Atlanta
High School Athletes Receive Year-End Honors
By MICHAEL ALEXANDER, Staff Photographer | Published January 3, 2008
A select group of Catholic varsity football and softball athletes around the Archdiocese of Atlanta have received recognition for their play on the field during the 2007 season.
Softball
Our Lady of Mercy High School seniors Amanda Keuler, shortstop, and Ellen Super, center fielder, made second team all-region for Region 5-A.
A trio of pitchers made Georgia’s all-state team. First team selections include Blessed Trinity High School senior Amber Hamilton and Marist School sophomore Lori Spingola. St. Pius X High School junior Pepper Gay was a second team selection.
Five other standouts, all from Blessed Trinity, include sophomore catcher Madeleine Stanton (1st team), shortstop Moira Sullivan (1st team), second baseman Macy Terry (2nd team), outfielder Sammy Lepionka (2nd team) and first baseman Katie Hawkins (honorable mention).
Blessed Trinity head coach Jan Podhorez was also named all-state coach of the year for Class AAA.
Football
Eight Our Lady of Mercy High School players made the all-region team for Region 5-A. They include wide receiver Dominique McDermott (player of the year), offensive lineman/linebacker Will Simmons (1st team), offensive and defensive lineman Patrick Silloway (1st team), wide receiver and linebacker Jarrell Bankhead (1st team), quarterback William Pearl (2nd team), running back Christian Willis (2nd team), defensive end Amir Mustafaa (2nd team) and kicker Jacob Lescene (2nd team). McDermott, Simmons, Silloway and Lescene are seniors.
Five St. Pius X High School players were named to the all DeKalb County team. They include quarterback and defensive back Dylan Knight, running back and linebacker Greg Foster, kicker Chris Philpott, offensive and defensive lineman Kent Cleveland and running back and linebacker Cole Moon. Knight, Foster, Philpott and Cleveland are members of the class of 2008.
St. Pius offensive lineman Kent Cleveland and kicker Chris Philpott were first team selections to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-State offensive and defensive team, respectively. Blessed Trinity running back Sam Burkhalter and Our Lady of Mercy quarterback William Pearl were recognized as honorable mentions on the all-state team.