Chattooga’s Zayden Cook is the state’s new rushing leader after a 338-yard effort last week in a 45-20 victory over Mount Zion of Carroll County. Cook has rushed for 849 yards and 11 touchdowns on just 60 carries.
Cook is more than a running back, though. He’s an inside linebacker who is second on his team in tackles, averaging eight per game. He’s playing 125-130 plays per game.
Cook also is a four-sport athlete. He won the 110-meter hurdles at the Class A Division I meet last spring and was the state runner-up wrestler in the 175-weight division. He plays soccer when his schedule allows.
Cook participates in Chattooga’s SkillsUSA TeamWorks and represents plumbing on the four-man team that finished 14th during a national competition in Atlanta last summer.
As for his football running skills, Chattooga coach Roone Gable said, “He is a combination of speed and strength.” Cook is 5 feet, 10 inches and 195 pounds. He has been timed around 4.5 seconds across 40 yards at camps.
“He rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a junior behind an inexperienced, young offensive line last year in the first year of a new scheme,” Gable said. “As the line has gotten a year older, bigger and stronger in the weight room, it has allowed Zayden to show more of what he is capable of.”
Cook has one Division I offer, from Wofford.
This is the GHSA yardage leaderboard through the first four weeks of the regular season.
Rushing
849 - Zayden Cook, Chattooga (A-I leader)
671 - Elijah Hayes, West Hall (3A leader)
660 - Daniel Smith, Mill Creek (6A leader)
643 - Tysean Wiggins, Commerce
635 - Darrian Roberts, Atkinson County (A-II leader)
615 - Mark Howard, Woodland-Stockbridge (4A leader)
613 - Zo Smalls, Savannah Christian
610 - Kalil Townes, Lovett (2A leader)
603 - Emadd Howard, Walnut Grove
594 - Zion Johnson, Newton
567 - Antavious Richardson, Greenville
564 - Christian “Deuce” Lawrence, Thomas Co. Cent. (5A leader)
562 - Aaron Bryant, Clinch County
558 - Xavier Rucker, Allatoona
554 - Jaylan Aquino, Drew
525 - Reante Byrd, Hephzibah
523 - Bryian Duncan Jr., Cairo
517 - Brayden Tyson, Brookwood
515 - Kadiphius Iverson, Westside-Macon
511 - Will Rajecki, Sequoyah
510 - Zamarcus Lindley, Douglas County
509 - Hudson Hulett, North Murray
508 - Christian Monfort, Morgan County
506 - Nick Woodford, Northeast
500 - Marquel Deering, Greenville
497 - Joshua Troup, Richmond Hill
485 - Jason Familia, Long County
475 - Jonaz Walton, Central-Carrollton
465 - Quinterrius Gipson, Kell
464 - Noah Laban, Denmark
464 - Reginald Glover, Northeast
464 - Josiah Allen, Wheeler
456 - Austin Drye, King’s Ridge Christian
454 - Jamari Welch, Athens Academy
454 - Amari Latimer, Sandy Creek
449 - Jitt Carr, Monroe Area
447 - A’merre Williams, Burke County
445 - Jeremiah Tatum, Kennesaw Mountain
443 - Jagger Reed, Murray County
437 - Lawson Sullivan, Fannin County
437 - Darius Head, Oglethorpe County
428 - Kaden Hamilton, Hiram
428 - James Skelly, North Paulding
426 - Kelby Tymes, Marion County
424 - Tayshawn Norris, Johnson County
424 - Alvin Ricks, Wheeler County
417 - Xavier Bostic, Dublin
417 - Zion McGruder, Stockbridge
416 - Colby Beach, Jeff Davis
