VALDOSTA, Ga. – The Valdosta State football team had a Gulf South Conference-best 16 selections to the 2021 All-GSC Football Teams, announced Thursday morning by the league office.  In addition, head coach Gary Goff was named Coach of the Year for the second-straight season.
 
The Blazers, who earned a share of the GSC title in 2021 with a 9-1 record overall and a 6-1 mark in the GSC, had nine selections to the first team giving the Blazers 173 first team selections all-time in program history, the second-most among active conference schools to Delta State, who had four first team honorees for 177.  The 173 first team selections are fourth-most all-time in GSC history. 
 
Goff, who is 19-2 in his two playing seasons of games at VSU and third season overall at the helm of the Blazers, won his second-straight Coach of the Year honor this season.  He shared the honor with West Georgia head coach David Dean in 2019.  VSU has either shared or won the Coach of the Year honor each of the past three seasons as former Blazer head coach Kerwin Bell shared the honor with Mississippi College head coach John Bland in 2018.  Goff stands at 58-51 overall in his 11^th season of coaching. 
 
Goff now is the second Blazer head coach to earn Coach of the Year honors multiple times as former head coach Chris Hatcher won the honor three-straight seasons from 2000-2002.  Goff is fifth Blazer head coach to win Coach of the Year honors (Hal Mumme, Dean, Hatcher and Bell) at while coaching at VSU.
 
Along with Goff earning Coach of the Year honors, West Florida quarterback Austin Reed was named Offensive Player of the Year, while Mississippi College's Marcus Williams (RB) was named Freshman Offensive Player of the Year.  Delta State linebacker Marvin Terry was named Defensive Player of the Year, while North Greenville linebacker De'Iveon Donald was named Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
 
The 16 selections on the all-conference team marked the most of any school in the league as 15 different players earned all-league accolades.  VSU had nine first team selections and seven on the second team.  West Florida was second with 13 selections between the two teams with a league-best ten first team honorees.  
 
Earning first team honors on offense for the Blazers this season is junior running back Seth McGill, who earns all-league honors at running back for the first time as he was the first team all-purpose back selection in 2019 and second team all-purpose back accolades in 2018.  McGill, a native of Miami, Fla., leads the GSC in rushing touchdowns (12) for 17^th nationally, while he is second in the league in rushing yards (916) for 36^th nationally.  McGill is eighth nationally and third in the GSC in rushing yards per carry at 6.84 per carry, while he is 32^nd nationally and second in the GSC in rushing yards per game at a 91.6 clip.  He has scored 72 points for the season for. Third on the team and fifth in the GSC.
 
Tight end Chris Barrett earned first team honors as he played in all ten games thus far with five catches for 37 yards and two scores, while he is averaging 7.4 yards per reception.  Barrett scored his first touchdown against Albany State (Sept. 18) and his second against Delta State (Oct. 9).  Barrett has been a key blocker in the Blazers' outstanding season where the team is third nationally and tops in the GSC in total offense at 506.4 yards per game and averaging 42.1 points per game for second in the GSC and sixth nationally.  VSU also has been outstanding in the running game averaging 260.3 yards per game for second in the league and sixth nationally.
 
Graduate student wide receiver Brian Saunds was named first team all-conference as a wide receiver and return specialist.  Saunds earned first team all-conference honors in 2019 as a return specialist and second team all-conference honors as a wide receiver in 2018.  This season, he has played and started all ten games, leading the team with 54 catches for 855 yards and four touchdowns.  He is averaging 16.1 yards per reception and 85.5 yards per game.  Saunds is fourth in the GSC in all-purpose yards at 100.00 per game, while he leads the GSC in receiving yards (855) for 31^st nationally.  Saunds' 85.5 yards per game is good for second in the GSC and 30^th nationally.  He has 18 punt returns for 115 yards for a 6.4 average per return for 45^th nationally and fourth in the league. 
 
