OFFENSE: Butler saves his best for last

This was almost the season that never was for Darlington’s Chase Butler.

Luckily for the Tigers community, coaching staff and teammates, Butler did have a season — and what a great one it was.

The senior linebacker has earned Rome News-Tribune Defensive Player of the Year honors after a stellar season in which he helped lead his team to a Region 6-A Championship and an appearance in the Class A state semifinals.

This award comes just seven months after he was named the RN-T’s baseball co-player of the year in June.

Butler finished the season with 94 total tackles, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, eight tackles for loss and two blocked kicks.

Obviously, those are impressive numbers for any player. But they become even more impressive when you consider that Butler didn’t play football his sophomore and junior seasons, electing instead to focus on his baseball career. (He recently singed a baseball scholarship to Georgia Tech).

But over the summer, Butler realized he still had a passion for the gridiron. He was also pursaded by the idea of playing with his younger brother Brad, who is a freshman this year, and the six seniors on the team that Butler described as some of his closest friends.

“I had been thinking about it all summer, and I didn’t really talk to anybody about it,” said Butler. “Then one day I went to pick up Brad from summer workouts, and sat in the car for about 30 minutes and it was all I could think about.

“So when they were coming off the field, I called Coach Atha over, and asked him if it was too late to play football.”

Butler said that Atha had a pretty shocked look on his face, but told him to think and pray about the decision for a couple of days. The two then met and Atha set out the guidelines for Butler to be able to return — Butler would have to sit out the first two regular-season games and do some extra running after practice.

Butler said that he thought it was going to a while to get his football legs back under him after two seasons off, but it came back pretty quickly.

“The coaches did a great job not rushing me back into things,” said Butler. “I think sitting out those first two games really helped me a lot to see how everything worked and just get back into rhythm.”

Butler saw his first action of the season in the third game of the year against Ridgeland, but only had limited minutes. Then in his first full game in Week 4 at Murphy, N.C., his fortunes — as well as the team’s —seem to change on one play.

With the score tied 20-20 late in the game, the Murphy quarterback inadvertently took a knee in his own endzone for the game-winning safety for Darlington.

From there, Butler and company went on to win five straight and roll to a Region 6-A Championship.

“As much as he brings to the table physically, he also brings it mentally and emotionally,” said Atha. “One of the things that sets him apart in my opinion is he was willing to put himself out there as a leader. He wasn’t afraid to show emotion. He wasn’t afraid to get the other kids excited."

The Darlington defense, which Butler nicknamed the “Death Squad”, was key in the run that took Darlington to the final four of the Class A playoffs until a loss to Savannah Christian.

Looking back, Butler said he really didn’t know what to expect going into the year, but is happy he made the decision to play.

“It was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” said Butler. “I was with the other six seniors, six of my closest friends, and got to know the underclassmen as well as getting to play with my little brother. I had so much fun, and the team had a special bond unlike any other athletic team I’ve ever been on.”

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE

Catlin Alford

Adairsville

Alford made a name as one of the most consistent players in the state and verbally committed to Georgia Tech. This season, he graded out at 88 percent. He also had 64 tackles at noseguard.

Dustin Christian

Calhoun

With 1,377 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns, Christian gave Calhoun a dependable weapon on the ground. The junior also caught two touchdown passes on his way to 351 yards receiving.

Desmond Curtis

Coosa

The Eagles’ leading scorer, Curtis had 636 yards rushing on 90 carries. He also starred on defense with a team-high 79 tackles, including 12 for loss, three sacks and a fumble recovery.

Deonte Dennis

Rome

Although a first-year starter at fullback, Dennis has become a standout for the Wolves on both sides of the ball and had 1,245 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in his senior season.

Tylon Garrett

Darlington

Garrett became the Tigers’ workhorse in the backfield this season as the senior ran for 1,362 yards and 16 touchdowns, even after switching from slotback to fullback after the first three games.

Adam Griffith

Calhoun

A sophomore and a two-time All-Area pick, Griffith made 70-of-75 extra points and 10-of-16 field goals, including a 50-yarder in the playoffs. He also had nearly half of kickoffs turn into touchbacks.

Kyle Harris

Pepperell

A dominant part of the Dragons’ line, Harris became a Division I prospect as he graded out at 87 percent for the season with 75 knockdown blocks. He graded out over 90 percent in four games.

Greg Mulkey

Sonoraville

Mulkey, a four-year starter, turned into the lynch pin of Sonoraville’s front line as both an offensive and defensive tackle. The lineman graded out at 86 percent and had 16 pancake blocks.

Nash Nance

Calhoun

Becoming one of Calhoun’s most prolific QBs, Nance threw for 3,017 yards and 29 touchdowns in the Jackets’ march to the state finals. He completed 203 of 297 passes and ran for 359 yards on 78 carries.

