Record Season Makes History

Front page sports section, the News Observer reports. Fannin County's football team received honors for the most victorious season in school's history. The Rebels went 8-3 and finished as North Region champions in Region 8-AA. Fannin advanced to the state playoffs for just the second time. Two seniors Ryan Kochish and Matt Gaddy, earned top honors at the football banquet January 23rd, as Kochish was also named the team's Offensive Player of Te Year while Gaddy was the team's Player Of The Year in voting by their teammates.

Gaddy led the Rebels with 119 tackles from his linebacker spot in 2006. That number represents the highest total since 2001, the first season head coach Clark Drennan has been at Fannin and maintaining statistics. Kochish won the offensive award by leading the team in rushing and touchdowns. Running backs coach Josh Patterson said this was a difficult decision for the team to come up with, since the Rebels had so many contributors in the backfield this season. Kochish won the Most Outstanding Offensive Back of the year award.

"He was a great role model for the younger backs, with his hard-nosed style and never say die attitude. Patterson said. Kochish emerged as the leader of an offensive unit that averaged 231 yards rushing per game, also a RECORD during Drennan's tenure. Drennan, recognized seniors Jeremy King, Caleb Franklin and Gaddy as team captains. Dreenan also praised the entire group of seniors, who were key to the Rebel's Record breaking season that landed them in the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.

The first awards were given early on in the ceremony. Drennan gave the Coaches Award to senior linebacker Terry Flowers, who had 84 tackles for the season. "he's completely unselfish, competes to be all that he can be, the underdog kid. The Coca Cola Golden Helmet Award - Matt Hensley. This award was chosen by Drennan, with the criteria of someone who excelled on the field and in the classroom. Hensley has an A average and was the Rebel's second- leading rusher despite missing three games.

The Rebels set a SCHOOL RECORD by averaging 27.2 points per game this season and also set a SCHOOL MARK for the largest margin of victory in a 49-3 win over Oglethorpe county.

Sources:
The News Observer