TOP PERFORMERS: Carrollton Tops Westlake 28-19

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In one of the biggest games across Georgia over the weekend, the powerful Carrollton Trojans, one of the top 7A teams in Georgia, drove up to the Atlanta area to take on a tough, big, physical Westlake team. It was a fun game to watch, but in the end, the Trojans took care of business and left with an impressive road victory over the Lions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who were some of the top performers? Let's take a look...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='335441' first='Bryce' last='Hicks'] - RB - Carrollton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If we're highlighting top performers, you have to start with Hicks. The junior back led the way for Carrollton and helped lead the Trojan offense on the ground. A tough, gritty back who knows how to get tough yards, Hicks was a major weapon for the Trojans who did a great job of finding the end-zone near the goal-line. He may not be the biggest back around, but he's quick, strong for his size, and is one of the more productive backs in West Georgia and across the state in the 2024 class. Hicks ended the game with 121 yards and three total touchdowns, earning Player of the Game honors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='339680' first='Juan' last='Gaston'] Jr - OT - Westlake</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A massive young sophomore lineman at 6-foot-8 330+ pounds, it's hard to miss Gaston when he's on the field. Ranked as one of the top overall 2025 prospects in Georgia, Gaston showed 5-star potential in the ballgame, playing extremely well at left tackle for the Lions all night long. He was excellent in pass protection and opened up plenty of holes on the left side of the line of scrimmage. When the Lions ran the ball successfully, they ran it behind their massive sophomore tackle. He moves well for his size, shows impressive athleticism for his age, and dominated at times against a stout Carrollton defense. He was easy to notice and showed why he's one of the top young tackles in Georgia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Caleb Odum - TE - Carrollton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long, athletic playmaker having an excellent season, Odum showed why he's one of the top 2024 tight end prospects in Georgia against Westlake. In the 1st quarter, the 6-foot-5 205-pounder took a short pass the distance after breaking multiple tackles down the sideline. He showed soft hands, good burst, and the ability to elude defenders down the field. He's in the middle of seeing his recruitment take off and it was easy to see why on Friday night. He looks the part physically and had an impressive early touchdown that tied the game at 7. The Trojans never looked back after that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='34007' first='Avieon' last='Terrell'] - DB - Westlake</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top cornerback prospects in Georgia for the 2023 class, Terrell got Westlake on the board early with a pick-6 on the first drive of the game to give Westlake an early 7-0 lead. He showed good instincts, ball skills, and the ability to pick up yards after the catch. He's dangerous with the ball in his hands, and he showed off his cover skills all night long. The Carrollton passing attack has been exceptional all season long, but Terrell and the Westlake defense made it tough for the Trojans to get much going through the air. They may have lost the game, but Terrell played very well against a dynamic Carrollton offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->