For the fourth straight year a Bryan County girl has been named the region Player of the Year as Region 3A-DII coaches voted senior guard Jasmine Mikell the region’s most outstanding player.

Mikell, whose career total of 1,503 points ranks third on the all-time list at Bryan County behind Olanna Rawls (2,276) and Julianne Brown (1,671), follows Kayley Wedlow and Ashanti Brown as POYs. Brown took the honors last year and Wedlow the previous two seasons.

Rawls and Brown, too, claimed player of the year honors during their playing careers. Rawls, who had an excellent career at Columbus State before graduating, played for the Redskins during the 2017-2020 seasons while Brown, no relation to Ashanti, played from 2014-2017.

Wedlow is currently playing at Parkland College, a two-year school, in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. Ashanti Brown signed with East Georgia State but chose to enter the work force as did Julienne Brown who signed with Central Georgia.  

The senior guard, who started every game (114) of her high school career, two fewer than Rawls, helped lead the Redskins to a 21-6 record this past season and a spot in the Sweet 16. She was joined on the first team by teammates Layla Mincey and Liz Harvey.

Mikell averaged 19 points per game this season as she helped lead Bryan County to four straight appearances in the region championship game. Bryan County won the region her sophomore year, advanced to the Elite Eight last year and twice reached the Sweet 16. She also had 549 assists and 527 steals.

Mincey was a key reserve last year as a freshman but she started coming into her own this year as she averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds per game. She had 449 points, 346 rebounds and 86 blocks.

For her two years Mincey now has 681 points, 578 rebounds and 170 blocks and is already drawing the attention of college coaches despite having two more seasons to play.

Harvey is a repeat all-region pick. She has also been all-region in softball and soccer. Harvey, who averaged eight points per game, was the Redskins best defender. She has signed to play softball with Georgia Southern East.

“It just shows [that] kids in our program come in and put in the work,” said Mincey, who just completed his 19th season. “We are big on development and building confidence so they can go out and produce at a high level.

“Also, it shows the other region coaches acknowledge this. Olanna and Jasmine both started every game of their career. Both were durable and tough kids that played through bumps and bruises and still produced.”   

Garnering second team honors were Laney Sehr and Briana Crawford while freshmen Harmony Butler and Tristan Glover along with senior Mckinely Walker were honorable mention.

On the boys’ side seniors Darius Edwards and Cayden Rawls were all-region selections while Gerbravion Collins and Aaden Frederick were honorable mention selections by the region’s coaches. Frederick was the lone junior on the Redskins team.

Coach Jason Napier said boys’ coaches, unlike the girls’ coaches, elected not to have an all-region second team but rather chose to go with an all-region team along with everyone else being named honorable mention.

Edwards led the region in scoring at 20 points per game following an outstanding junior season in which he helped lead the Redskins to the Class A Elite Eight. Rawls, no relation to Olanna, started for the first time this season and averaged 10 points and eight rebounds per game. Frederick also averaged 10 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor.

Collins, an all-region pick in football where he was a four-year starter, averaged eight points per game and was the Redskins’ most physical player and, said Napier, their best overall athlete.  

Richmond Hill also had boys and girls players selected to the Region 1-6A teams.

Josh Mock was a first team pick while Alonzo Miller and Drew Nudo were second-team selections. The three all averaged in double figures as they led the Wildcats to their first state playoff appearance in five years. Marki Boone was honorable mention.

Richmond Hill’s girls struggled through a 10-17 season but that did not diminish the performances of senior Cullen McCormick, sophomore Bristol Machgan and senior Faith Evans in the eyes of region coaches.

McCormick was a first team selection while Machgan picked up second team honors and Evans was honorable mention.