LAKE COUNTRY
Several Lake Country athletes got to play football once more in their high school uniforms at the 2022 Athens-area Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) All-Star game. There were also two coaches, both from Morgan County, that got to participate in the contest.
The Greene County Tigers had running back Malik West, offensive lineman Ricky Picasso and defensive back Arkiyus Wright participate in the game for the Blue Team.
The Morgan County Bulldogs had running back Jacere Cooper and offensive lineman Griffin Britt take part in playing for the Blue Team. Punter Nolan Harris was on the White Team. Also, coaches Max Gaubert and Loren Purvis were on the field.
West, Picasso, Wright, Cooper, Britt and Harris competed against some of the best athletes in the area. They also got to showcase their skills in front of a few college scouts. Each of the six Lake Country athletes got extensive playing time in the game.
“It was a cool experience,” Wright said before the game. “I am blessed to be here.”
The 5-foot-10, 160-pound Tigers’ defensive back made a few tackles during the game. He also acted as a kick returner on special teams for the Blue Team on Saturday.
Wright currently has two scholarship offers, with one of them coming in on Tuesday. He already had one from Morehouse College in Atlanta. However, he announced via Twitter that Culver-Stockton College in Missouri offered him on Tuesday.
Greene County head coach Terrance Banks congratulated his senior via his Twitter.
“They (are) about to start pouring in 2 (too),” Banks’ tweet read. “Congrats Big Dog!”
Cooper and Harris are the other two Lake Country athletes that played in the game with offers.
Cooper, who ran for over 1,000 yards this season for Morgan County and broke the program’s single-year rushing record, just recently picked up an offer from Westminster College in Pennsylvania. He also has offers from several other small programs.
Harris is regarded as one of the best punters in the state of Georgia in the class of 2022. He was recently named to the Touchdown Club Of Atlanta’s All-Star Team on Twitter.
“It’s been a lot of fun coming up here and meeting all these guys,” Harris said on Saturday. “Being here with my teammates - Jacere and Griffin - makes it even better.”
Harris recently got an offer extended to him from Cornell College in Iowa. He’s also been offered by Western Carolina, Appalachian State and Mercer, among others.
Britt doesn’t have an offer yet. However, Gaubert and the Morgan County coaching staff are pushing for him via social media. He started at center for the Bulldogs this past season.
West and Picasso currently don’t have any scholarship offers, although they’re hoping to get some soon. Both were Region 8-A Division II All-Region selections for Greene County and played pivotal roles for Banks in his first season at the helm.
“Proud of these boys,” Banks tweeted about Wright, Picasso and West. “The Standard is being built. FYI, colleges, these boys are still available. (They) have 3.5 GPAs.”