules in school history.
He threw for more than 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns in only his first year as quarterback for the Bucs.
Coach Allison said he would likely red-shirt Sloan.
Five Chattanooga-area recruits and two nationally-rated big men highlight the 2007 football signing class.
Allison and his staff signed 21 student-athletes Wednesday on the first day of the national signing period and announced a transfer quarterback from Kent State University.
UTC tapped into a talent-rich pool of local-area players, signing three from the McCallie School, one from Notre Dame High School along with Sloan Allison.
Signees Joel Bradford, Anthony Conney and Thomas Green excelled at McCallie for the Division II Class 3A state runnersup. Bradford never left the field, playing receiver and cornerback while handling the punting, place kicking and punt return duties. Conney, a running back, led McCallie in rushing yards, while Green, a linebacker, was one shy of 100 tackles last season.
Chris Harr is an All-State honoree from Notre Dame who can play tight end and defensive end.
“We concentrated our efforts on signing the local kids,” Allison said. “It is an important time for this program, and we focused on giving it a local flavor.”
T.J. Hurless is a 6-foot-4, 310-pound offensive lineman who was listed as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com. Hurless prepped at Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, Ga. Jaron Norfleet, an outside linebacker, is also a two-star recruit. At 6-3, 225, Norfleet is a two-time All-State honoree at Nashville’s Brentwood High School.
“This is the fastest and most athletic class we have signed,” Allison said. “We have good players at every position now. We have older, more experienced players already in place here, and now we are adding valuable depth to each position.”
The coaching staff looks for former Kent State quarterback Tony Pastore to challenge senior Antonio Miller and redshirt freshmen Joei Fiegler and Cody Romans during spring drills. An Atlanta native, Pastore spent two years in the Kent State program before transferring to UTC and enrolling in January.
The Mocs loaded up on defensive backs, signing seven. Included in the mix are Atlanta-area natives Chris Lewis-Harris, Dominique Sanjurjo, Kenny Scrivens, Buster Skrine and Aaron Ware. Scrivens has two years of junior college experience under his belt from Independence Community College in Kansas.
Also listed in the defensive secondary are Carrollton, Georgia’s Jason Dothard and Reed Quillen of Oak Ridge.
“We studied the roster hard,” said the fifth-year coach. “We are older at cornerback more than any other position. This will help us down the road. We want to keep this thing going. We brought in some fast cornerbacks. At this level, they better be fast.”
Signees on the defensive line include Rodney Beamon of Chaffey College in California, La’Nard Carr from Alpharetta, Ga., and Eddie Evans of Ashford, Ala. Beamon is a 305-pounder, while Evans weighs in at 290 pounds.
Ryan Norris, a 290-pounder from the Mobile, Ala., area, joins Hurless as an offensive linemen signee.
Expected to see immediate playing time in an always-stacked receiving unit are junior college transfers Edward Gant and Thomas Hinton. Gant hails from Fort Myers, Fla., and played at Southwest Mississippi Community College, and Hinton, who enrolled at UTC this January, played at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.
Running back Bryan Fitzgerald makes the fifth junior college signee in the class. Fitzgerald, who was also recruited by Memphis and Ole Miss, comes from Northwest Mississippi Community College, the same program that produced UTC’s record-setting back Eldra Buckley.
Allison said that he was most proud of the academic standing of the entire class. While it is common for many schools’ recruiting classes to suffer two or three academic casualties, UTC’s 2007 class contains maybe one student-athlete who is questionable with his academic qualifications.
Allison said the 14 high school signees have an average grade point average of 2.987 in the core classes. The nine who have taken the ACT test average to a score of 21, and the average score of the five who have taken the SAT is 975.
