The release of post season football honors begins this week with the announcement of the 2003 All-Grand River Conference Football Team.
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The release of post season football honors begins this week with the announcement of the 2003 All-Grand River Conference Football Team. Selections were made Monday night at Hamilton’s Penney High School and five members of the Gallatin Bulldog squad have received honors from league coaches.
Gallatin’s Tyler Nichols, Colby Swanstone, Duke Burge, Adam Strein and Sean Wood have been named to the GRC honor squad, which this year is dominated by upperclassmen. Princeton and South Harrison finished 1-2 in league standings and dominate the list of all-conference selections. Gallatin’s five players filled seven spots on the all-league list.
Nichols repeats as a first-team defensive selection at linebacker after registering 157 tackles, 3 fumble recoveries and an interception. A 2003 unanimous choice selection, Nichols recorded 282 tackles over the last 2 seasons. He also grabbed a spot on the second team offensive unit after rushing for 1,060 yards and 7 touchdowns and racking up 1,425 all-purpose yards. For the season, he touched the ball 189 times and averaged 7.5 yards gained per touch.
Swanstone was also a unanimous all-conference pick at wide receiver after posting what are believed to be Gallatin High School single-season records for receptions (62) and reception yards (983). He scored 8 touchdowns and averaged 15.8 yards per catch this season. Swanstone also registered 35 tackles, intercepted 3 passes, broke up 13 pass attempts and was named to the all- GRC second team as a defensive back.
Senior Duke Burge was Gallatin’s most prolific passer in the last 20 years and with his 1,240 passing yards, fell just short of Darren Hamilton’s 1983 school record 1,268 yards. Burge, in his first year of varsity football, completed a GHS-record 94 passes in 180 attempts, with a 13.2 yard average per completion, and threw for 11 touchdowns. He also rushed for 144 yards on 32 carries and scored 4 touchdowns on the ground. He was named to the all-GRC second team behind South Harrison’s Barrett Wright.
Junior Adam Strein was named to the second team defense at defensive end after registering 59 tackles with 3 quarterback sacks. Junior tackle Sean Wood was picked on the honorable mention defense after notching 75 tackles, 5 sacks, 2 blocked punts and a fumble recovery.