A second place finish in the Grand River Conference East paid off for Gallatin with the release of all-conference football teams last Thursday. The Bulldogs, who finished 5-2 in the league behind unbeaten Princeton, landed 10 players on the select list, and in doing so filled 14 positions.
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Three Bulldogs were picked at more than one position, including junior Graydee Rains, who earned unanimous choice honors on the offensive line and at defensive end, where he registered 78 tackles, 21 for loss. He notched 5.5 quarterback sacks, forced six fumbles, recovered two fumbles and blocked a pair of punts.
Senior Caleb Boyd made every list. He was picked on the first team offense for his all-around success running and catching the ball. He finished with 595 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 486 yards and five TDs. He was an honorable mention pick as a return specialist and made the conference second team at defensive back, where he recovered three fumbles.
Senior Cole McBee made the first team at linebacker and was honorable mention at quarterback. McBee chalked up 74 tackles, including seven for loss, and registered one fumble recovery and interception. Offensively, he finished with 890 yards passing and nine touchdowns and ran for a team-high 711 yards and seven scores.
Senior Patrick McNickle joined Rains on the first team defensive line. He finished with 69 tackles, five for loss. McNickle also was awarded honorable mention on the offensive line.
Sophomore Gaven Gray-Walker finished with 41 tackles and five interceptions for the Bulldogs and was the team’s fourth member on the All-GRC first team defensive squad.
Special teams play was an emphasis for Gallatin this season and it showed. Senior Colin Beck was named first team punter with a 33-yard average and eight punts placed inside the opposing team’s 20-yard line. Junior Adrian Hernandez was again the league’s best place-kicker. Despite missing part of the season with an injury, he made 25 of 27 extra points and four of seven field goals. His longest field goal came from 35 yards.
Senior Corbin Toney was a second team conference pick at running back. He rushed for 648 yards and eight touchdowns and caught seven passes out of the backfield for 98 yards.
Two more Bulldogs were named on the second team defensive unit. Senior linebacker Noah Engel led the Bulldogs in tackles with 104, including six for loss. He also recovered a pair of fumbles. Junior defensive end Tom Crouse registered 102 tackles, 10 for loss, 5.5 sacks and two fumble recoveries.
PICTURE: Gallatin R-5 representatives on the 2017 All-Grand River Conference East Division honor squad are, from left, Cole McBee, Adrian Hernandez, Patrick McNickle, Caleb Boyd, Graydee Rains, Corbin Toney, Colin Beck, Noah Engel, Tom Crouse and Gaven Walker.