In their first year in the GHSA, the Tattnall Trojans have stacked up an impressive record, going 5-0.
One senior takes pride in every tackle on the field and every test in the classroom.
Jonathan Ward is our Athlete of the Week.
Clint Morgan thinks a lot of his senior linebacker.
"He's a great role model. My two sons look up to Jonathan. He's their role model," Coach Morgan said.
Those are humble and strong words from head Coach Clint Morgan.
But if you get to know Jonathan Ward, it's easy to see how he earned that title "role model."
He has an 92 or an "A" average in the classroom.
"I try extremely hard. It doesn't come easy to me, but it's a big deal to me and I treat it like it's a major thing and part of my life," Ward explained.
And on the field, Ward works both sides of the ball, making an impact in every game.
"He's our leading tackler and he missed one game, Morgan recalled. He's our leading rusher and he missed one game so he's a leader through and through."
He missed that game with a shoulder injury, but he's fine now and in the center of what could become a recruiting battle.
"I get some calls from Ivy League schools with Yale and Harvard and then you've got the local schools with Mercer and Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern, and then you throw in Middle Tennessee," Morgan rattled off. "They come from everywhere and a lot of it came not that he's a great football player, but he has that great grade point average and test scores."
"The recruiting process is fun and it's interesting, but the big thing is you have to have your SAT score in order to get into schools that you want to go," Ward said.
You heard Mercer in the mix of schools that he might attend.
There is another Ward; Tyler Ward that has had a great career as a Bear.
The two brothers are tight., both play linebacker and both like to talk strategy.
"Me and my brother are real close," Ward said. "Every Thursday we talk to each other about the following Friday and the following Saturday, and he encourages me and I encourage him."
And as for career plans Ward loves math and contemplated a career as a financial planner, but he's also contemplating other options.
"I might go with forestry because I'm a big outdoors man and then business, maybe an entrepreneur or maybe something like that," Ward surmised.
"He's driven and he knows what he wants to do and he's not going to let anybody stop him," Coach Morgan said with a smile.
Tattnall has a home game against Stratford Academy this Friday night at 7pm.
