The Ledger-Enquirer High School Boys Fall Sports Athlete of the Year poll winner is . . .
Holden Sanders is the Ledger-Enquirer High School Boys Fall Sports Athlete of the Year in the Columbus area, based on our online poll.
As a junior on the St. Anne-Pacelli Catholic School cross country team, Holden set a personal record of 21:04 in the 5K Marion County Invitational. He helped the team place second in the Georgia Independent Athletic Association regional and seventh in the GIAA state race.
“Dedicated member of the cross country team since middle school and continues to demonstrate outstanding leadership,” coach Maggi Horton said in an email to the L-E. “He consistently shows up to every practice, giving his best effort while encouraging and motivating his teammates. Holden is not only a strong runner but also an exceptional teammate who leads by example.”
The winners of each Ledger-Enquirer High School Boys Athlete of the Week poll during the 2025 fall sports season were eligible to be nominated by an official from their school.
Voting was open from Dec. 22 to Jan. 2 at noon. Participants in the poll could vote as many times as they want. They didn’t have to be a subscriber to vote, but subscribers could vote more often.
Among this poll’s eight nominees, Holden received 71% of the 6,574 votes. Here are the complete final results:
- Holden Sanders, Pacelli cross country junior, 4,678 votes, 71%: PR of 21:04 for season in Marion County Invitational. Helped team place 2nd in GIAA regional and top 7 in state.
- Dustin Sherman, Pacelli football senior QB/TE/DB, 1,321 votes, 20%: 1,269 yards passing and 10 touchdowns.
- Nolan Vaughn, Pacelli football junior DB/WR, 459 votes, 7%: 33 tackles, four interceptions and one fumble recovery.
- Donovan “DJ” Colvin, Pacelli football junior RB/DB, 87 votes, 1%: 1,215 yards rushing and nine touchdowns.
- Riley Bowles, Smiths Station cross country senior, 13 votes: Season PR 16:11. Placed third at sectionals and 26th at state.
- John Thompson, Pacelli football, junior WR/DB, 9 votes: 31 catches, 413 yards receiving and one touchdown.
- Anquan Jackson, Hardaway cross country junior, 4 votes: Set personal record of 19:01.34 and finished top 10 in MCSD Cross Country Meet. “Hard worker and competed every day to his maximum ability,” coach Telvin Hodo said in an email to the L-E.
- Braxton Wilkinson, Calvary Christian football junior QB, 3 votes: GIAA Class 4A top passer with 2,400 yards, 21 TD and 4 INT. Led team to state quarterfinals as first-year starter. He led a team that went 1-9 in 2024 to a 6-6 record and a quarterfinal exit to the eventual state champions. Led an offense that gained 3,500 yards of offense and broke a school record by scoring 70 points in a game. Had 4 receivers with 400+ receiving yds, 5 receivers with over 200 receiving yds, and each receiver had multiple touchdowns.
This story was originally published December 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
