RED SPRINGS — Postseason awards have been announced in the Three Rivers Conference and to no one’s surprise, Red Springs is the most highly-decorated program with a pair of noteworthy individual achievements and 14 of 22 starters being named all-conference voted on by the league’s six head coaches.
Junior quarterback Blake Greene was named the conference’s offensive player of the year — thus crowning achievement, thus far, during his three-year varsity career — after compiling nearly 5,000 yards from scrimmage and a 1A state-leading 63 total touchdowns.
Over an unbeaten six-game conference stretch during which he led the Red Devils to their first league crown in eight years, Greene completed 87-of-127 for 1,555 yards and 18 touchdowns. He added another 447 yards and seven scores on the ground. Greene shattered several school records this season including individual marks for total completions (221), attempts (357), passing yards (3,899) and touchdown passes (51).
Red Springs second-year coach George Coltharp, also the school’s athletic director, was selected as the Three Rivers’ top coach, compiling a second consecutive 10-win season and three-round stay in the state playoffs. The program’s 20-win total since 2011 is the best two-year span in 25 years.
East Columbus’ Mack Jenkins was crowned defensive player of the year after leading the Gators to their deepest postseason run in school history.
Headlining first-team selections along with Greene were Zach Leach — Robeson County’s leading receiver in catches, yards and touchdowns — and senior defensive tackle Mike Graham, Red Springs’ leaders in sacks and tackles-for-loss. CJ McGeachey, Markiess Blue, Byron Locklear and Jedarian Lesane were the other Red Devils named to the first team.
St. Pauls senior Shawn Williams, the conference’s first-ever 2,000-yard rusher, was a first-team selection along with teammates Kane Banner, Shayron Jones and Jhamel Leonard. Fairmont and South Robeson each had four first-teamers.
ALL-THREE RIVERS CONFERENCE (as voted on by league's head coaches)
First Team
Red Springs: Blake Greene; Zach Leach, CJ McGeachey, Mike Graham, Markeiss Blue, Byron Locklear, Jedarian Lesane
East Columbus: Elijah Gresham; Nick McClure, Derrick Young, Mack Jenkins, Greg Melvin
St. Pauls: Kane Banner; Shayron Jones; Shawn Williams; Jhamel Leonard
Fairmont: Chais Tolbert; Joe Harris; Jarrod Neal; Luke Hunt
South Robeson: Jeremy Cousar; Michael Smith; Harrison Branch; Shawn Lindsay
West Columbus: Harvey Lesane; Ethan Morris; Adrian Blue; Savon Dawson
Second Team
Red Springs: Quinn Lowery; Payton Hunt, Jonathan Mack, Larry Yarborough, Zach Jones, Austin Brooks, Simieon Jones
East Columbus: Jeremy Rouse; LJ Little; Ricky Ratliff; Isaiah Day; Henry Baldwin
St. Pauls: Malik Livingston; Deion Gilchrist; Tyler Campbell; David Inman
Fairmont: Zach Caudle; Quenten Walker; Charlton Townsend; Phillip Leggett
South Robeson: Shaunquel Thompson; Johnathan McDaniel; Daniel Oxendine; Angelo Brown
West Columbus: Biron McNeely; Roston Bromel; Kalyk Banks; Josh Taste








