CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The Virginia High School League announces its 2023 Class 1 all-state football team. Galax senior running back Tedruhn Tucker is the Class 1 Offensive Player of the Year, and Galax senior linebacker Austin Ashworth is the Class 1 Defensive Player of the Year. Galax head coach Shane Allen is the Class 1 Coach of the Year.
The 6’0”, 215-pound Tucker rushed for 2,374 on 405 attempts for a 5.9-yard average for 28 rushing touchdowns this season for the Maroon Tide. A first-team all-state selection as a sophomore and junior, he added four receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns. In the state finals, Tucker gained 117 yards rushing on 32 attempts, along with one catch for nine yards in Galax’s 7-6 win over Essex. In addition, he added a critical fourth-quarter sack in the endzone for a safety. Training 6-4, he converted a third-and-one at the Essex 34-yard line to set up the game-winning field goal with 12 seconds remaining.
The 6’1”, 200-pound Ashworth was a dominant force in his linebacker position for the Maroon Tide. He finished his senior year with 175.5 tackles,150 solo stops, 24 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. An all-state second-team selection last year, he scored three defensive touchdowns in 2023. In the state title win, Ashworth led a stingy Galax defense that limited the high-powered Essex offense, averaging 41 points per game to 155 total yards and one touchdown.
Head Coach Shane Allen led Galax (11-4) to the school’s second state title and first since 2015 (7-4 vs. Riverheads) with a 7-6 win over Essex in the Class 1 state championship game to complete a title run that began the season with a 1-3 start. Since taking over the program in 2020, he has led the Maroon Tide to a 38-12 record and three state championship game appearances. The all-state football team consists of 32 players (Offense: one quarterback; four linemen; one center; three running backs; three receivers; one tight end; one kicker; one kick returner; one all-purpose offensive player (Defense: four defensive linemen; five linebackers; four defensive backs; one punter; one punt returner; one all-purpose defensive player).
Only those players selected to the all-region first-team are eligible for selection to the all-state team. The all-state selection committee comprises eight coaches, with two from each region.
