x
Breaking News
More () »

Athlete of the Week: AJ George, Ottawa Hills

The Green Bears star ran for 118 yards and a touchdown to help power Ottawa Hills toward their first outright TAAC Championship in 17 years.

OTTAWA HILLS, Ohio — With the postseason now upon us, Ottawa Hills begins their preparation for a home playoff game, following an 8-1 regular season record.

A big reason for their success, hails from star senior A.J. George. A standout at linebacker and running back, George is committed to play football at Columbia University. 

"We have a lot of guys that do that and we're all used to it," George said. "We all push each other to keep that up and the guys that help us out just playing one side, they're a big help as well."

His head coach Chris Hardman added "Knowledge, leadership, and then obviously performance. He's the whole package as a football player and he's just very, very important to us."

Senior year hasn't come without adversity, however. A fractured leg took away some playing time and although not fully healthy, George is once again making an impact for his team.

"The muscles are still getting back to 100%," George said. "I wouldn't even still say I'm 100%, but everybody around me has done a really great job, coaches, players, training staff, helping me get back to that 100% and ready to play mode."

Hardman echoed that statement "A.J. is a warrior. First time in his career that he's dealt with an injury and he's really handled it like a champ. He did his therapy, he did his mental training, he was a great teammate, but having him back on the field is clearly a big deal for Ottawa Hills football."

That showed up Friday night against Edon, when George ran for 118 yards and a touchdown to help power the Green Bears toward their first outright TAAC Championship in 17 years.

A performance that helped land George the title of WTOL 11 Sports Athlete of the Week.

Before You Leave, Check This Out