VALDOSTA – Four Valdosta State football players were named to the 2016 All-Gulf South Conference team, and freshman Cedric Hollingshed earned GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year honors, as announced by the league office on Wednesday.

In a poll taken by coaches throughout the conference, the resulting votes placed two Blazers on the first team and two additional player among the second team honorees.

Donatello Brown earned First Team honors for the first time in his career after helping lead the Blazer secondary to 22 interceptions, a number which tops the GSC. He has played in and started all ten games for Valdosta State this season and has recorded eight tackles. He has been challenged only a few times this season by opposing quarterbacks, but has nevertheless picked off two passes and tallied four breakups.

Representing the offensive unit was lineman Brandon Kemp, a red shirt freshman out of Stone Mountain, Ga. that ranked second on the tean with 28 knockdowns and received a 95 percent assignment rating during his 2016 campaign.

Jamar Simpkins and Kenny Moore rounded out the remaining honorees, each earning Second Team honors to represent Second-Team honorees. Moore’s selection represents the third straight year in which the Valdosta, Ga. native has been named All-GSC, while Simpkins makes his first appearance after a season that included 6.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 4.5 sacks.

Hollingshed’s honor marked the first GSC Offensive Freshman of the Year accolade for a Blazer since Cedric O’Neal, Valdosta State’s all-time leading rusher, kicked off his career in 2012 with the same recognition. The Macon, Ga. native scored seven rushing touchdowns on the season, marking the fifth-highest total in the GSC. In addition, Hollingshed ranked sixth in the league with an average of 66.2 yards per contest, and he also served as an influential receiving target with 25 catches, 182 receiving yards, and one touchdown reception.

The Blazers open up play in the 2016 NCAA Playoffs on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium against the Braves of UNC-Pembroke. Saturday’s Blazer Walk will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Williams Street just outside of Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, and Student Affairs has purchased tickets to allow for free admission to the first 2,000 students that attend the game.