With his starting running back recovering from an offseason injury, Norcross head coach Keith Maloof knew he needed to mix things up a little on offense.
The solution — make AJ Watkins a threat from any position on the field.
Watkins did a little bit of everything Saturday in the season opener against Marietta in the Corky Kell Classic at Mercedes Benz Stadium. From breaking off long touchdown runs to throwing deep touchdown passes to catching screen passes for first downs, the senior tallied 234 all-purpose yards (94 passing, 109 rushing, 31 receiving) in a 45-23 victory over Marietta.
Norcross’s two-quarterback system with Watkins and junior Dillon Mohammed gives the Norcross offense a ton of options, Maloof said.
“You get mismatches with AJ at quarterback and Dillon at quarterback that we like on the field, and we have to show what AJ can do other than just play quarterback,” Maloof said. “He’s the key to our whole offense being able to what he does — catching the ball, running the ball, throwing the ball, and teams now have to defend him everywhere.”
Watkins connected with junior receiver Jamari Harrold on two touchdown passes and scampered for a 73-yard TD run to give Norcross a 24-9 advantage at halftime.
Maloof said Harrold is starting to emerge from a loaded receiving corps from last season that graduated three seniors. Harrold wowed Norcross fans when he hauled in a deep pass in contested coverage and proceeded to elude two defenders before dragging them into the end zone for a 55-yard score.
Harold also impressed on a back-shoulder throw to the sideline, turning his head at just the right moment to make the snatch, and again on a fade route into the corner of the end zone, where he hauled in a 3-yard touchdown. He finished with five catches for 95 yards and two scores.
“What he did today is what we expect out of him,” Maloof said. “We lost three power receivers from last year, and he started, but no balls went his way because we had the other three, but now he’s the dude, so he’s got to make the plays, and he made them tonight.”
Norcross kept the pressure on in the second half. After a turnover on downs by Marietta, Norcross drove down to the MHS 7-yard line. Alex Garnett took the end around handoff down to the 1-yard line before he fumbled, but running back Kevin Maven-Winchester was there to pounce on the ball at the goal line. The play was ruled a touchdown, but it led to the first instant replay used in a game by the Georgia High School Association.
On the next drive, Marietta running back Russell Bey coughed up the ball deep in his own territory, and NHS recovered. That set up a 13-yard touchdown drive capped off by a two-yard TD run by Mohammed to put NHS up 38-9. Mohammed finished 10 of 12 for 84 yards and ran six times for 24 yards and two touchdowns.
Marietta senior quarterback Chase McCravy went 23 of 37 for 293 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
MHS—6|3|0|14|--23
NHS—3|21|21|0|--45
First Quarter
NHS—Jack Rouille 26 field goal
MHS—Russell Bey 18 run (kick blocked)
Second Quarter
NHS—Jamari Harrold 55 pass from AJ Watkins (Rouille kick)
MHS—Cole Baumgartner 22 field goal
NHS—AJ Watkins 73 run
NHS—Harrold 3 pass from Watkins (Rouille kick)
Third Quarter
NHS — Kevin Maven-Winchester fumble recovery in end zone (Rouille kick)
NHS — Dillon Mohammed 2 run (Rouille kick)
NHS — Dillon Mohammed 1 run (Rouille kick)
Fourth Quarter
MHS — Landon Mannery 10 pass from Chase McCravy (Conversion failed)
MHS — McCravy 2 run (Morgan pass from McCravy
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