Clayton News Daily

Photo by Heather Middleton

By Derrick Mahone

dmahone@news-daily.com

Jonesboro guard Rasham Suarez was chosen the Region 4-AAAA Player of the Year for the second straight season. The 6-foot-1 Georgia Southern signee has led No. 8 Jonesboro to a 22-3 record and second place finish in the region.

Miranda Cantrell of North Clayton was chosen the girls player of the year. The Lady Eagles finished third in the regular season region

standings.

On the boys' side, Marcus Hunt of North Clayton and Lovejoy's Justin Tuoyo were chosen for the first team. Last week, the pair were chosen to play in the second annual Georgia Athletic Coaches Associations North-South Junior All-Star game.

Rounding out the first team was sophomore Dante Ottley of Morrow and Jonesboro forward James White, an Arkansas-Little Rock signee. Aaron Harrison of Creekside was also named to the first team.

The girls' first team was loaded with underclassmen as Forest Park's Keyonna Allen was the only senior chosen.

In addition to Allen, the Lady Panthers had two other players named to the first team. Junior guard Ashlee Cole, who will participate in the GACA North-South All-Star Classic next month in Savannah, was named to the first team. She is joined by freshman teammate Kayla Potts

Also named to the first team was sophomore Briana Benson of Jonesboro and Mundy's Mill junior Brianna McQueen of Mundy's Mill.

Steven Cole of Forest Park was named the girls coach of the year while Lovejoy's Rick Francis took the boys honor. Each led the their team to the regular season region championship, and their teams have already secured a spot in next week's state playoffs.