Mays Rises to No. 7 in AJC-GHSFD Top 10 Football Poll, Washington’s Taylor Selected Area Volleyball POTY, Washington and KAC Advance to Volleyball State Playoffs

Mays rose to No. 7 in this week’s Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC)/Georgia High School Football Daily (GHSFD) Class AAAAAA Top 10 poll, after blasting Douglas County 55-0 on Friday.

A host of Raiders (5-1 overall, 4-0 in Class AAAAAA-Region 5) played a role in the blowout win, including senior quarterback Bardenie “B.J.” Phillips, who completed 15-of-27 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns. He also carried the ball seven times for 54 yards and another touchdown. Two of Phillips’ touchdown passes went to JaMarcus McCoy, while the other two went to Amir Abdur-Rahman and Kendell Wimberly. Mays scored twice on defense, as Kortez Daniel scored on a 48-yard fumble recovery and Ferlando Jordan scored on a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown. Adeatric White had an interception as well.

The win keeps the Raiders in a tie with Alexander (Douglas County) for first place in the region. Alexander is ranked just behind Mays in the AJC/GHSFD poll at No. 8.

In other games involving APS teams on Friday:

Therrell kept its playoff hopes alive with a hard-fought 29-27 win over South Atlanta. The win for the Panthers improved their record to 3-4 overall, 1-2 in Class AA-Region 6, while the Hornets fell to 2-6 overall, 0-4 in the region. Therrell is now in fifth place in the region. The top four teams advance to the state playoffs. Therrell has two games remaining on its schedule with teams that currently hold one of those playoff spots – Douglass and Hapeville Charter (Fulton County).

Douglass blasted Forest Park (Clayton County) (0-8), 41-0, in a game that does not have an impact on the Region 6 standings. The Astros improved to 4-2 overall, 2-1 in region competition, and have won three games in a row. The defense has been the catalyst during the win streak, yielding a total of just seven points in the Astros’ last three games (52-7 over Osborne, 21-0 over Washington and 41-0 over Forest Park).

VOLLEYBALL
Washington outside hitter Lauren Taylor was recently selected as the Class AA-Area 4 Player of the Year (Note:  Volleyball teams are grouped into areas instead of regions). Lauren led the Bulldogs to a second-place finish in the area tournament, earning a spot in the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) state playoffs.

KIPP Atlanta Collegiate (KAC) finished third in the area tournament, earning a state playoff spot as well. Washington will host Callaway (Troup County), the No. 3 team from Area 1, in the first round of the playoffs on Oct. 18.  KAC will travel to Columbus to face Jordan (Muscogee), the No. 2 team from Area 1.

Additionally, Lauren and six other APS student athletes made the Class AA-Area 4 All-Area team, while three received Honorable Mention status:

First Team
Sabree Gallishaw, Washington, Outside Hitter
Dgeneba Keita, South Atlanta, Setter
Asha Redhead, Therrell, Middle Hitter
Zharia Redhead, Therrell, Setter

Second Team
Lyric Hawkins, KAC, Outside Hitter
Jennifer Rodriquez, South Atlanta, Defensive Specialist/Libero

Honorable Mention:
Deja Greene, KAC, Setter
Riann McCollum, Douglass, Outside Hitter
Kayla Pruitt, Douglass, Middle Hitter