J.T. Palmer

Calhoun

Teaming up with Da’Rick Rogers to form a dominating receiving duo, Palmer finished with 719 yards on 54 catches for an average of 12.2 yards per catch and six touchdowns.

Dre Prather

Gordon Central

The Warriors’ junior signal caller had 2,028 yards passing and 19 touchdowns while going 138-for-244 in the air. Prather also had 109 yards and another touchdown rushing.

Rashad Ramsey

Chattooga

As a quarterback and defensive back, Ramsey passed for 1,187 yards with 13 TDs through the air (a school single-season record) while only tossing one pick. He also rushed for 684 yards.

Alex Sentell

Darlington

Sentell parlayed his talent to become a leader on the offensive line as well giving freshman quarterback Brad Butler some piece of mind during the Tigers’ run to the Class A semifinals.

Tucker Smith

Calhoun

A senior lineman for the Jackets and a college prospect after protecting Nance against opposing defenses, Smith had 26 pancake blocks and will be looking to play in college after graduation.

SECOND TEAM

Quarterbacks: Tyré Brown (Adairsville), David Masters (Coosa)

Running Backs: Janier Ferguson (Pepperell), Shaqeal McAfee(Sonoraville), Cedric Spivey (Darlington), Zach Washington (Sonoraville)

Wide Receivers: Tyshaun Clemmons (Gordon Central), Caleb Freeman (Pepperell)

Tight End: Drew Pearson (Pepperell)

Offensive Line: Ben Brooks (Armuchee), Dallas Creamer (Adairsville), Colton Greeson (Calhoun), Will Lester (Darlington), Jesse Maynor (Pepperell)

Placekicker: Ben Davidson (Darlington)

All-Purpose: Niagel Curtis (Gordon Central), Marcus Jackson (Pepperell), Hayden Privett (Cedartown)

HONORABLE MENTION

Adairsville: Zach Brown; Darlington: Cameron Gibson, Blake Huether, Gavin Lawrence, Nigel Mathews; GSD: Nestor Cacho, Montrez West; Model: Craig Calhoun.

DEFENSE: Rogers hauls in historic season

When it came down to it, Calhoun wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers didn’t mind what he was called.

Whether a pronunciation of his first name came out with an emphasis on the “Day” or on the “Rick”, or the whole thing was turned around and it became easier to understand how he earned the nickname “Da Freak”, Rogers was consistently called one thing by the fans and coaches that saw him play.

Pretty special.

“He’s got all the tools and got better and better as the season went on,” Calhoun football coach Hal Lamb said. “That’s what I was most impressed with.”

As the 2009 Rome News-Tribune Offensive Player of the Year, Rogers gets another honor to add to his already extensive list of accolades.

Rogers caught 84 passes for a total of 1,647 yards and 22 touchdowns, breaking the Georgia High School Association record for most yards receiving in a single season.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound phenom, ranked as a five-star prospect by Scout.com, also had four rushing touchdowns, two 90-plus yard kickoff returns for touchdowns and a 48-yard interception returned for six points.

He was named the Associated Press Class AA Offensive Player of the Year as well as the AJC All-Classification Player of the Year and earned a spot on the Under Armour All-American game roster.

“Really, I have to say it was the hard work that the coaches had us do all through the summer and spring,” Rogers said of what laid the foundation for this past season. “And it really showed this year.”

Before he even played the first snap of his senior season, Rogers had already verbally committed to play for the University of Georgia and was heralded as one of the best receivers in the state.

“He was well liked by his teammates,” Lamb said, adding that Rogers came to Calhoun just before his junior year. “It was only after the first couple of days of practice that you knew he was somebody that was going to make a difference on this football team.”

When he stepped on the field, he proved every bit of it.

Rogers paired his quickness and agility with quarterback and good friend Nash Nance and a group of offensive linemen that are recognized on this year’s RN-T All-Area squad.

The result was a 14-1 season that nearly ended with a Class AA state championship. Calhoun was defeated at the Georgia Dome for the second year in a row by Buford, losing 13-10.

Still, when asked to describe his final season of high school football in one word Rogers replied, “Spectacular.”

“That was my senior year and we were undefeated — well, almost undefeated — and to do all of that with those guys was just a really great experience,” Rogers said.

And while his next chance to play varsity football will have to wait until the fall, Rogers will get a nationwide audience on Saturday when he plays in the Under Armour All-American football game.

The contest will be broadcast live from St. Petersburg, Fla., at 11 a.m. on ESPN.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE

Kedron Aker

Calhoun

The senior defensive back, who is committed to play at UAB, had a stellar senior campaign that included over 100 total tackles, including 11 tackles for loss. Aker also had an interception.