415 - Javen Parker, East Paulding
414 - Bryson Tarver, Swainsboro
407 - Nicolas Williams, Mitchell County
406 - Tyrese Woodgett, Coffee
406 - Roderick Fuller, Treutlen
406 - Isaiah Payton, Woodstock
403 - Jamarcus Harrison, East Hall
402 - Deron Foster, Valdosta
401 - Brayden Slaughter, Heritage-Ringgold
399 - Ty Jones, Lakeside-Evans
398 - Dominique Ball, Westover
397 - Michael Battle, Pelham
393 - Walker Poyner, Lake Oconee Academy
393 - T.J. Lester, Milton
392 - Zach Belyeu, North Cobb
386 - A.B. Hilton, Screven County
386 - Qindaruis Brown, Swainsboro
384 - Evan Koger, Dade County
383 - Mason Munn, Creekview
383 - Ran Ogletree, Harris County
383 - Aalim Brown, Lowndes
382 - Brandon Lyons, Duluth
381 - Carsyn Baker, Hughes
380 - Nolan Matthews, Lumpkin County
377 - Ousmane Kromah, Lee County
374 - Demetrius “M.J.” Dowdy, Winder-Barrow
373 - Braylon Hill, Cass
Passing
1,242 - Ben Brown, Wesleyan (A-I leader)
1,228 - Antwann Hill Jr., Houston County (5A leader)
1,140 - Tanner Savasir, Cherokee (6A leader)
1,034 - Julian Lewis, Carrollton
1,008 - Devin Edmonds, Jones County (4A leader)
980 - Davis Strickland, Morgan County (2A leader)
965 - Jordan Do, Archer
952 - Lyndon Worthy, Worth County
947 - Brooks Brien, Cherokee Bluff (3A leader)
944 - Tripp Underwood, Stephens County
923 - J.R. Harris, Central-Carrollton
888 - Kaeden Gilstrap, Walton
886 - Kade Smith, Trion (A-II leader)
878 - Weston Taylor, Cambridge
876 - Jaden Duckett, Sprayberry
863 - Hampton Johnson, Athens Academy
828 - Parks Riendeau, Camden County
825 - D.J. Hudson, Peach County
824 - Caden Hight, Heritage-Ringgold
822 - Hezekiah Millender, Clarke Central
814 - Matt Pearch, Dunwoody
811 - Kharim Hughley, Gainesville
808 - Tucker Perkins, Effingham County
806 - Brock Szakacs, East Forsyth
781 - Sean Smith, Westlake
780 - Michael Buhay, Westminster
777 - Quinterrion Stanford, Wilkinson County
775 - Blake Weldon, Schley County
763 - Titus Watkins, Oconee County
760 - Shane Throgmartin, Mill Creek
759 - Ethan Long, Adairsville
757 - Julian Shanks, Arabia Mountain
741 - Joshua Scott, Stockbridge
730 - Todd Robinson, Valdosta
728 - Elijah Fudge, Spencer
722 - Hudson Deline, Pope
721 - Darnell Kelly, Peachtree Ridge
717 - Tripp Nix, White County
712 - Rashawn Truell, New Hampstead
708 - Travis Burgess, Grayson
698 - Junior Burrus, Brooks County
686 - Jaylen Wyatt, Mays
684 - James Mobley, Calvary Day
682 - Camden Hodge, Winder-Barrow
675 - Brett Sturm, West Hall
674 - Cam Hill, Thomasville
673 - Jaylen Johnson, Thomas County Central
655 - Sean Vandiver, Burke County
653 - Charles Maxell III, Bowdon
652 - Kolby Martin, Sequoyah
648 - Nate Russell, Cartersville
648 - Nick Grimstead, North Cobb
640 - Jayden Whiteside, Marietta
639 - Tristan Parks, Hampton
638 - Dream Rashad, Mountain View
636 - Brodie McWhorter, Cass
635 - Mitch Seaman, Lassiter
634 - Ethan Latimore, Hiram
634 - Harrison Faulkner, North Oconee
631 - Luke Priester, Chattahoochee
631 - Ethan Daughtery, Lambert
629 - Stephen Cannon, Benedictine
624 - Mason Bryant, Paulding County
616 - Chaz Pate, Sonoraville
614 - Cullen McDaniel, Perry
607 - Hunter Campbell, Centennial