Junior running back Jamar Thompkins earned first team honors this season as an all-purpose back as he earned first team all-conference honors as a running back and Offensive Freshman of the Year honors in 2018, while he also earned first team all-conference honors as a running back in 2019.  He is the first Blazer to earn first team all-conference honors three times since Cedric Jones in 2006, 2007 and 2009.  This season, Thompkins is seventh in the GSC in all-purpose yards at 95.8 per game.  He is fifth nationally and second in the GSC in rush yards per carry at 7.17, while his 774 rushing yards are good for fourth in the GSC and 56^th nationally.  He is averaging 77.5 yards per game for 50^th nationally. 
 
Senior offensive lineman Ralph Singleton had another standout season for the Blazers as he earned second team all-conference honors in 2019 and has started all 10 games this season for the Blazers.  Singleton has played in 35 games with 34 starts, going 33-2 in his 35 games.  This season he has graded out at 91 percent for the season with 38 pancake/knockdown blocks.  He hasn't allowed a single pressure or sack this season as VSU has allowed just one sack as a team to lead the nation this season.  Singleton has blocked for an offense that is third nationally in total offense at 506.4 yards per game, while the rushing offense is sixth nationally at 260.3 yards per game for second in the GSC.  VSU's passing offense is fourth in the conference at 246.1 yards per game for 46^th nationally, while the Blazers are averaging 42.1 points per game for sixth nationally and second in the league.
 
Defensively, VSU had three players earn first team all-league accolades in sophomore defensive lineman Brian Williams, senior linebacker Nick Moss and graduate defensive back Christian Matthew.  This is the first all-conference for the trio at Valdosta State.  Williams has started all ten games for the Blazers this season in his first season up front for the Blazers.  He has tallied 32 total tackles with 17 solo stops and a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss for 43 yards, while recording a team-best 5.5 sacks for 35 yards.  Williams has one pass breakup and six quarterback hurries for the season.   Williams has helped the Blazer "D" to 23^rd nationally and second in the GSC in scoring defense, allowing 17.7 points per game, while the Blazers allowed just 321.8 yards per game for second in the GSC this season and 43^rd nationally.
 
Moss has played and started nine games this season as he leads the team with 92 total tackles and 45 solo stops.  He has 3.5 tackles for loss for 20 yards, three pass breakups, three hurries and one fumble return for 44 yards.  He has recorded double-digit tackles five times with a career-high 17 tackles against Delta State (Oct. 9).  He earned GSC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season.  Moss is fourth in the GSC in solo tackles at 4.5 per game and he leads the league at 9.2 tackles per game for 27^th nationally.
 
Matthew has played in all ten games with nine starts and leads the team with 14 pass breakups for eighth nationally and tops in the GSC at a 1.5 clip.  He has 23 total tackles with 13 solo stops, one interception return for 40 yards and a touchdown, along with a blocked kick this season.  He recorded a season-high five tackles at Virginia Union (Sept. 11) and had a season-high five pass deflections against Delta State (Oct. 9), helping VSU to a 55-0 shutout of the Statesmen.
 
The Blazers had a league-high seven selections to the second team with quarterback Ivory Durham earning second team honors in his first season as a starter for the Blazers.   Durham is 9-1 as a starter and has had a great season throwing for 2,343 yards and 20 touchdowns with a passer rating of 148.71 for second in the GSC and 27^th nationally.  He is 173 of 285 with six interceptions and is averaging 234.3 yards per game.  His 20 touchdowns passes are good for third in the GSC.  Not only has Durham excelled through the air, but also on the ground as he has nine rushing touchdowns this season and 661 yards on the ground.  His 300.6 yards of total offense is good for 17^th nationally and third in the league.  He was named GSC Player of the Week twice and threw a career-high 413 yards with three passing scores, one rushing and one receiving at then-No. 3 West Florida last weekend.
 
