Auburn's Malzahn has plenty to talk about at the Macon TD Club on Monday; club honors local and state players and coaches

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

Macon Touchdown Club Award Winners, 2017 season

Ortho Georgia Back of the Year: Dalton Cox, FPD
Ortho Georgia/Bill Turner Lineman of the Year: Randy Green, Southwest
Ortho Georgia Special Teams Player of the Year: Drake Bolus, Jones County

Marvin Davis Coach of the Year: Brian Nelson, Mary Persons

Bobby Gene Sanders Memorial Scholarship Award winners:
Isaiah Goolsby, Southwest
Cameron Kilgore, Windsor
John Lester, FPD
Sammy Martin, Stratford
William Morgan, Tattnall
Ethan Norfleet, Howard
Said Wanna, Mount De Sales

Elmo A. Richardson Player of the Year: Tobe Umerah, Stratford

Super Seven Players of the Year
Ryan Goede, Kennesaw Mountain (TE, Jr.)
Jadon Haselwood, Cedar Grove (WR, Jr.)
Keiondre Jones, Callaway (G, Jr.)
King Mwikuta, Troup County (LB, Jr.)
Owen Pappoe, Grayson (LB, Jr.)
Dante Walker, Riverdale (DE, Jr.)

Travon Walker, Upson-Lee (DL, Jr.)

State Coach of the Year: Jonathan Gess, Eagles Landing Christian Academy

centralgasports@gmail.com
 

          Not too many coaches get to say they beat the national champion and the national runner-up in the same season.

          And one who can will be in town Monday night as the featured speaker at the Macon Touchdown Club’s year-end jamboree.

          Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn will make his Touchdown Club debut on a night when the club honors its Super Seven as well as local coaches and players, and awards scholarships.

            The club meets at the Methodist Home for Children and Youth, in the Rumford Center, at 304 Pierce Ave. It starts at 6 p.m. – 30 minutes earlier than usual - with dinner.

            For the jamboree, the club asks for reservations to be made for non-members, who can do so by calling Lloyd Perkins at 478-256-6374. Payment of the $30 admission for non-members can be made by cash or check upon arrival.

            Malzahn is 45-22 in five seasons as head coach at Auburn, where he took over after going 9-3 at Arkansas State in 2012. Malzahn was Auburn’s offensive coordinator for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons, being named the top assistant in the nation in 2010, the season Auburn beat Oregon to win the national championship.

            Auburn went 10-4 in 2017, beating Georgia 40-17 on Nov. 11 and then Alabama 26-14 on Nov. 25. The Tigers lost 28-7 to Georgia in the SEC title game. Alabama went on to beat Georgia 26-23 in overtime in the national championship game.

            The married father of two daughters was head coach at Springdale High in Arkansas when he was hired by Razorbacks’ head coach Houston Nutt in Dec. of 2005, but left after two seasons to become the offensive coordinator at Tulsa. Nutt resigned at Arkansas after that season, 2007.