2007 CHATTANOOGA FOOTBALL SIGNING CLASS
Sloan Allison QB 6-2 200 Chattanooga, Tenn./Boyd Buchanan School
Rodney Beaman DL 6-2 305 Valley View High School/Chaffey (Calif.) College
Joel Bradford WR 5-10 165 Chattanooga, Tenn./The McCallie School
La’Nard Carr DE 6-3 235 Alpharetta, Ga./Centennial High School
Anthony Conney RB 5-10 190 Chattanooga, Tenn./The McCallie School
Jason (J.D.) Dothard DB 6-0 180 Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton High School
Eddie Evans DL 6-1 290 Ashford, Ala./Ashford High School
Bryan Fitzgerald RB 5-10 210 Memphis, Tenn./Northwest Mississippi CC
Edward Gant WR 6-4 190 Fort Myers, Fla./Southwest Mississippi CC
Thomas Green LB 6-1 210 Hixson, Tenn./The McCallie School
Chris Harr TE 6-4 235 Chattanooga, Tenn./Notre Dame High School
*Thomas Hinton WR 5-11 180 Prentiss, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) CC
T.J. Hurless OL 6-4 310 Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill High School
Chris Lewis-Harris DB 5-10 170 Smyrna, Ga./Campbell High School
Jaron Norfleet OLB 6-3 225 Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood High School
Ryan Norris OL 6-3 290 Semmes, Ala./Mary G. Montgomery High School
*Tony Pastore QB 6-2 200 Woodstock, Ga./Kent State University
Reed Quillen DB 6-1 190 Oak Ridge, Tenn./Oak Ridge High School
Dominique Sanjurjo DB 5-11 170 Riverdale, Ga./Riverdale High School
Kenny Scrivens DB 5-11 200 Brunswick, Ga./Independence (Kansas) CC
Buster Skrine CB 5-8 170 Woodstock, Ga./Etowah HS
Aaron Ware DB 5-11 185 College Park, Ga./Woodward Academy
(* already enrolled at UTC)
SLOAN ALLISON
Quarterback, 6-2, 200
Chattanooga, Tenn./Boyd Buchanan School
As a senior, quarterbacked the Buccaneers to the Region 3 Class 2A title … Threw for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns … Boyd Buchanan advanced to the second round of the state playoffs … Coached at Boyd Buchanan by Grant Reynolds … Also competed in golf and basketball … Golf team’s most valuable player as a sophomore and junior … Placed third in the City Junior Golf Championship in 2005 in the 16-18-year-old division … Also recruited by Lipscomb, Sewanee and Tusculum.
RODNEY BEAMAN
DL, 6-2, 305
Chaffey (Calif.) College
Recorded 10 sacks and 20 tackles for negative yardage in two seasons at Chaffey Community College in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. … Helped Panthers to a 7-3 record and a 6-2 mark in the Foothills Conference … Team won its last five games … Defense allowed only 38 points in last three games … Chaffey finished season ranked 12th in the Southern Region of the California Community College Regional State Football Poll … Coached at Chaffey by Carl Beach … Named Second-Team All-America as a high school lineman at Valley View High School … Also recruited by New Mexico, North Dakota State, Sam Houston State and Texas State.
JOEL BRADFORD
Receiver, 5-10, 165
Chattanooga, Tenn./The McCallie School
Five-tool player for Division II Class 3A State runners-up … Played receiver and cornerback and handled punting, place kicking and punt return duties … Listed as All-City Best of Preps by Chattanooga Times Free Press as a senior … Named All-State by Tennessee Sportswriters Association and All-Super 7 All-State … Ranked second on team with 49 catches for 994 yards and three touchdowns … Averaged 20.3 yards per reception … Intercepted seven passes with 149 return yards while scoring one TD … Returned four punts for 99 yards and one touchdown … Team leader with 124.2 all-purpose yards per outing … Averaged 37.2 yards per punt, including 10 which were downed inside the 20-yard line … Went 4-for-8 on field goal attempts with a long of 45 yards … Registered 19 tackles with nine pass deflections … Recovered two fumbles and blocked one kick … Caught eight passes for 99 yards in win over Riverdale … Had 122 yards on four receptions including an 80-yard touchdown catch in win over Knox Powell … Posted 148 yards on seven catches and picked off two passes against Alcoa … Totaled 111 receiving yards on seven catches in victory over Baylor … Collected 99 yards of receptions on five catches in win over Columbia, S.C. … Returned an interception 100 yards in win over Tyner Academy … Also scored on a 41-yard punt return and had 69 yards in receptions … Hauled in a 72-yard touchdown pass in state semifinal win over Christian Brothers … Set season highs with eight catches and 183 yards in championship game … Helped McCallie go 10-2 on the year and advance to the Division II Class AAA State Championship Game, losing by three points to Brentwood Academy … Wore jersey No. 9 … Coached at McCallie by former UTC quarterback Ralph Potter … Also competed in basketball and soccer … Also recruited by Austin Peay State and Duke … Recruited by Wofford for soccer.
