Lithia Spring’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season

Even though most high school football fans are not familiar with Lithia Springs, we still think that the Lions program has its own fair share of talent, and ability. They may not be the best team in their region, but they certainly have the ability to make it to the playoffs, and compete with some of the better teams in the state, providing themselves an opportunity to make something great happen. Last year, even though they finished the season with a 4-7 overall record, they managed to finish out 4-2 in the region. While this may not seem overly impressive, this was enough to get them to the playoffs. Here, their season fell short to Calhoun in the first round, 46-21. While their season may have come to an end in this fashion, we think that they have a decent chance at success next season, and are excited to see what they can bring to the table. Before the 2021 season starts, feel free to look at some of the Lions’ top returners that we have listed below. <b>Khayri Mapson- </b><i>OL / DL</i> Off the ball, Mapson shows that he has the ability to roll his hips, and use his size, and width to his advantage, making it hard for defenders to work their way past him. His use of hands is effective, and we like the way he uses his feet and athleticism, allowing him to make blocks down the field, and when he has to pull. This is not only very effective for his offense in the running game, but his consistency also helps in pass coverage as well. Mapson is okay at exploding with his strength on contact, but needs to work on this, as well as the leverage he uses when picking up blocks. If he is able to do so, it will make a big difference in his effectiveness. <b>Cole Nash- </b><i>DL</i> When playing on the DL, Nash plays very naturally, with good instinct, and discipline. As he is lined up and is defending the run, he not only reacts well, but he has good vision of the game at hand. His use of hands to rip off of blocks, as well as the way he is able to dip and rip can all be seen to be key factors to his success. Even though he has poor bend and explosion off of the snap, he manages to use his quickness, and feet to help himself make his way around linemen. In doing so, he is able to be consistent with the pressure he puts on the passer. We also like the way that Nash flies around the football field, and is not afraid to make contact. This can be seen as he makes plays in pursuit, as well as when he makes stops when ball carriers run right up the gut. As next season approaches, we are excited to see how he is able to further develop in each of these areas, because we think he can slowly become a big time player for his defense. <b>Jamius Duncan- </b><i>CB / WR</i> Duncan may be one of the better DB’s on the Lions’ team, and this can be seen in the way he uses his length and frame to his advantage when the ball comes near him, and the way he is able to navigate various levels of the field. When moving around the field, he has quick feet, but the way he gets out of his breaks is very raw. This is due to the fact that he crosses his steps over each other, rather than moving cleanly to eliminate unnecessary movement. Regardless, we like the speed that Duncan has, and the way he turns and runs. He may be slow when flipping his hips, but he manages to keep his eyes on the receiver and play with discipline. When the ball is in the air, he also plays with good ball skills, which can result in good pass break ups, or even turnovers. Next season, expect Duncan to continue to emerge as one of the better players on the Lions’ defense.