Harding gets 3 players, coach, on AP All-State high school football team
The awards keep coming for Harding High magical N.C. 4A state championship football team.
After winning its first state championship in 64 years, Harding has placed three players on the 2017 Associated Press all-state football team. No team had as many players selected as Harding.
Rams coach Sam Greiner, who turned around a team that was 1-10 two years ago, is the state coach of the year.
Greiner was joined on the team by Harding offensive lineman Jovaughn Gwyn and defensive back Malik Dunlap, a N.C. State recruit. Harding running back Quavaris Crouch, already voted the Gatorade N.C. player of the year, was tied for the leading vote-getter on the team with 14 votes from a 19-person statewide media panel.
▪ Five additional Mecklenburg County players made the team: Vance tight end Gary Williams; Mallard Creek linemen Katrel Shaw and Jordan Davis; Hough defensive back Tyus Fields; and Providence Day sophomore defensive lineman Jacolbe Cowan.
▪ Five Observer-area stars made the team: Belmont South Point lineman Larry Dowdy, Indian Trail Porter Ridge lineman Will McDonald, Shelby linebacker Dax Hollifield, North Rowan punter Jacob Young, and Lenoir Hibriten defensive back Miles Simon.
▪ Greenville Conley QB Holton Ahlers was voted offensive player of the year. Ahlers, an East Carolina recruit, threw for 3,763 yards and 61 touchdowns. He ran for 933 yards and 14 touchdowns.
▪ Shelby’s Hollifield, a finalist for the Army All-American national player of the year, was named N.C. all-state defensive player of the year. Hollifield, uncommitted for college, had 150 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Hollifield is a three-time all-state pick.
Ahlers, Hollifield, Crouch and Northeastern defensive lineman Traveon Freshwater all received 14 votes.
The 2017 Associated Press All-State Football Team
The 2017 Associated Press all-state prep football team for North Carolina, as selected 19 media members from newspapers across the state. Number of votes is in parentheses.
OFFENSE
QB_Holton Ahlers, Greenville Conley (14)
RB_Quavaris Crouch, Charlotte Harding (14)
RB_Zamir White, Scotland County (12)
WR_C.J. Johnson, Greenville Conley (9)
WR_Wiz Vaughn, New Hanover (9)
WR_Reggie Bryant, Fayetteville 71st (7)
TE_Gary Williams, Charlotte Vance (7)
OL_Jovaughn Gwyn, Charlotte Harding (12)
OL_Michael Edwards, Hope Mills South View (9)
OL_Peyton Winstead, Raleigh Leesville Road (8)
OL_Katrel Shaw, Charlotte Mallard Creek (7)
OL_Larry Dowdy, Belmont South Point (6)
OL_Will McDonald, Indian Trail Porter Ridge (6)
ATH_Tye Mintz, Cherokee (3)
DEFENSE
DL_Traveon Freshwater, Elizabeth City Northeastern (14)
DL_Jordan Davis, Charlotte Mallard Creek (11)
DL_K.J. Henry, West Forsyth (11)
DL_Jacolbe Cowan, Charlotte Providence Day (6)
LB_Dax Hollifield, Shelby (14)
LB_Payton Wilson, Orange County (8)
LB_Jerome Bass, Red Springs (5)
DB_Miles Simon, Lenoir Hibriten (10)
DB_Francis Meehan, New Hanover (7)
DB_William “J.R.” Walker, Elizabeth City Northeastern (7)
DB_Malik Dunlap, Charlotte Harding (6)
DB_Tyus Fields, Cornelius Hough (6)
DB_Javon Terry, Wake Forest (6)
SPECIAL TEAMS
K_Chris Dunn, North Davidson (12)
P_Jacob Young, North Rowan (6)
KR_Jordyn Adams, Cary Green Hope (11)
___
COACH OF THE YEAR: Sam Greiner, Charlotte Harding (8)
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Holton Ahlers, Greenville Conley (11)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dax Hollifield, Shelby (10)
___
Voters:
David Thompson, Citizen-Times of Asheville; Langston Wertz, Charlotte Observer; Malcolm Shields, The Daily Advance of Elizabeth City; Jaclyn Shambaugh, Fayetteville Observer; Jack Flagler, Gaston Gazette of Gastonia; Joe Sirera, The News & Record of Greensboro; Jordan Anders, The Daily Reflector of Greenville; Aaron Schnautz, Hickory Daily Record; Rodd Baxley, The Robesonian of Lumberton; Paul Schenkel, The News Herald of Morganton; Jordan Honeycutt, New Bern Sun Journal; J. Mike Blake, The News & Observer of Raleigh; Jessie Nunery, Rocky Mount Telegram; Mike London, Salisbury Post; Alan Ford, Shelby Star; Brian Meadows, Statesville Record & Landmark; Tim Hower, StarNews of Wilmington; Jimmy Lewis, The Wilson Times; Jay Spivey, Winston-Salem Journal.
This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 5:35 PM with the headline "Harding gets 3 players, coach, on AP All-State high school football team."