LA‘NARD CARR
Defensive End, 6-3, 235
Alpharetta, Ga./Centennial High School
Totaled 63 tackles last season playing defensive line and outside linebacker … Registered 14 stops behind the line, three quarterback sacks and three forced fumbles … Played in only eight games … Voted team’s Defensive Most Valuable Player and captain … First-Team All-Region and Second-Team All-Atlanta Area … Listed Super Seven in area … Most outstanding performer in two games … Also competed in track and field and basketball … Placed third in the nation and won consecutive state AAU basketball titles with the Atlanta Celtics … Also recruited by Akron, Austin Peay State, Jacksonville State, Kent State, Murray State, Southern Mississippi and Wofford … Has a twin brother, Leonard, who played on the same AAU basketball team.
ANTHONY CONNEY
Running Back, 5-10, 190
Chattanooga, Tenn./The McCallie School
Played running back and linebacker for McCallie … School’s leading ground gainer with 873 yards on 148 rushes last season … Scored 13 rushing touchdowns and two through the air … Caught 13 passes for 130 yards … Earned All-Region accolades as a senior … Helped McCallie go 10-2 on the year and advance to the Division II Class AAA State Championship Game, losing by three points to Brentwood Academy … Led McCallie with 78 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns in win over Briarcrest … Ran for 123 yards on 16 totes in win over Knox Powell … Collected 95 yards on 19 rushes and scored twice against Alcoa … Added a 23-yard touchdown run in win over Baylor … Ran for 82 yards on just nine attempts with a 12-yard TD in victory over Montgomery Bell Academy … Scored four touchdowns and ran for 121 yards in win over Father Ryan … Had two 13-yard touchdown runs to help Tornado defeat Christian Brothers in State semifinals … Paced team with 79 rushing yards in title game
Wore jersey No. 32 … Coached at McCallie by former UTC quarterback Ralph Potter … Also competed in track and field … Also recruited by Eastern Kentucky, Navy, Tennessee-Martin and Tennessee Tech.
JASON (J.D.) DOTHARD
Defensive Back, 6-0, 180
Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton High School
Registered 22 tackles with one for a loss as a cornerback in 2006 … Also deflected a team-best seven passes and picked off three others … As a receiver, credited with seven catches for 136 yards … Averaged 19.4 yards per reception with one touchdown … Also ran the ball 30 times for 139 yards and one score … Returned six kickoffs for 97 yards … Helped Trojans to a 12-2 overall record and a 6-1 mark in Region 6 Class 3A … Team won nine straight games to open season … Only regular-season loss was a 41-37 loss at Cartersville … Lost 12-10 in state finals to Carver of Columbus … Winner of team’s Outstanding Defensive Back and Ironman Awards for both junior and senior seasons … Named Most Improved Receiver in final year … Played safety as a junior and totaled 55 tackles … Had five tackles for negative yardage, two interceptions, four breakups and two fumble recoveries … Wore jersey No. 3 … Coached at Carrollton by Rayvan Teague … Carrollton’s program ranks among the nation’s top-20 all-time winningest football programs and is No. 2 all-time in the State of Georgia … Trojans had a combined record of 34-4 over the last three seasons … CHS was 12-1 during Dothard’s sophomore year and 10-1 his junior season … Also competed in basketball and track and field … Basketball team’s Most Valuable Guard and Coaches Award recipient junior year … As a junior, placed third in the state in the 100, 200 and 400 meters … Also competed in relays, high jump, long jump and triple jump … Trojans were state track champions in 2005 … Member of the A-B Honor Roll … Earned Outstanding Student of the Month and Certified Math Awards … Member of the Spanish Club.
EDDIE EVANS
Defensive Lineman, 6-1, 290
Ashford, Ala./Ashford High School
Recorded 75 tackles from his defensive line position in 2006 … Also credited with 20 tackles behind the line and eight quarterback sacks … Honorable Mention All-State pick … Two-time All-Conference selection … Helped Yellow Jackets to a 6-4 record last year and the first round of the state playoffs … Totaled 157 tackles, 20 sacks and 40 negative yardage hits during his career … Also played center on offense … Coached at Ashford by Lester Bratcher … Also competed for the weightlifting team … Also recruited by Alabama State, Arkansas State, Carson-Newman, Elon, Jackson State, Jacksonville State and North Alabama.
