Brogan Gross achieved a childhood dream — and a thankful Cody Gross had a front-row seat as a coach and as a dad.

Over the last three seasons, Brogan Gross put together a tremendous career as the signal-caller at Athens High School as Cody Gross looked on from the sideline, never once taking the father-son moment for granted.

“It’s been one of the greatest joys of my life coaching him,” Cody Gross said. “It was good for me and I think good for him, too. I tried to enjoy it and soak it up. All he ever wanted to be since he was in fourth grade was the quarterback at Athens High School. That was it … and he got to live it. He was a manager back then and he’s been here every day since.”

Brogan Gross led the Golden Eagles to a second straight 8-3 record in 2024 and spearheaded an explosive offense that averaged 37.2 points per game. 

He completed 94 of 153 passes for 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns against just one interception and tallied 306 rushing yards and six more touchdowns on 43 carries. He even contributed on special teams, averaging 35 yards per punt and downing six inside the 20-yard line.

All told, the young Gross won 21 games during a successful varsity tenure, finishing with 6,847 total yards and 83 touchdowns.

But the numbers — impressive as they are — don’t tell the full story.

“The biggest thing for me were his intangibles,” Cody Gross said. “Where he grew most was in his toughness. He just got tougher and tougher as he got older — and that’s a choice. As a coach, it’s good to see. And as a father, it’s good to see. He became a great playmaker, too, when things broke down. We’re going to miss him.”

Gross was one of many talented players in The News Courier’s coverage area to show out on Friday nights — that hard work and dedication no doubt appreciated by coaches and schools alike.

With that said, see below for capsules of this year’s other top honorees as well as the complete All-Area Football Team.

Editor’s Note: The All-Area Football Team was picked after reviewing the 2024 season and speaking with local football coaches. However, with a limited number of spots available, it’s possible some deserving candidates were left out.

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Overall MVP

Name: Brogan Gross

School: Athens

Class: Senior

Highlights: Completed 94 of 153 passes — 61 percent — for 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns against just one interception. Racked up 306 yards and six touchdowns on 43 carries. Had 17 punts for 595 yards — downing six inside the 20-yard line. Finished his career with 6,847 total yards and 83 touchdowns — 72 passing, 10 rushing and one receiving.

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Offensive MVP

Name: Brady Crawford

School: West Limestone

Class: Senior

Highlights: Completed 138 of 220 passes — 63 percent — for 1,979 yards and 19 touchdowns. All-County Overall MVP.

Coach Speak: “He was a really smart kid who worked really hard — a fierce competitor. He came in and just tried to lead by example, and I think of lot of guys respected that. He also played a majority of the season with an injury to his throwing shoulder. He wasn’t 100 percent, but he wanted to play and put the team first. He’s got a few offers, and hopefully, he’ll get an opportunity to play somewhere.” — West Limestone’s Shelby Davis

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Defensive MVP

Name: Devlin Jarrett

School: Ardmore

Class: Senior

Highlights: Registered 65 solo tackles, 26 assisted tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 12 sacks and an interception. All-County Defensive MVP. Class 5A, All-Region 7 Defensive Skill MVP. 

Coach Speak: “Devlin made unbelievable progress from junior to senior year. He really grew up as a leader and brought a tenacity — Devlin doesn’t weigh but 160 pounds, but he was physical. He was our best tackler and really understood football. He played through some injuries and never missed a beat. I think he’s one of those guys who may not look the part, but when the football is snapped and the whistle blows, he can go. He was very hard to block on the perimeter and helped execute our game plan each week.” — Ardmore’s Jonathan Snider

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Coach of the Year

Name: Jonathan Snider

School: Ardmore

Highlights: Guided the Tigers to an 8-3 record — the program’s best campaign since 2006 — and a playoff appearance. All-County Coach of the Year. Class 5A, All-Region 7 Coach of the Year.

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First Team

Ardmore

Javean Riddle (RB)

Noah Stafford (WR)

Alex King (QB)

Dominic Murphy (LB)

Dawson Pearson (LB)

Skyler Jean (ATH)

Gabe Alejandro (K/P)

Brady Sirten (OL)

Zavion Hawthorne (RB)

 

Athens

Spencer Dowland (OL)

Xavier Edwards (RB)

Austin Campbell (LB)

Jeb Shinkunas (OL/DL)

Jaxon Unger (DB)

Jack Jones (LB)

Endymion Tyus (ATH)

Pratt Johnsey (OL)

Ben Davis (OL)

Connor Johnstone (K)

 

Clements

Jake Fleming (H)

Brady Turner (DB)

Davin Holloway (WR)

 

East Limestone

Xavier Donald (LB)

Davis Williams (OL)

Adrian Villa (RB)

 

Elkmont

Jake Guthrie (RB/LB)

Owen Burgess (WR/DB)

Cade Hawkins (OL/DL)

 

Tanner

Matthew Fletcher (ATH)

Issiah Martinez (DL)

Cade Dorning (P)

 

West Limestone

Preston Moore (LB)

Cordarrious Moore (DL)

JT Winter (ATH)

Dawson Mewbourn (WR)

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Honorable Mention

Ardmore

Brayden Atkins (DB)

Andrew Eckstein (LB)

 

Athens

Jerome Malone (LB)

Demarcus Malone (RB)

 

Clements

Reid Putman (ATH)

Jose Diaz (OL/DL)

 

East Limestone

Jake Cochran (QB)

Spencer Williams (DL)

 

Elkmont

Reid Bardos (QB)

Lincoln Doner (WR/DB)

 

Tanner

Colton Gay (OL)

Kamare’ez Sanchez (DL/LB)

 

West Limestone

Logan Mitchell (DB)

Gavin Patterson (LB)