Cobb Schools' "Athlete of the Week" campaign awards one male and one female athlete who has performed well both on and off the field. The program is made possible through a sponsorship by BSN Sports and the winners are recognized at their schools each Friday.

Current winners were announced the Friday before Fall Break. They are:

Jonathan Simmons, South Cobb High School, Football

Against Pope High School Jonathan had a career high night with 34 carries for 297 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had 1 catch for 5 yards and a touchdown to finish his night with 302 total yards and 3 TDs.

"I have been very impressed with Jonathan’s work ethic as of late," said South Cobb head coach Thomas Hanson. "The more successful that he has been on the field, the harder he works. He is now starting to lead by example. His teammates have really started to notice."

"Jonathan gives our program an unexpected element that we were not counting on at the beginning of the season," continued Coach Hanson proudly. "As long as he continues to work and improve in his approach toward each upcoming game, I think he has a bright future playing college football and earning a college education."

Samantha McGarity, Harrison High School, Cross Country

Samantha broke a 10-year-old school record at the Southern Showcase Invite in Huntsville, AL. She ran 18:14.11 to finish 7th overall and lead the girls team to a 4th place finish in a very competitive group of long-distance runners. 

"Samantha is an exceptional person!" said her coach Jason Scott. "She's always smiling and a very bright student. She’s only a sophomore and has really only broken out to be a top runner in the state this season. So she’s still learning how to race with the other top athletes in the state."

To say Samantha is a top runner in the state is something of an understatement. She is currently ranked #1 in GHSA 7A for girls cross country. While strong runners are present in every classification, 7A always provides very tough competition in cross country.

Great job and great work Jonathan and Samantha! You are both inspirations to your teams, coaches, and schools.