BRYAN FITZGERALD
Running Back, 5-10, 210
Southaven, Miss./Northwest Mississippi Community College
Preseason All-America as a junior in 2006 … Recorded team-best 731 rushing yards and averaged 8.4 yards per carry in 10 games for the Rangers … Scored two touchdowns … Top game was a 167-yard effort in win over Itawamba Community College … Team leader in all-purpose yardage … Second-Team All-State selection … Played in all 10 games and drew four starts … Helped Rangers to a 6-4 record and the MACJC North Division title … Led all backs in Northwest’s playoff game against Pearl River with 116 yards on eight carries, including a 61-yard run … Participated in the Mississippi All-Star Game … Member of winning North Team … Coached at Northwest Mississippi by Randy Pippin … First-Team All-Area, All-Region and All-County as a senior at Southaven High School … Set school single-game record with 352 yards on 14 carries … Ran for 1,600 yards and scored 14 touchdowns senior season … Collected 2,000 all-purpose yards with 15 touchdowns as a junior … Also competed in track and field … Also recruited by Memphis, Ole Miss, Tennessee-Martin and UAB.
EDWARD GANT
Receiver, 6-4, 190
Fort Myers, Fla./Southwest Mississippi Community College
Caught 23 balls for 504 yards and four touchdowns last season … Honorable Mention Junior College All-America following 2006 at Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, Miss. … Also excelled on special teams … Bears went 5-4 his sophomore season … Earned Preseason JUCO All-America listing … Coached at Southwest Mississippi by Charles Anthony … Also recruited by Hampton, Hawai’i, Jackson State and Southern … Brother, Phillip Buchanon, plays cornerback for the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers … Buchanon is a six-year NFL veteran from the University of Miami.
THOMAS GREEN
Linebacker, 6-1, 210
Hixson, Tenn./The McCallie School
Second-Team All-State honoree senior year … Also listed Second-Team All-City Best of Preps by Chattanooga Times Free Press … Collected 99 tackles in 2006 for the Blue Tornado, 60 of which were solo stops … Second-leading tackler on the squad … Had five tackles for loss (-15), three sacks (-12), two pass breakups and one interception … Helped McCallie go 10-2 on the year and advance to the Division II Class AAA State Championship Game, losing by three points to Brentwood Academy … Wore jersey No. 51 … Coached at McCallie by former UTC quarterback Ralph Potter … Also competed in track and field … Also recruited by Austin Peay State and Tennessee Tech … Uncle Matt Green was a football lineman at UTC from 1993 to 1996.
CHRIS HARR
Tight End, 6-4, 235
Chattanooga, Tenn./Notre Dame High School
Region 3 Class 3A Defensive Player of the Year … Listed All-City Best of Preps by Chattanooga Times Free Press … All-State honoree … Played linebacker, defensive end and tight end for the Fighting Irish … Totaled 125 tackles senior season … Also recorded 18 tackles behind the line, three sacks and five fumble recoveries … Returned one fumble for a touchdown … Helped Notre Dame to an 8-3 overall record … Irish advanced to the playoffs, losing in the first round … Wore jersey No. 75 … Coached at Notre Dame by Charlie Wiggins … Also competed in track and field, throwing the shot put and discus … Also recruited by Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee-Martin.
THOMAS HINTON
Receiver, 5-11, 180
Prentiss, Miss./Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College
Already enrolled at UTC … Collected 25 receptions for 400 yards and two touchdowns last season … Second-Team All-South Division performer for Wesson, Miss., school … Voted team captain for the Wolfpack … Played receiver, quarterback and kick returner … Team went 9-3 overall and 1-1 in state playoffs … Won Mississippi’s South Division … Shut out Georgia Military College 21-0 in Sea Island Company’s Golden Isles Bowl Classic … UTC’s first commitment of the recruiting period … Wore jersey No. 11 … Coached at Copiah-Lincoln by Billy Glenn Davis … Graduated from Prentiss High School … Also recruited by Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana Tech, Tennessee-Martin and Tulsa.
