Meet the All-Spartanburg area high school football team and player of the year for 2023
Here is the All-Spartanburg area high school football team for the 2023 season. Both offense and defense have 11-man teams with a kicker added to the offense. Athletes are listed in alphabetical order. Statistics are from MaxPreps. Coaches nominate players for postseason honors.
Player of the Year
Coleman Gray
Quarterback | Sr. | Chapman
This may be the best way, the only way, to explain how important Coleman Gray was to a team that won Region 3-AAA and went 10-2.
Gray was the leading rusher for the Panthers with 895 yards, more than eight yards per carry, with 15 touchdowns. He was not the running back. He was the quarterback who also passed for 2,076 yards, completing 64% with 17 touchdowns. He is the 864Huddle All-Spartanburg area player of the year.
First team offense
Harrison Bridges
Offensive line | Sr. | Chapman
Bridges was named all-state and provided much of the protection for Gray as Chapman won Region 3-AAA with the league’s best offense.
Jake Buerk
Offensive line | Sr. | Gaffney
Buerk was selected all-state in Class AAAAA and was a starter in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas all-star game.
Landon Greene
Offensive line | Jr. | Dorman
Greene is listed as the No. 13 offensive lineman in the state by Prep Red Zone for the rising senior class. He is 6-foot-2 and 330 pounds.
Colton Link
Running back | Sr. | Landrum
Link ran for 1,668 yards (9.1 per carry) and scored 23 touchdowns. He had seven games of more than 100 yards and made all-state in Class AA.
Emazon Littlejohn
Wide receiver | Sr. | Gaffney
Littlejohn was an all-state player who had 57 catches for 869 yards with 11 touchdowns.
Jaiden McDowell
Running back | So. | Gaffney
McDowell made all-state in Class AAAA in his first season as a starter. He ran for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 45 passes for 548 yards with four scores.
Jaylen McGill
Running back | So. | Broome
McGill rushed for 1,602 yards (9.1 per carry) and scored 24 touchdowns. He also had a pair of TD catches. McGill was all-state and is getting Power 5 offers.
Steven O’Dell
Offensive line | Sr. | Broome
O’Dell is a two-time all-state player, Class AAA Upper State lineman of the year, was named to the North-South all-star game and is committed to Furman.
Justin Rice
Wide receiver | Jr. | Spartanburg
Rice made all-state after catching 42 passes for 658 yards with four touchdowns.
Shedrick Sarratt Jr.
Offensive line | Jr. | Gaffney
Sarratt is listed by Prep Red Zone as the No. 3 offensive lineman in the state for the rising senior class. He is listed as the No. 8 overall player in the state by 247 Sports.
Riley Staton
Quarterback | Sr. | Gaffney
Staton, playing on his fifth high school team, finally found a true home at Gaffney. He passed for 2,737 yards with 28 touchdowns and just six interceptions.
Jackson Visoury
Kicker | Jr. | Chapman
Visoury was 6-for-6 on field goals and 54-for-55 on extra points. He is 10-for-10 on field goals in his career, 100-for-103 on PATs.
First team defense
JoJo Barrett
Defensive line | Sr. | Boiling Springs
Barrett was all-state after making 87 tackles, second-best on the team.
Demario Bookhart
Defensive back | Sr. | Spartanburg
Bookhard was all-state after making 59 tackles with two interceptions.
Knai Cook
Defensive back | Sr. | Byrnes
Cook was all-state in Class AAAAA and named to the North-South all-star team. He had 71 tackles with two interceptions, 12 pass breakups and two fumble recoveries.
Caron Foster
Defensive line | Sr. | Gaffney
Foster was all-state after recording 7.5 sacks and 52 tackles, including 35 solo stops.
Jarriel Jefferies
Defensive line | Sr. | Gaffney
Jefferies was named all-state after recording 10.5 sacks and 46 solo tackles.
Reece Lynch
Linebacker | Sr. | Chapman
Lynch had 118 tackles, 49 solo, with 8.5 sacks in making the all-state team.
Amajai Martin
Defensive back | Sr. | Broome
Martin made all-state. He had 35 tackles with five pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Joshua Mattison
Defensive line | Sr. | Spartanburg
Mattison was second in the state with 15.5 sacks and had 35 solo tackles.
James Oates
Linebacker | Sr. | Byrnes
Oates was all-state. He had 69 solo tackles and 125 in all with seven sacks and an interception.
Andrew Ruppe
Linebacker | Jr. | Gaffney
Ruppe ranked second in the state with 11 interceptions, just two from the state lead.
Brannon Teamer
Defensive back | Sr. | Dorman
Teamer is an all-state player and will play at North Greenville University.
Second team offense
Kamajay Brackett-Brannon, QB, Broome
Rashawn Cunningham, WR, Chapman
Garrett Hall, OL, Byrnes
Jacob Hill, OL, Boiling Springs
Ben Ross, OL, Landrum
Kory Scott, WR, Woodruff
Tre Segarra, RB, Byrnes
Jamarcus Smith, WR, Gaffney
Jake Spadavecchia, PK, Gaffney
Jayden Van Wettering, OL, Landrum
Second team defense
Damion Coats, DL, Spartanburg
Tristan Cromer, LB, Broome
Chris Foster, DL, Byrnes
Campbell Johnson, DL, Boiling Springs
AJ Lindsey, LB, Landrum
Christian Roberts, LB, Spartanburg
William Seymour, LB/DE, Chapman
Tre Suber, DB, Broome
DT Thompson, DL, Broome
Dawson Walters, LB, Chapman
Chance Williams, DL, Broome
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SC high school football: All-Spartanburg area team, player of year
