Griffin High’s Toby Jackson is this year’s Griffin Daily News Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-4, 244-pound blue chip senior seemed to be all over the field every time Griffin played. He started the season playing defensive end, but was moved to linebacker in an effort to prevent teams from running away from him.

Regardless of where he lined up he produced, using his speed, strength and ability to shed blockers to make tackles from sideline to sideline. He was injured and played only a handful of plays in the team’s opening-round state playoff game against Banneker, a 41-7 loss, but still managed to end the season with 72 tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, three caused fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception and one touchdown. More important, however, was the fact that the Bears were a different team when Jackson was on the field.

For that, Jackson was named this year’s Griffin Daily News Player of the Year. In so being named, he becomes the first non-skilled player to win the award in recent years following teammates Randrick Coggins QB (2004) and Bobby Rainey RB (2005 and 2006) as the recipient of the area’s highest award.

Griffin High head coach Steve DeVoursney was named Griffin Daily News Coach of the Year for the third year in a row.

In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, DeVoursney guided the Bears to a 9-1 record in the regular season. Furthermore, the Bears won their fourth consecutive subregion championship and notched a spot in the state playoff field for the seventh consecutive season and for the 11th time in the past 12 seasons. For that, DeVoursney was named this year’s Griffin Daily News Coach of the Year. In so doing he becomes the award’s first three-time winner in recent memory.

Rounding out the rest of the special awards were: Griffin running back Latravis Mongtomey (Offensive Player of the Year), Spalding High defensive lineman Darrell James and linebacker Bernard Goodrum (Co-Defensive Player of the Year), Spalding High safety/quarterback Willie Hamm (Best All-Around) and Pike County kicker Dan Anderson (Special Teams Player of the Year).

It was the second year on a row Anderson won his award. The rest of the special awards went to first-timers.

2007 All-Area Football Team

-- Player of the Year: Toby Jackson (Griffin)

-- Coach of the Year: Steve DeVoursney (Griffin)

-- Offensive Player of the Year: Latravis Montgomery (Griffin)

-- Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Darrell James (Spalding) & Bernard Goodrum (Spalding)

-- Best All-Around: Willie Hamm (Spalding)

-- Special Team Player of the Year: Dan Anderson (Pike)

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Offense

QB Marcus Waller, GHS    10

RB Latravis Montgomery, GHS    12

RB Sheldon Hancock, GHS    11

WR Kevin Abercrombie, GCHS    12

WR Ross Turner, PCHS    12

TE Marcus Duvall, SHS    12

OL Ramone Barlow, GHS    12

OL Jared Hernandez, SHS    12

OL Michael Brown, GCHS    10

OL Caleb Manley, PCHS    12

OL Aaron Hurd, PCHS    12

K  Dan Anderson, PCHS    11

P  Alex Evans, SHS    11

ATL Christian Lawver, GCHS    11

RET G.T. Holmes, SHS    12

Defense

DB Willie Hamm, SHS    11

DB Tavares Jackson, SHS    12

LB Bernard Goodrum, SHS    12

LB Kentorius Jackson, GHS    11

LB Rodnekus Lindsey, GHS    11

LB Greg Worthy, GHS    11

LB Gralon Head, GCHS    10

DL Darrell James, SHS    12

DL Toby Jackson, GHS    12

DL Telvin Nash, GHS    11

DL Tyler Wise, LCHS    12

K Will Jeffcoat, SHS    10

K/P Kevin Garland, GHS    12

ATH Ethan Rowe, GCHS    9

RET James Freeman, SHS    12

Honorable Mention: DJ Tice QB (Pike), Alex Wandless ATH (Griffin Christian), Tank Sessions DE (Griffin), Xavier Randolph DPSN (Griffin), Jonathan Barnett LB (Lamar), Jonathan Stout OL (Lamar), Rodney Story LB (Pike), Cortez Puckett LB (Spalding) Tavoris Berry DL (Spalding).