T.J. HURLESS
Offensive Line, 6-4, 310
Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill High School
Rated a two-star recruit by Rivals.com … First-Team All-Region 7 Class 5A honoree … First-Team All-Gwinnett County selection … Three-year starter for the Eagles on the offensive and defensive line … Helped team to 7-4 record in 2006 … Participated in the Georgia North-South All-Star Game … Coached at Collins Hill by Larry Sherrill … Also recruited by East Carolina, Samford and Tennessee-Martin.
CHRIS LEWIS-HARRIS
Defensive Back, 5-10, 170
Smyrna, Ga./Campbell High School
Listed Associated Press First-Team All-State defensive back in Georgia’s Class 5A … Named Cobb County Defensive Back of the Year last season … Also played receiver … Helped Spartans to a 9-3 record and the second round of the state playoffs … Coached at Campbell by Kyle Hockman … Also competed in track and field … Also recruited by Elon, Hofstra, Samford and Tennessee Tech.
JARON NORFLEET
Outside Linebacker, 6-3, 225
Nashville, Tenn./Brentwood High School
Rated a two-star recruit by Rivals.com … Two-time All-State honoree … Played tight end, defensive end, inside linebacker and H-back senior season … Registered 90 total tackles with 48 solo stops … Credited with eight sacks for 56 yards … Also forced two fumbles and recovered two … Caught seven balls for 133 yards including a 62-yarder … Earned All-Mid-State, All-Region 6 Class 5A and All-County accolades … Region Defensive Lineman of the Year … Led Bruins to 7-3 record and first round of the state playoffs … All-Mid-State, All-Region and All-County as a junior also … Stood third in tackles with 111 and first with 12 sacks … Voted Class 5A Most Valuable Defensive Lineman sophomore year … Ranked second on team with 88 tackles … Topped team with eight sacks …Finished career with 284 tackles and 28 sacks … Coached at Brentwood by Ron Crawford … Also competed in wrestling … Wrestled at 189 pounds and 215 pounds … Mid-State Grand Champion as a freshman … Bruins placed third in state freshman and sophomore seasons … Also recruited by Alabama, Auburn, Kansas, Kansas State, Maryland, Memphis, Mississippi State, Murray State, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky.
RYAN NORRIS
Offensive Lineman, 6-3, 290
Semmes, Ala./Mary G. Montgomery High School
Defensive lineman who collected 84 total tackles last season … Also registered five quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles … Voted All-Region by Mobile Press Register … Listed as All-Southwest Alabama for Class 4A to 6A … Selected Vikings Most Valuable defensive lineman … Also played offensive line … Coached at Mary Montgomery by Scott Lesley … Also competed in track and field and weightlifting … Threw the javelin … Recorded top weight and top overall bench press in 2006 … Also recruited by Louisiana-Lafayette, North Alabama and Southern Mississippi.
TONY PASTORE
Quarterback, 6-2, 200
Woodstock, Ga./Kent State University
Already enrolled at UTC … Transferred to UTC from Kent State University in January, 2007 … Begins UTC career as a sophomore … Saw action in one game in 2006, lining up against Buffalo … Golden Flashes went 6-6 last season … Redshirted in 2005 … Practiced with the quarterbacks … Wore jersey No. 2 … Coached at Kent State by Doug Martin … Honorable Mention All-State quarterback as a senior at Sequoyah High School … Threw for 1,580 yards and 11 touchdowns, completing 110-of-202 pass attempts … Ran for eight TDs … Led team to 11-2 overall record and quarterfinals of state playoffs … Two-time All-Area, All-Region and All-County performer … Threw for 1,380 yards and 15 touchdowns junior year, playing in just nine games … Helped team claim county championship … Coached at Sequoyah by Sid Maxwell … Born June 21, 1986 … Son of Barbara and Dante Pastore.
REED QUILLEN
Defensive Back, 6-1, 190
Oak Ridge, Tenn./Oak Ridge High School
Credited with 54 tackles from the secondary position in 2006 … Recorded five sacks for 10 yards, forced a fumble, deflected two passes and blocked a punt … Also notched two touchdowns from the defensive side of the ball … As a receiver, caught six passes for 65 yards and one touchdown … Played senior year at Oak Ridge High School and three previous years at Roane County High School … Career totals include 219 tackles, eight sacks, six interceptions, five forced fumbles and six blocked kicks … Also played tight end, outside linebacker, kick returner and long snapper … Voted Defensive Back of the Year as a junior at Roane County … RCHS Player of the Week three times and Oak Ridge Player of the Week twice … Oak Ridge went 5-5 in 2006 … Coached at Oak Ridge by Stanton Stevens and at Roane County by Vic King … Also competed in track and field, basketball and wrestling … Attended Southern Arkansas Football Camp … Rated first in vertical jump, second in bench max and third in pro agility drills.
