All-Region 7-3A football teams include 13 Gilmer High players.
Gilmer’s blockers and backs that fueled its triple option offense were widely regarded among the best in the region.
Earning first-team honors were the senior trio of quarterback Issac Rellinger, fullback Wyatt Stokes and offensive lineman Blane Banks. Junior lineman Sam Jones was also a first-team pick along with sophomore athlete Douglas Callihan.
Garnering first-team defensive nods were junior safety Bo Cronic and sophomore linebacker Peyton Chancey.
Senior athlete Kyle Cowart was selected to the second-team offense. Linemen Austin Green and Jack Puckett were second teamers as well along with fellow junior athlete Hunter Britain.
Senior lineman Jake Hice and senior linebacker Memphis Lewallen were second-team defenders.
Receiving an honorable mention were receivers Rhett McGregor and Riley Duggan, lineman Logan Hightower, tight end Charles Norman and athlete Grant Ballew.
Banks, Jones, Green, Puckett, Hightower, Hice, Norman, Duggan and McGregor all helped pave the way for Gilmer’s potent rushing attack.
GHS averaged 299 rushing yards per game, and the Bobcats eclipsed 400 yards rushing against Ridgeland (424), Pickens (413) and Heritage (407).
Stokes led the way with 1,015 yards on 202 carries and 12 touchdowns.
Rellinger played in seven full games before he was injured on Gilmer’s second possession versus Calhoun. He ran for 412 yards on 65 attempts and scored two touchdowns. He also completed 15/36 passes for 418 yards and four more scores.
Callihan picked up 376 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 48 carries and was the team’s leading receiver with eight catches, 222 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 55 total tackles, including five for a loss. He forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and broke up three more.
Chancey notched 55 tackles as well and six were for a loss and included a sack. He recovered three fumbles and forced another. He was injured in the third quarter versus Calhoun and did not play the rest of the season.
Cronic tallied 47 total tackles, intercepted two passes and broke up two more. He stepped in for Rellinger and ran the offense following his season-ending injury.
Britain was Gilmer’s second leading rusher with 635 and averaged 10.1 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns. He played corner back defensively and picked off three passes, broke up eight and made 32 total stops.
Cornerback Cowart intercepted three passes as well, broke up five and finished his season with 51 total tackles. Offensively, he ran for 391 yards, which included a 73-yard touchdown run on the first play versus Pickens. He reached the end zone twice and averaged 8.89 yards per run.
Lewallen was Gilmer’s top tackler with 88 and four were for losses. He recovered a pair of fumbles and broke up a pass.
Hice totaled 24 tackles and one was behind the line of scrimmage. He also started on offense at tackle.
In addition to helping spring runs off the edge, McGregor caught three passes and two were for touchdowns. He had 131 receiving yards on the year.
Ballew ran 23 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, he was No. 1 on the team with three sacks and added two more tackles for a loss. He made 46 total tackles, forced a fumble and broke up a pass.