Creekview linebacker Ryan Holmes capped off an outstanding senior season on the gridiron with his selection to the Georgia Sportswriters Association Class AAA first team All-State team on Wednesday.

Holmes was the lone Cherokee County player who was selected to the first team in any of the five classifications, with a number of local standouts being tabbed as honorable mentions.

The 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior linebacker was honored for a tremendous 2009 season in which he concluded his high school career with 138 tackles, five sacks and a forced fumble to help lead Creekview to a 9-2 record and its second consecutive appearance in the Class AAA state playoffs, where the Grizzlies lost to Carrollton 31-14 in the first round.

It is the first time in the four-year history of the football program at Creekview that it has a player honored as an All-State selection.

"This is really exciting," said Holmes, a two-time Cherokee Tribune All-County selection. "This is a really good honor. This is the first time that I have been selected to the All-State team and I am very honored."

Creekview coach Al Morrell praised Holmes' selection to the All-State team.

"I think that Ryan is a very worthy candidate," Morrell said. "He had a great year, in fact, he has had a great two years. He has been a team leader and we are going to miss him."

Holmes is looking forward to moving on to the college level, with Southern Miss, Eastern Kentucky, Georgetown and Western Carolina the top candidates.

A couple of Woodstock's senior defensive stalwarts were also honored as defensive lineman Jonathan Bermudez and linebacker Corey Carmichael were honorable mention selections in AAAAA, along with Etowah senior offensive lineman Reid Webster.

Bermudez (101 tackles, 6 sacks) and Carmichael (142 tackles, 3 sacks) helped lead Woodstock to a 10-2 record and a second-round appearance in the state playoffs, where the Wolverines lost to North Gwinnett 24-0.

Sequoyah senior defensive lineman Seth Grummer was an honorable mention selection in Class AAAA.

Grummer had 57 tackles, 11 sacks and 4 caused fumbles for the Chiefs in '09.

Lassiter quarterback Hutson Mason was chosen as the All-Classification player of the year.