DOMINIQUE SANJURJO
Defensive Back, 5-11, 170
Riverdale, Ga./Riverdale High School
Earned All-Conference accolades for offense and defense in 2006 … Played cornerback and receiver … Also returned punts and kicks … Caught 25 passes for 500 yards and six touchdowns last season … Registered five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns … Also recorded 45 tackles, five behind the line and forced two fumbles … Notched Raiders’ longest receiving touchdown on the season for 80 yards … Helped team to 6-4 overall record and the first round of the state playoffs … Coached at Riverdale by Kevin Jones … Also competed in baseball … Voted team’s offensive player of the year in 2006 … Led team in batting average, doubles and stolen bases … Also recruited by Bowling Green, Georgia Southern, Northeastern, SMU and Tulane … Father, Tim Daniel, played for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys and was a member of back-to-back Super Bowl Championship teams in 1993 and 1994 … The Cowboys defeated Buffalo in consecutive seasons in the title game in Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII … Tim, a receiver, was drafted by the Cowboys in 1992 out of Florida A&M.
KENNY SCRIVENS
Defensive Back, 5-11, 200
Brunswick, Ga./Independence (Kansas) CC
Ranked second on junior college team in tackles as a sophomore last year with 92 … Tackle total was third best in the conference among all defensive players … Registered nine tackles behind the line and six quarterback sacks … Recorded two interceptions, forced five fumbles and recovered one … Started every game in second year and started all but one as a freshman … Pirates were 3-6 last season … Totaled 51 tackles as a freshman … Wore jersey No. 26 … Coached at Independence by David Ward … Earned high school team’s Coaches Award as a senior … Voted team captain … Recipient of team’s Defensive Player of the Year Award junior year and Most Improved Award sophomore season … Two-time Most Valuable Player of the junior varsity team … Also competed in track and field and wrestling … City Champion in the 110-meter high hurdles for four consecutive years … Placed third in the region three times in the 110 hurdles … Two-time track team MVP … Won Region Gold Medal in 300 intermediate hurdles … Won city wrestling title in his weight class as a sophomore … Academically received the Outstanding Senior Award and the Golden Rule Award.
BUSTER SKRINE
Cornerback, 5-8, 170
Woodstock, Ga./Etowah High School
Two-way player at Etowah High School … Voted team’s Most Valuable Player … Led Cherokee County in rushing yards with 1,071 on 167 rushes and in touchdowns with 15 last season … Also caught 17 balls for 363 yards and a score … Tallied 89 tackles from the secondary with 66 solo stops … Had one interception and a fumble recovery … Named Cherokee County Player of the Year … Honorable Mention All-State in Class 5A … Atlanta Journal Constitution Super 11 All-Star … Cherokee County Super 6 listing … All-County and All-Region … Five-time County Player of the Week … Helped Eagles to an 8-4 record and the second-round of the state playoffs … Etowah won first Region 5A title in school history … Named All-County defensive back as a junior … Selected school’s defensive back of the year with 61 tackles and two interceptions … Coached at Etowah by Bill Stewart … Also competed in track and field … Won county championship in triple jump and finished second in long jump … Earned All-County honors in track and field … Also recruited by Coastal Carolina, Eastern Illinois, Furman, Georgia Southern and Samford.
AARON WARE
Defensive Back, 5-11, 185
College Park, Ga./Woodward Academy
Played strong safety and outside linebacker for Woodward Academy … Recorded 93 total tackles senior season … Picked off one pass, recovered three fumbles and notched six quarterback sacks … Selected team’s defensive most valuable player … Named Second-Team All-City … Helped War Eagles to a 7-3 record last year … Wore jersey No. 4 … Coached at Woodward by Mark Miller … Also competed in track and field … Also recruited by Austin Peay State, The Citadel, Coastal Carolina, Eastern Kentucky and Hofstra.