Athens Academy’s Top Returners For The 2021 Season

During the 2020 season, Athens Academy’s football team saw its own share of success, as they managed to accumulate a 10-2 record by the end of the season. Out of the two losses they sustained, one of them occurred during a regional game, causing them to finish 3-1 in the region. This was more than enough to make it to the playoffs though, before falling to Fellowship Christian 49-14. Next season, we expect Athen’s Academy to be able to build on top of their previous success, making for a potentially big season for them in 2021. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="33905" first="Johnerio" last="Holt"]- </b><i>DL</i> When evaluating the film on Holt, it is evident that he does a good job off the ball because of the way he is quick off of the edge. Contributing to this, he sees success in doing so due to his bend, and the way he is unafraid to translate his power in his movement, as well as work around linemen with his feet. In addition to this, we like the way that Holt uses his hands, and extends his arms when rushing the passer. While he may be a bit stiff at times, he still finds ways to turn the corner, and his wide body allows him to overpower defenders, and use his length to his advantage, helping to stop ball carriers when pairing these attributes with his short area quickness. <b>Austin McGee- </b><i>WR / DB</i> Not only is McGee a quick player, but he is very exciting to watch due to his big play ability, and ability to change direction on a dime with his twitchy speed and footwork. With this, we love how he finishes plays strong when on offense, and regardless of the side of the ball he is playing on at the time, he does a great job of using his hands, and allowing his ball skills to make plays in seemingly difficult situations. McGee is also a very long player, and when he makes catches he gets tons of good yards after the catch. When doing so, he sees running lanes very well. On defense, we also like his ability to be able to stay in the hip pocket of DB’s, as well as change direction and use quick feet to get in and out of breaks, which helps him to be able to keep up with receivers. <b>Julian Attaway- </b><i>LB</i> While Attaway may be a bit stiff, he is a great football player, and is good at getting to the ball when playing in the box. In addition to this, he is good at being able to make tackles when making initial contact, as he uses his strength to help him roll his hips, use his hands, and drag opposing players to the ground. Even though he may be a bit slow in pursuit, he is decent off of the snap of the ball when tracking the ball carrier. Attaway is also a very diverse player for his team, as he also plays offensive line, and uses his feet and athleticism to pick up blocks in the run game. <b>Giovanni Newsome- </b><i>RB</i> Newsome tends to be a ton of fun to watch when carrying the ball due to his overall burst, speed, and the way he is able to play with good balance. His quick feet also helps him to be able to change direction quickly, and pick up good yards with his short area quickness. He does a good job of running through tackles well, and his vision helps him to pick good running lanes when plays break down. Newsome also runs at a decent pad level, and the way he protects the ball is great to see from a player his age. Next season, look for him to continue to develop into his frame, and to become a workhorse for his team.