Local area football players continue to make news this offseason. Making the biggest news is Spalding High kicker/punter Will Jeffcoat. Jeffcoat committed late last week to Oklahoma State, according to his father SHS Principal Derrell Jeffcoat.

A signing ceremony is scheduled for Friday at SHS. Jeffcoat was told he is a preferred walk-on for the Cowboys.

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ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL: Griffin High safety Corey Moore is expecting to be nominated in the upcoming weeks for the 2011 Army All-American Bowl, according to Griffin Bears head coach Steve DeVoursney.Moore, a junior, has already verbally committed to play for the University of Georgia, though he also received an offer last week from Auburn.

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl, held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, will be televised live Jan. 8, 2011 on NBC-TV.

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MAKING A NAME: Seven Griffin High Bears — Nile Daniel, Xzavier Dickson, Jahmad Clemons, Brandon Green, Corey Moore, Stefon Harper and Jaylen James — attended a Nike/Sparq Combine recently in Decatur, Ga.

All rated out Top 100 prospects, with top accolades going to Daniel and Moore. Moore was rated the top defensive back at the combine, while Daniel posted the fastest shuttle time in the history of the camp.

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STRONG AND STRONGER: Two weeks ago the Griffin High football team finished third out of 17 teams in the area weight lifting meet at Rockdale.

Top lifters for the Bears included Cartavious Woods (1st in the 206-225 Division), Walter Forts (2nd in the 246-and-up Division), Artavious Parker (2nd in the 181-190 Division) and Blake Durden (3rd in the 191-205 Division).

Woods, Forts, Parker and Durden now advance to the state meet Saturday in Hawkinsville.

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ALREADY SIGNED: Seven area football players have already signed, including two who graduated a year ago.

Those from the Class of 2010 to sign include Spalding High DL Demarcus “Scoop” Allen (Brevard), and Griffin High’s QB Marcus Waller and LB Cartavious Woods (Fort Valley), as well as RB Buck Hanock (Garden City Community College) and DE Brandon Williamson (Holmes C.C. in Miss.).

Those from the Class of 2009 to sign include Spalding High DB/WR Willie Hamm (Clark Atlanta) and TE Travis Lee who recently transferred from playing baseball at Darton to football at Georgia State.

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STILL BEING RECRUITED: Griffin High head coach Steve DeVoursney is taking three players — Demetrius Williams (OL), Buck Hancock (RB) and Denarius Appling (WR) — on a recruiting trip today to West Georgia.

Hancock has already signed with Garden City Community College in Kansas, while Williams has already received an offer from Lane College in Tennessee and teammate Corinthian James (LB) has also received an offer from Reedley College in California.

Spalding High also has two more players — WR Zae Fuller (junior college in Kansas) and LB Grayson Jones (Brevard) — being recruited, according to Spalding Jags head coach Clint Ashmore.

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FORMER BEARS: Several former Bears — DL Toby Jackson (Navarro C.C. in Texas) and Ah’Keem McKinny (Pasadena C.C. in Calif.) as well as LB Kentorius “Scoot” Jackson (Georgia Middle) — are alive and doing well at the community college level, while Leon Berry (pictured above) is thriving at Mississippi State.