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Football: Six county football players give college commitments
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South Forsyth’s Ryan LaFlamme, center, reacts after one of his 3.5 sacks Friday, Aug. 18, 2017 against Roswell in the Corky Kell Classic at Georgia State Stadium. - photo by Micah Green

The flow of county football players giving college commitments picked up this past weekend, with six players giving verbal pledges.

South Forsyth defensive lineman Ryan LaFlamme committed to Mercer of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision on Saturday. 

LaFlamme, the 2017 All-FCN Defensive Player of the Year, was one of the leaders of a stout War Eagles defense that allowed more than 30 points in a game just once. He recorded 55 tackles in 2017, with 26 going for a loss. LaFlamme is set to become the third South Forsyth alum on Mercer's team, alongside tight end Sam Walker and linebacker Max Slott. 


South’s Jake Nitowski, an All-FCN First Team honoree who helped power the War Eagles’ potent rushing attack, committed to Shorter University on Friday. The Hawks are coached Zach Morrison, a Forsyth Central alum.

Two other members of South’s group of senior offensive players gave pledges, with running back Jared Honey committing to Olivet Nazarene University of the NAIA and receiver Ryan Pontrelli accepting a preferred walk-on offer to Kennesaw State.

Honey was one of the most effective running backs in the region in 2017, gaining 1,160 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns. Pontrelli missed action late in the season due to injury, but he was a strong threat in his seven games of action, catching 25 passes with an average of 12.4 yards per reception.

North Forsyth also had two seniors commit over the weekend.

Tight end Clayton Bardall pledged to Western Carolina to give the Raiders their first Division I commitment of this senior class. Bardall, a tight end, played sparingly his senior season due to injury, but he caught 15 passes for an average of 11.5 yards per catch as a junior, and his lone reception as a senior went for 56 yards.

North Forsyth’s Will Chavarria committed to Malone University, a Division II school in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday. Chavarria was Honorable Mention All-FCN as a defensive lineman for the Raiders in 2017, recording 26 tackles with 3.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hurries. The senior is also a standout wrestler at 285 pounds for North.