Graduate student wide receiver Lio'undre Gallimore earned second team honors this season after he earned second team honors in 2019 and first team accolades in 2018.  Gallimore has started all ten games this season and is second on the team in receptions (44) and receiving yards (773).  He has 12 receiving touchdowns for the season for the most on the team and tied for tenth-most in a season in school history.  Gallimore's 12 scores places his first in the GSC and 14^th nationally, while his 773 yards receiving puts him fourth in the GSC and his 77.3 yards per game average is fifth in the league.  Gallimore is third in the GSC in all-purpose yards for 56^th nationally at 113.2 per game.  He has 11 kickoff returns for 355 yards and one touchdown this season. 
 
Senior defensive lineman Arrington Dulin earned second team honors this season, along with junior linebacker Jameon Gaskin and defensive backs senior Cory Roberts and junior Taurus Dotson.  Dulin has played in all ten games with four starts, recording 33 tackles with 16 solo stops.  He has six tackles for loss for 22 yards, 2.5 sacks for 15 yards, seven quarterback hurries to tie for the team-lead, along with one fumble recovery and one safety.  He had a season-high seven tackles against Delta State (Oct. 9) and recorded a season-high four solo tackles against West Georgia (Oct. 30), with one tackle for loss and a sack in the game. 
 
Gaskin, who earned GSC Defensive Freshman of the Year honors in 2018, was named second team all-conference this season.  He played in nine games with five starts, recording 52 tackles for fourth on the team and 22 solo stops.  Gaskin had two tackles for loss for ten yards, along with one sack for six yards, two pass breakups, two hurries and two forced fumbles.  Gaskin is second in the GSC at a 0.22 clip in fumbles forced per game.
 
Roberts has played and started nine games with 56 tackles for second on the team.  He has 42 solo stops, three tackles for loss for 15 yards, two sacks for 14 yards, two interceptions, six breakups and two hurries.  He has been named GSC Defensive Player of the Week once this season.  He recorded a career-high 11 tackles against Delta State (Oct. 9) and has key interceptions in back-to-back games against West Georgia (Oct. 30) and North Greenville (Nov. 6).  Roberts is fifth in the GSC in passes defended at 0.9 per game.
 
Dotson has 22 total tackles and 15 solo stops this season.  He has three interceptions for 53 yards and a score this season, along with six pass breakups.  The INT return for his first collegiate touchdown came at West Alabama (Oct. 16).  He recorded a season-high five total tackles and four solo stops at Virginia Union (Sept. 11).
 
Earning second team honors on special teams is sophomore kicker Estin Thiele who has played in all ten games and handled the extra-points and field goals this season, along with a majority of kickoffs.  Thiele is 8 of 12 this season in field goals and 53 of 54 in extra-points for 77 points this season.  He has 67 kickoffs for 4,187 yards and a 62.5 average with 35 touchbacks this season.  Thiele has been named GSC Special Teams Player of the Week three times this season for the most on the team.  His 7.7 points per game is good for fourth in the GSC and 44^th nationally.  He made a long of 50 yards in the season-opener against Savannah State for the longest of the season of any kicker in the league.  Thiele made a season-high two field goals twice this season, going 2 for 2 against Delta State (Oct. 9) and 2 for 3 at Mississippi College.  His long attempt of the season was 56 yards at Virginia Union (Sept. 11).
 
The No. 5/6 Blazers earned the top-seed and first round bye in the upcoming NCAA Championship.  VSU will face the winner of the No. 4/5 game between Albany State and West Georgia on Nov. 27 at 1 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. 
 
Tickets for the November 27 game went sale Monday, November 15, and season ticket holders will have until Monday, November 22 at NOON to purchase their current seats.  All unsold seats after NOON on November 22^nd will be made available to the general public. Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.vstateblazers.com, by phone at 229-333-SEAT or in person at the Athletic Ticket Office located in the Complex. Online sales will not be available after 5 p.m., on Friday, November 26. 
 
Ticket prices for all VSU hosted NCAA playoff games will be $20 for reserved seats, $12 for adult general admission and $8 for senior citizens (65 and up) and youth (age 5 through college with student ID). The Athletic Ticket Office will be open from 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. For the week of November 22, the office will be open on Monday and Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.  For additional ticket information please call the Athletic Ticket Office at 229-333-SEAT.