Ed Ferguson with the tackle.
Ed Ferguson on the breakup.
Ed Ferguson on the carry.
Ed Ferguson with the catch.
Ed Ferguson takes the snap.
Fans that have attended an Athens Academy football game this season have grown used to hearing the name Ed Ferguson called multiple times.
It is doubtful that Ferguson hears his own name called anymore, because he’s too busy. Ferguson rarely comes off the field for the Spartans.
He lines up at wide receiver on offense. He also plays some running back and tight end and he’s also taken a few snaps at quarterback.
He then flips to defense and plays linebacker and has played defensive back in his time on Spartan Lane.
Friday night, as the Spartans sat locked in a battle with region 8-A rival George Walton Academy, Ferguson made play after play after play, and at the end of the night his stats had accumulated to something special.
Ferguson caught five passes for 154 yards and a touchdown, which happened to be a 63-yarder on the first play from scrimmage. He also added 14 carries for 63 yards and two touchdown runs.
On defense he tallied multiple tackles and an interception. His performance against George Walton Academy has made him this week’s Ellis Pain Center/Oconee Enterprise Athlete of the Week.
“I felt like I was going to have to do a little bit of everything to help my team win,” Ferguson said. “Not coming off the field, you just know you’re never going to get tired. Coaches told me all week that I was going to have to set the edge and be able to run the ball and not get tired doing both.”
In his time at Athens Academy, Ferguson has gone through changes physically that allow him to be a player that never comes off the field.
The weight-lifting program has been a huge part in molding Ferguson, but a timely growth spurt is also gave him a boost. As a sophomore, Ferguson stood 5-feet-5 and weighed about 130 pounds. Senior Ed Ferguson is an opposing 6-feet-2 and weighs a little over 200 pounds.
“Right before junior year I grew a lot so it was interesting being able to be so much bigger,” Ferguson said. “It made me feel more comfortable on the field.”
The Ellis Pain Center/Oconee Enterprise Athlete of the Week is chosen by the sports staff of The Oconee Enterprise. Local coaches are welcome to email their nominations to sportseditor@oconeeenter-prise.com by Monday at 10 a.m. Ellis Pain Center can be reached at www.ellispain.com.