606 - Jayvyn Hickman, Elbert County
606 - Graham Burmeister, Woodstock
601 - Tylan Snead, East Laurens
601 - Teddy Jarrard, North Cobb Christian
599 - Luke Nickel, Milton
597 - A.J. Rahal, Riverwood
596 - Brodie Campbell, Newnan
594 - Grant Moore, Brunswick
594 - Chase Cromartie, McIntosh
587 - Jamarcus Harrison, East Hall
586 - Deron Benson, Newton
577 - Delancy Alexander, New Manchester
577 - James Neville, Westside-Macon
Receiving
644 - Cody Bryan, Heritage-Ringgold (3A leader)
638 - John Stuetzer, Pope (5A leader)
619 - Keyon Standifer, Athens Academy (A-I leader)
595 - Isaiah Mitchell, Houston County
523 - Zach Stair, Riverwood
485 - Jaylen Elder, Morgan County (2A leader)
433 - Jaivon Solomon, Jones County (4A leader)
414 - Colby Alexander, Archer (6A leader)
413 - Carter Hayes, Wesleyan
411 - Elijah Green, Marietta
405 - Elyiss Williams, Camden County
405 - Kamari Maxwell, New Hampstead
403 - Travis Smith Jr, Westlake
390 - Cam Nixon, Cross Creek
390 - Zion Hudson, Peach County
378 - Clayton Coppock, Mays
372 - Kaden Thompson, Cherokee Bluff
360 - Kendall Sims, Schley County (A-II leader)
357 - George Lamons, Brooks County
353 - Mason Hall, Oconee County
347 - Davon Swinton, Stephens County
346 - Thomas Blackshear, Calvary Day
344 - Ethan Willingham, Trion
343 - Steele Ingram, North Cobb
340 - Wes Vail, Wesleyan
339 - Jamarion McKinney, Dutchtown
339 - Lawrence Tolbert, Riverdale
336 - Christian Ward, Walton
335 - D.J. Avery, Chattahoochee
334 - Caylen Brunson, Spencer
331 - Jayden Farley, Worth County
330 - Kaiden Prothro, Bowdon
323 - Jordan Patterson, Montgomery County
319 - Malik Brightwell, Newton
319 - Javin Gordon, Stephens County
315 - Demarcus Gardner, Cedartown
313 - Kiel Sparks, Perry
309 - Ryan Mosley, Carrollton
307 - Zeke Whittington, Habersham Central
305 - Craig Dandridge, Cambridge
305 - Brady Marchese, Cartersville
304 - Shane King, Gainesville
304 - Casani Bartlett, Lovett
302 - Landon Roldan, North Oconee
298 - Porter Allison, Dunwoody
296 - Mark Manfred, Sprayberry
292 - Hudson Cocchiara, Cambridge
285 - George Sabb, New Manchester
282 - Dube Enongene, North Paulding
279 - Kenyan Glasper, Winder-Barrow
278 - Chris Hutchinson, Alexander
277 - Chase Rhoads, East Forsyth
277 - Kayden Miller, Lithonia
275 - Kobe Adeleke-Hokes, Peachtree Ridge
273 - Tristan Houston, Westside-Macon
272 - Kel’von Scott, Burke County
270 - Collins Price, Lassiter
270 - Jatavius Hill, Wilkinson County
268 - Jorden Edmonds, Sprayberry
266 - Xavier Buckner, Mount Zion-Carroll
263 - Chasen Jones, East Hall
261 - M.J. Mathis, Houston County
259 - Avery Tanner, Central-Carrollton
258 - Tyler Render, Greenville
258 - Maddox Young, Union County
257 - Malakiah Echols, Cherokee
257 - Aiden Taylor, Grayson
257 - Ty Tillery, Morgan County
256 - Brice Whitely, ACE Charter
255 - Danny Boden, Dunwoody
252 - Jude Nelson, Social Circle
248 - Tyler Lynch, M.L. King
247 - Tre Winters, Adairsville
246 - Charlie Idom, Christian Heritage
246 - Ryan Wells, Effingham County
246 - Jabari Watkins, Thomas County Central
243 - Sean Green, Camden County
241 - Chase Marable, Westminster
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