6A Quarterfinals Game Balls: Lee County at River Ridge

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A Cinderella run came to an end for River Ridge while Lee County continued its run as one of the premier state powers last Friday in Woodstock. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Lee County defeated River Ridge 49-31 and was led by an outstanding performance from an SEC-bound running back. The Trojans also saw standout performances by several defensive players. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The 31 points scored by River Ridge was the second most scored against Lee County this season. The Knights will lose a number of senior starters this offseason but will return several of their most explosive players next fall. </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33689" first="Caleb" last="McDowell"], RB, Class of 2021 (<em>Lee County</em>)</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">In Lee County’s biggest game of the season, McDowell delivered his best performance. The future South Carolina Gamecock finished with five touchdowns and almost single-handedly won the game for the Trojans. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">He scored in a variety of ways as well. His <a href="https://twitter.com/Patrick_J_OShea/status/1337570907565547520">75-yard kickoff return</a> in the second quarter may have been the play of the game after River RIdge had cut the Lee County lead to 21-17, but his <a href="https://twitter.com/Patrick_J_OShea/status/1337586233590116359">49-yard punt return</a> in the third quarter seemed to serve as the knockout punch. McDowell (5’10”, 175) added scoring runs of 21, 22 and 62 while finishing with 131 rushing yards on 11 carries. </span> https://twitter.com/Patrick_J_OShea/status/1337621677031780352 <strong>Jaron Willis, ATH, Class of 2022 (<em>Lee County</em>)</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Possibly the most impressive college prospect on the field was Lee County’s junior safety. With Division 1 size (6’2”, 220), Willis showed why his positional versatility is one of his best attributes. Playing a hybrid outside linebacker/safety position, Willis was equally impactful against the run and the pass. His sideline to sideline ability in pursuit was evident as was his ability to react in the passing game. Willis holds offers from nearly every major program in the country and should be one of the best prospects in Georgia next fall. </span> https://twitter.com/Patrick_J_OShea/status/1337574277256781824 <strong>Amehre Morrison, RB. Class of 2022 (<em>River Ridge</em>)</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The leading rusher in Class AAAAAA did not disappoint. Morrison’s 77-yard score</span> [caption id="attachment_81558" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-81558" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/AmehreMorrisonLee.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /> Amehre Morrison, Class of 2022[/caption] <span style="font-weight: 400;">in the second quarter may have been his most <a href="https://twitter.com/Patrick_J_OShea/status/1337566864612974593">impressive run of the season</a> and against one of the most athletic defenses in the state. Morrison finished with 122 yards on 19 carries and ended his season five yards short of 2,000 yards. The dynamic junior tallied 1,955 rushing yards, 256 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns this season. He has drawn attention from Georgia Southern and will likely see more schools come calling after making a case of the state Player of the Year.</span> &nbsp; <strong>Jackson Head, WR/TE, Class of 2023 (<em>River Ridge</em>)</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the best sophomores in Cherokee County, Head looked right at home on Friday night. The River Ridge receiver finished with a game-high five receptions for 82 yards with receiving scores of 10 and 15 yards. <a href="https://twitter.com/Patrick_J_OShea/status/1337597306573647873">Head absorbed a solid hit on his second score but held on to the ball through contact.</a> With excellent size (6’3”, 210) Head has well-above-average hand-strength and ball skills. He should continue to develop into one of the better receiving options in the Class of 2023.</span> [caption id="attachment_81556" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-81556" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/12/JacksonHeadLee.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /> Jackson Head, Class of 2023[/caption]