Honorable Mention
D.J. Kimpson, McMinn County: The senior had the first week’s top rushing performance, gaining 168 yards (28 carries) with two touchdowns in the Cherokees’ season-opening win over McMinn Central.Justin Cooke, Soddy-Daisy: The junior made his first start and was a testament to Justin Barnes’ offensive system. He threw just eight passes, completing each for 224 yards and five scores in the Trojans’ lopsided win over Red Bank.Jeremy Borders, Boyd-Buchanan: In just 2 1/2 quarters, the junior recorded 6.5 tackles (including one for lost yardage), two interceptions, a 78-yard kickoff return and 48 rushing yards (four carries) with a touchdown as the Buccaneers posted a shutout win.Coaches are invited to nominate players by emailing Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com by 2 p.m. each Saturday.
For the better part of a year, East Hamilton quarterback Nick Woods spent much of his time preparing for and then undergoing knee surgery before a lengthy amount of time sweating and straining under the watchful gaze of a physical therapist.
It’s slightly more than a year since Woods was bent and then broken by a physical pair of Signal Mountain defenders.