St. Petersburg, FL – Dixie Hollins may have come up short on the productive season they were shooting for, finishing at 2-7, but what if I told you their sophomore star wide receiver was responsible for the success they did have…would you believe me?

The 6’ tall 165-pound receiver, defensive back, and kick returner Garion Young is a three-way player, but contributed most for Dixie on the offensive side of the ball with 9 total touchdowns and 2 conversions, accounting for 58 of the teams’ total points scored.

With 974 All-purpose yards in 9 total games, his versatility is no secret. Garion had 385 receiving yards on 27 catches, tallying 5 touchdowns with 42.8 receiving yards per game. Dixie started Young out mostly rushing the ball in his first 3 games this past sophomore year, accumulating 129 yards on 36 carries and 2 of his 3 rushing touchdowns for the season. He ran for 226 yards in total, and his workload continued to progress with his hands going into the rest of the season.

His best game at receiver took place at Seminole high, racking up 2 touchdowns on 6 receptions for 118 yards! In the return game, Garion’s longest kick return was 55 yards…11 total returns, adding to his all-purpose yards with 363, averaging 33 yards each time. Putting up 109 of those yards on Tarpon Springs with only 3 total returns that game, definitely one of his top performances for the books.

Garion Young is showing much promise wearing the versatility belt for Dixie Hollins going forward; with only half his high school career completed. Despite the teams’ rough season, his stats shined, and there’s only room for more progression and growth as a young high school football athlete in Pinellas County.

Vaughan Sixbury, BCP Contributor