Andrew Johnson was one of five Blue Devils selected GSWA All-State.

TIFTON — The 2017 calendar year finished with five Tift County Blue Devils being named to the Georgia Sports Writers Association All-State football team.

The Devils, who went 11-2 and advanced to the state quarterfinals, saw Griffin Collier and Rashod Bateman both named to the Class AAAAAAA first team squad. Second team picks were Fernando Ramirez and Andrew Johnson, with Mike Jones earning honorable mention.

Collier, Tift’s three-year starting quarterback, threw for 32 touchdowns and 2,941 yards this season. Region 1 named him to the first team offense and he merited an honorable mention selection on the 2017 Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-State team.

Bateman, whose receiving numbers brought him national attention, caught 21 touchdown passes on 83 receptions. He had 1,539 receiving yards and smashed every season and career Blue Devils receiving record. Bateman signed a football scholarship with the University of Minnesota in December.

Bateman was named Region 1’s Offensive Player of the Year, first team All-State from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and won a fan poll in October for USA Today’s Midseason Offensive Player of the Year.

Johnson was Tift’s leading tackler in 2017. Switched from defensive line to linebacker this season, he won Region 1’s Defensive Player of the Year and was first team All-State for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is currently committed to play football at Oregon.

Ramirez kicked two game-winning field goals in 2017, defeating Colquitt County and Coffee (both state finalists in their classifications) in the final seconds. He hit all 52 extra points he attempted this season and was good on 15 of 17 field goals. Region 1 had named him its first team kicker.

Dec. 23 on Twitter, Ramirez announced he was accepting a full scholarship to play for Lincoln University of Missouri.

Jones, the lone junior for Tift County to be honored, ran for 1,301 yards in 2017 and 14 touchdowns. His biggest game was a 200-yard effort against Colquitt County.

Tift’s Region 1 rivals Lowndes and Colquitt also had GSWA All-State picks.

Lowndes offensive lineman Jalen Goss and returner Tayvonn Kyle were both named first teamers. Quarterback Michael Barrett was named to the second team athlete position. For Colquitt County, kicker Ryan Fitzgerald was named first team. Linebacker J.J. Peterson was named second team with honorable mention going to Rashard Revels and Cam Singletary.

Elsewhere in the area, Irwin County’s state runner-up squad in Class A (public) had sour All-State selections.

Marlon Jackson, a defensive lineman, was the only first team pick. Unlike other classifications, Class A only had first team and honorable mention squads. Hunter Spires (tight end), D.J. Lundy (running back) and Javon Stanley (returner/defensive back) were all named honorable mention.

Fitzgerald’s Kierron Smith was named first team defense as a defensive lineman in Class AA. Turner County quarterback Tyler Moore was named to the Class A (public) honorable mention team.