Two former Houston County Bears are potential draftees in 2026 Major League Baseball draft, Northside athlete announces transfer to Perry

Two former Houston County Bears may have their name called this weekend during the 2026 Major League Baseball draft.

Drew Burress, a sophomore at Georgia Tech, headlines the pair after another award-winning season for the Yellow Jackets. Recently graduated shortstop Isaiah Galason is also eligible for the draft.

Burress started all 61 games for Tech during the 2025-26 season, posting a .358 batting average for 91 hits, 22 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs and 60 RBI.

He was selected to the 2025 All-American 1st Team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, the American Baseball Coaches Association, the College Baseball Foundation, Perfect Game and D1 Baseball. He earned 3rd Team honors for Baseball America.

Additionally, in 2024 and 2025 Burress was selected to the U.S.A. Baseball Collegiate National Team, was a Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist, a Dick Howser Award Semifinalist, on the All-Atlanic Coast Conference 1st Team and the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Academic team among a plethora of other awards.

The MLB has Burress listed as the seventh-best prospect in the 2026 draft.

Galason, a Georgia Tech commit, is Perfect Game’s 169th-best MLB prospect. The middle infield standout earned All-Region 1st Team honors his senior year after helping lead HoCo to the semifinals in 2026. He won a state championship with the 2022-23 team, had another state championship appearance in 2025 and made it to the semifinals in 2024.

According to the MLB rules, players who have graduated high school but not attended college are eligible for the draft. If Galason attends Georgia Tech, he will not be eligible again until completing his junior year or turning 21 years old.

There are four former Bears currently in the MLB: Andrew Dunford, DL Hall, Gage Harrelson and Jaden Woods.

Former Northside athlete transfers to Perry

Rising sophomore wide receiver Justin Garman has transferred from Northside High School, to Perry High School, according to the Panthers’ Hudl roster and Garman’s social media accounts.

The former Eagle earned an All-Region 2nd Team selection in the first year under new head coach Daniel Williams.

Garman adds another receiver to what was an inexperienced room in 2025. He joins Dakarai Felder and Brhyson Gordon to help replenish a unit that lost three of its top five producers to graduation.

Issy Dehem earns All-State honors

Westfield’s prolific goal scorer, Issy Dehem, earned GIAA 3A All-State honors for her performance during the 2026 season, according The Westfield School Facebook page.

Dehem tied her own single-season goals record at 32 with a strike in the Lady Hornets’ final game of the season against Brookwood, an eventual 4-3 loss in double overtime.