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Back-to-back! Reid Giles once again proved to be the best player on the field every Friday night. His mammoth senior year nets another BLITZ Player of the Year honor.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
1,319 Rush Yds / 20 TD
752 Rec Yds / 5 TD
2 Kickoff Return TDs
72 TKL 7 TFL
5 INT 9 PD
1 BLK
Giles rolled up 1,319 rushing yards and 752 receiving yards with a grand total of over 2,000 yards of offense and 27 TDs (20 rushing). He added 70-plus tackles (seven for loss), five interceptions, a block, and several passes deflected. That brought his final career tallies to: 3,792 rush yds, 51 TD; 1,521 rec yds, 9 TD = 5,313 total yds, 60 TD.
VOTING RESULTS
- Reid Giles – 74 pts (13 1st-place votes)
- Nolan Matthews – 42.25 pts (2)
- Donnie Warren – 26 pts (2)
- Ty Truelove – 22.25 pts
- Darren Pinkard – 21 pts
- Zach Godfrey – 12.5 pts
- Davon Swinton – 10.25 pts
Voting included our 17-person panel made up of sports reporters, writers, video producers, former coaches, players, GHSA officials, and sports experts. The voting is Heisman-style, with the following points system:
1st place votes: 5 pts; 2nd: 3 pts; 3rd: 2 pts; 4th: 1 pts; 5th-6th: 0.5 pts; 7th-8th 0.25 pts
Reid Giles collected 13 of the 17 1st-place votes. He only had one vote outside the top-3. Nolan Matthews and Donnie Warren each earned a couple of top votes, making it a 1-3 running back finish.
HISTORY OF FOOTBALL POY
- 2025 – Reid Giles – Rabun Co SR RB/S
- 2024 – Reid Giles – Rabun Co JR RB/LB
- 2023 – Sammy Brown – Jefferson SR RB/LB
- 2022 – Jaden Gibson – Rabun Co SR WR
- 2021 – Gunner Stockton – Rabun Co SR QB
- 2020 – Gunner Stockton – Rabun Co JR QB
- 2019 – Gunner Stockton – Rabun Co SO QB
- 2018 – Gunner Stockton – Rabun Co FR QB
- 2017 – Bailey Fisher – Rabun Co SR QB
- 2016 – Bailey Fisher – Rabun Co JR QB
- 2015 – Bailey Fisher – Rabun Co SO QB
- 2014 – Charlie Woerner – Rabun Co JR WR/RB/DB
- 2013 – Joseph Mancuso – Union Co SO QB
- 2012 – Tyler Dominy – Dawson Co SR QB
- 2011 – Kevin Ellison – Habersham Central SR QB
- 2010 – Ashely Lowery – White Co SR RB/DB
- 2009 – Ashely Lowery – White Co JR RB/DB
Giles is the fourth ever to repeat as winner, and makes it an award that has gone to a Rabun County player 11 times in total. It marks a third straight year the award goes to a running back.
WHO WILL WIN IT NEXT YEAR?
Our Prediction for Who Wins Player of the Year in 2026
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Our Prediction for Who Wins Player of the Year in 2026
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