LeCounte named Southeast Georgia defenseive player of year

Bradwell, Liberty, Long players are In The Game

LibertyPOW1 RichardLeCounte — Liberty County High School's Richard LeCounte named Southeast Georgia defenseive player of year - photo by Patty Leon/File

Players, coaches and fans came together Dec. 12, for a night of food, fun and recognition for the seventh annual “In the Game Sports Network” Southeast Georgia High School Football Awards Banquet at the Waycross City Auditorium. A total of 19 schools from across the area were represented.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Gibson Animal Clinic Defensive Player of the Year which went to Liberty County’s Richard LeCounte. The Panther’s defensive back is verbally committed to play for the University of Georgia next year.
“Watching Richard play is amazing,” said In The Game magazine publisher Shawn Smoak. “I look forward to seeing him in red and black for the next few years.”

Also honored were members of the Bradwell Institute Tigers and the Long County Blue Tide who, along with Liberty County, had two student-athletes cross the stage as their team’s outstanding players of the year.
Isley Moana was chosen as Bradwell’s outstanding offensive player while Joshua Ingram was the Tiger’s defensive player of the year. For Long County, Elijah Wright was the offensive pick while Jamin Davis took home the trophy as the Blue Tide’s outstanding defensive player.
Joining LeCounte on the award’s list for Liberty County were Jaalon Frazier and Antonio Golden, who were the outstanding offensive and defensive players for the Panthers.

Former University of Georgia linebacker, Rennie Curran was the keynote speaker. As a professional athlete, author and musician, Curran encouraged young people to stay humble and appreciate their talents.
Other major awards for Southeast Georgia went to Charlton County linebacker Bryant Sloan as the Coastal Pines Technical College Academic Athlete of the Year, Ware County’s Hakeem Dillard won the Farah and Farah Forward Progress Award as the season’s most improved player and Pierce County quarterback Stetson Bennett IV won the PrimeSouth Bank Offensive Player of the Year award.

The Walker Jones Player Spotlight MVP award went to Glynn Academy standout and University of Miami-commit DeeJay Dallas and the Robbie Roberson Ford Coach of the Year was presented to McIntosh County Academy’s Robby Robinson, who led the Buccaneers to the state title game this season just two years after the team went 0-10.

The Southeast Georgia High School Football Awards are presented at the end of each season by In The Game Sports Network which publishes “In The Game” magazine.