Vic Beasley

Adairsville

Beasley was Mr. Do-it-all, starring at running back, LB and returner. On the defensive side, the Clemson commit had 69 tackles, including eight sacks. He also had 828 yards rushing and three TDs as a kick and punt returner.

Olajuwon Blair

Chattooga

At safety, Blair was a senior team captain and had over 60 tackles and picked off four passes. He was one of Chattooga’s weapons on offense where he had 600 yards rushing to help the Indians to a playoff appearance.

A.J. Brown

Rockmart

The senior defensive tackle was a commanding presence at 6-5, 373, and was a terror for opposing offensive linemen. Brown was in on 40 tackles despite facing constant double teams. He also had 4.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks.

L.A. Dunaway

Armuchee

One of the top defensive ends in the area, the junior three-year starter had 18 tackles for loss, caused four fumbles and had three fumble recoveries. He is one of four Armuchee players on the first-team D.

LaDeremy Fielder

Pepperell

The Dragons senior had 51 solo tackles, 10 TFL, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. He was also the fullback in a run-first offense, accounting for 283 yards on the ground and two TDs.

Stephen Gaylor

Rome

Gaylor was a playmaker on both sides of the ball. He had over 400 yards receiving and seven interceptions to go with 52 tackles. He also blocked eight combined field goals and extra points.

Tev’n Hamilton

Darlington

A junior safety on the Tigers’ final four team, Hamilton finished the year with 103 total tackles (70 solo), seven pass breakups, three interceptions and six fumbles forced. He also blocked one kick.

Tommy Harris

Armuchee

Harris, a senior, had one of the strongest legs in the area. He averaged 38 yards per punt with a long of 64. He also made a school record 52-yard field goal. On 43 kickoffs this year, he kicked 25 touchbacks.

Hunter Knight

Calhoun

At linebacker, Knight recorded 102 total tackles with nine TFL and eight sacks. He blocked three punts in a playoff game against North Oconee and an extra point against Buford.

Thad Mathis

Darlington

Mathis helped the Tigers to a region championship and three wins in the playoffs, playing through multiple injuries. Mathis finished with 44 solo tackles, eight TFL, 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Senorise Perry

Chattooga

An explosive athlete, Perry had an astounding six return touchdowns in his senior season. He had 918 yards rushing, 216 yards receiving and 12 TDs on offense. He also played linebacker on defense.

Arthur Pollard

Darlington

As a junior defensive end, Pollard finished with 101 total tackles and 11 TFL. He had seven sacks, four fumbles forced, five fumble recoveries and two hurries while also starting on offense at tight end.

Jake Schmidt

Armuchee

Schmidt helped lead a very talented linebacker corps, finishing the season with a team-high 109 tackles and set the Armuchee career record for tackles with a total of 432 over his four years at “The Reservation.”

Weston Tate

Model

Tate, a junior linebacker, had 97 total tackles, four sacks, eight fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles. He also returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

Jason Vasser

Armuchee

Vasser was one of the more feared inside linebackers in Greater Rome. He recorded 107 tackles. He made 18 TFL and forced three fumbles to help Armuchee to its first playoff appearance since 1999.

Brett Walraven

Calhoun

Walraven led the area in interceptions with seven. He had 52 total tackles and also recovered two fumbles, one of which he returned 74 yards for a touchdown in the Jackets’ first-round playoff win over Avondale.

SECOND TEAM

Defensive Line: Zac Maddix (Pepperell), Colt Moore (Trion), Caden Parker (Calhoun), Zac Poole (Rome)

Linebackers: Teddy Lawrence (Rome), Tevin Pullum (Adairsville), William Waters (Darlington), Josh White (Calhoun)

Defensive Backs: Nick Nelson (Pepperell), Jake Nix (Armuchee), Cody Simpson (Trion), A.J. White (Darlington)

Punter: Glenn Emery (Trion)

All-Purpose: Jarvis Heath (Pepperell), Tyler Wood (Model),

Jordan Wright (Rockmart)

HONORABLE MENTION

Adairsville: Bo Edwards; Calhoun: Blane Beaver, Alex Kirby, Gus Roberts; Chattooga: Taylor Hunter; Darlington: Russ Arnold, Ivy Duggan, Christopher Griffin; GSD: Ryan Hall, Eric Welch; Gordon Central: Mikar Arriviaga, CJ Bell, Jared Noland; Model: Randall Cooper, Brad Nickerson; Pepperell: Dakota Ball, Stephen Lewis, Kyle Shiflett; Rockmart: Terian Beavers, Tevin Clark, Joseph Lockley; Sonoraville: Andrew Bingiel, Landon Ralston; Trion: Cassidy Houser; Unity Christian: Reese Bryant, Richard Cooper, Josh Smith.