It is no national secret that Lawrence County likes to run the ball. It is what makes their offense go.

But, when a team is fortunate enough to have a stable of running backs highlighted by Quitten Brown and a dual-threat quarterback like Charl’Tez Nunnery it becomes difficult not to run the ball.
That should not suggest that the Cougars are incapable of spreading a team out and moving the ball downfield through the air.

Unfortunately for Lawrence County, Brown will be out for at least the first few weeks of the season as he recovers from an ACL injury he suffered in the spring.
That means the Cougars will not only have to find a  decent replacement for him in the backfield but they must also try to spread defenses out and keep them guessing to allow running lanes for the younger backs.

Last season, Nunnery threw for almost 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns.
One of his favorite targets during that year was Marcus Atterberry.

Last season, Atterberry stood at 6-feet and around 195 pounds and lined up primarily at the wide receiver position. However, he now weighs 226 pounds and should give defenders even more fits than he did last year during Lawrence County’s run to the South State championship. Atterberry is expected to make the move to tight end in 2016.
It is a move he said he looks forward to.

“I actually kind of prefer tight end,” he said. “Tight ends get more catches in our offense.”

As a receiver last season, Atterberry reeled in 21 catches for 293 yards and two touchdowns.
Atterberry said his most memorable touchdown of the year came in a 42-14 victory over North Pike.

The score was from close to the goal line and he said it held no particular significance. For him, both of his scores were  equally important.
He also made contributions on defense and tallied 16 tackles on the year.

Atterberry’s receptions are expected to take a major jump this season.
Lawrence County head coach Jaymie Palmer said he would not be surprised to see Atterberry catch well over 40 passes for the Cougars in 2016.

“Marcus is an outstanding athlete. He is very physical at the line of scrimmage and he has really good feet, great hands and he runs great routes.”
Palmer also said the versatility of Atterberry will cause problems for defenses.

“He will definitely be a matchup problem at tight end,” Palmer said. “He can play at home and in space.”
Atterberry said Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is the player he tries to mold his game after the most.

“His game is just smooth and crisp. He is the type of player I would like to be in the future.”
He added that his goals for this season are to make it to the state championship and catch at least 10 touchdowns.

Like many of the other players on this list, Atterberry is a multi-sport athlete. Baseball is where his heart lies though.

Last season, he hit four home runs for the Cougars and totaled 29 RBIs on 30 hits with four home runs. He currently has several offers in baseball and a few in football, but is still weighing his options.

Though he plays tight end primarily, Atterberry said his favorite position overall is defensive end.
After looking at the schedule for the upcoming season, Atterberry said he is most looking forward to playing McComb and Brookhaven.

“McComb is just always good competition. That is the game that shows us where we really stand. Brookhaven has become something of a rival for us lately,” he said.
“They always talk a lot of trash to us.”

With his newfound size and in a new position, Atterberry can be expected to have a big year in 2016.
The Primetime 23 list is a compilation of the top 23 players in the area. The next member of the list will be revealed in Sunday’s edition.