Lee County Stuns Sequoyah: Standouts and Takeaways

Lee County was dead in the water, down 32-21 with 2 minutes left in the game; that was before an unreal 22-0 run to close out the game, which consisted of a punt-return score and a pick-six. It was truly a tale of two halves, and an early candidate for GOTY here in GA. Here are the standout performers from each squad.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Lee County</h2>    Upshaw was the prized recruit to monitor coming into this game, and he validated that claim. He is a long, lean, smooth athlete with soft mitts and truly elite spatial awareness, which is what flashed the most to me. Upshaw's late punt return TD put Lee County ahead with 1 minute left. The definition of an elite receiver, in my opinion, is when everyone in the stadium knows where the ball is going, and you still can't stop it. That's what it felt like with Upshaw in this game.     Bush, committed to Mercer, proved to be one of the most versatile players in Georgia with his performance. If there was a way for him to get the ball in his hands, they figured out how to do it. The direct snap game, handoffs, receiving- it was all in play. He didn't get many chances to open up, but he was trusted to create yards and proved to be a slick player to bring down.     Clay sealed the game late with a pick-six, finally getting a shot to make a play on the ball. Clay is one of the best 2028 cover guys in the state. He is sudden, smooth, and can carry routes across the field. Impact players made impact plays in this game, with Clay calling game.     Bell had his number called late in the game and played a critical role in the Lee County comeback. I am a big fan of how this kid moves. He floats around the field, accelerates through changes in direction, and has the juice to generate explosives from anywhere. He will be an important playmaker for Lee County this fall.     I thought Ball offered a change of pace and was able to create some yards when needed. He had a long TD run called back due to holding, but flashed nonetheless. He is a true bowling ball back, quickly getting upfield and relying on his explosiveness to eat up turf. He has a low center of gravity and is a powerful runner, generating contact that you could hear all over the stadium. Lee County can will the ball down the field, and Ball is a major reason why.     If you want to find a sleeper to dream on, this could be your guy. HUDL lists him at 6'8 280, and he certainly did tower over everyone. I couldn't find much on this kid, but the eye test was enough for a mention here. He is raw, but I actually thought he played decent at the POA, at least from a physicality perspective. His length will present a challenge weekly to blockers, and I am intrigued to see how he grows.     Bryant caught my eye in the second half and is a true plugger right in the middle of the Lee County defensive front. He is listed at 6'1 330, and proved to be an immovable object. He flashed as a playmaker as well, showing the ability to shed and be an active player. Bryant is committed to Lee County, a big-time pickup for the Wolves.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sequoyah</h2>    Williams is ranked as one of our highest-ranked LBs in the state and is the prized recruit on this Sequoyah team. He is a long, lean LB prospect with space to fill out. He is athletic enough to pursue, but plays better in the box than you would think for being a thinner prospect. I love how he leveraged and engaged blockers, doing a great job getting underneath blockers, often untouched. Williams flipped around and played some offense as well, punching in a TD on the goal line.     Washington projects as a LB, but he has played a critical role through 3 games as a ball carrier and proved capable of grinding down the curve of defenses. He is a chore to tackle in space when he gets rolling thanks to his sheer combination of traits. He broke off an 80+ yard run, where his sub-11-second 100M time was on full display. He holds several offers FBS offers and will get a shot at the D1 level.     Sanders is a new name that emerged here and had a massive first half that consisted of two TDs and a big gain to get inside the five. He is a lean, smooth athlete with a baseball background. I thought he tracked the ball beautifully over his shoulder and was difficult to catch when he got behind safeties. Sanders really popped and deserves recognition.     Bohannon is an ETSU baseball commit, but is a good football player in his own right and makes plays all over the field and on both sides for Sequoyah. He is a stout, strong player who violently pursues the football and generates loud contact. He is an explosive player who can lift off offensively when he gets the football. All in all, a violent, energetic football player who is an impact player on both sides of the ball.     Gantt comes in at 6'0 205, but was the most productive DL on this squad. Similar to Bohannon, he is a physical, high-motor football player who rallies hard at the POA. He flashed as a pass rusher, consistently winning and proving he can get vertical to attack the football. This Sequoyah team is chalked full of high-energy, strong multi-sport athletes, and Gantt is just another example.     Goings, committed to Southern Illinois, is versatile and hard to miss in this Sequoyah secondary. He is a tall, rangy prospect who projects as a box safety. He played well in coverage, but I loved how he came downhill and attacked the football. He fits the billing of the rest of this Sequoyah defense when it comes to physicality and energy; he just has the traits that make him an obvious D1 projection.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game Grade</h2>   Sequoyah vs Lee County: 10/10   You won't see me hand out a 10 often; I am going to be very picky. Still, this game had it all. A heavyweight bout between these two started with a score on opening plays from both teams. From there, the game flipped on its head as the first half went on, and Sequoyah took clear control.   Lee County hung around offensively, but Sequoyah made momentum-changing plays, such as an INT by '27 DB Danny Palmese, when they needed it the most. Lee County had no answer for the Sequoyah offense, and the Chiefs took all the momentum and energy into the half with a 32-21 lead. Make no mistake, these two teams were headed in different directions, even if the scoreboard wasn't that insurmountable. Sequoyah had the energy and made all the momentum-changing plays when it mattered the most.   The 32-21 score held deep into the fourth quarter, until one of the crazier comebacks you will ever see. In under two minutes, Lee County ran one in, went for two, returned a punt for a score, and sealed the deal with a pick-six to complete a 22-0 run and eventually win by a score of 43-32. If you want to know how to point out an elite WR, here it is. Everyone in the building knows where the ball is going when they need a big play, and you can't do anything to stop it. That's how I felt watching [player_tooltip player_id='378394' first='Jaden' last='Upshaw'], who made big play after big play during the improbable comeback, including the punt return score.   Both teams are candidates to push deep into the postseason, and they'll have the full attention of many going forward.

Lee County was dead in the water, down 32-21 with 2 minutes left in the game; that was before an unreal 22-0 run to close out the game, which consisted of a punt-return score and a pick-six. It was truly a tale of two halves, and an early candidate for GOTY here in GA. Here are the standout performers from each squad.