With the school year winding to a close, Class of 2020 athletes are moving on from their high school careers. But as they hang up their cleats and athletic equipment, it’s a worthy endeavor to reflect on some of the great performances they left behind. Although not every athlete’s breakout performance can be cited, the ones celebrated below are representational of the fighting spirit and sporting excellence of the Class of 2020. They leave us now, but before they get away we can know this: They left everything out on the field of play. 

Football

Wiley Hartley: Oct. 4 vs Northview: Hartley had plenty of star performances in his long run as the Dubs’ signal-caller including a magical night when he romped for 200-plus yards rushing against city rival Grady. However his best passing game as a quarterback came against region foe Northview where Hartley completed 16 of 24 passes, and aired it out for 237 yards and two touchdowns along with 51 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown. Hartley will look to carry on his success at the collegiate level at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. 

T.K. Mack: Aug. 23 vs. Grady. Running back Mack exploded in his first game of his senior campaign against arch-rival Grady. Mack rushed for 303 yards and 4 touchdowns on 30 carries, averaging a spectacular 10.1 yards a carry to lift the Warriors over the Knights 40-19. Mack finished his senior season with more than 2,000 rushing yards, a number that put him as second in the state for running backs. Mack will continue his football career to play for Dodge City Junior College in Dodge City, Kan.

Davis “Diesel” Bell: August 23 vs. Grady. In yet another star performance against the Knights, linebacker Bell played a huge part in neutralizing Grady’s offensive attack, helping to blow up the Knights’ run game and terrorizing its quarterback. He forced two turnovers, and also recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass en route to the blowout win over Grady. Bell will continue his football career in college playing for Mercer University in Macon.

Boys Basketball 

Amari Scott: Jan. 24 vs Cambridge. Warriors basketball standout Scott had a highlight-film worthy evening against region rival Cambridge. He was draining shots from all over, including multiple three three-point shots en route to a season high 24 points for the senior small forward. The Dubs won that evening in a thrilling double-overtime victory over the Bears.

Wrestling
Dia Martells: Feb. 8 at Region Sectionals. Martell put in one of the biggest days ever in North Atlanta girls wrestling history. At the sectionals meet at Alexander High School she won four of her six matches in her weight class and placed third among 16 wrestlers. The impressive performance punched her ticket to the state championship meet. The illustrious wrestler has earned a full-ride wrestling scholarship from Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Track and Field

Brian Bird: Feb. 15 at Westlake High School. Though the track season was shortened, Bird still stood out as the top middle-distance runner on the track team. He won two of the three 800m races he entered, including an impressive 2.00.8 time at Westlake to kick off the season.   

JacQuaran Evans: Feb. 22 at Archer High School. Evans was the top field athlete on this year’s track and field team, specializing in the discus throw. In the most competitive meet the Warriors competed in, Evans set the school record in the discus throw, heaving the discus 127 feet and 7 inches. 

Boys Soccer 

Alex Phillips: March 6 vs. Northview: The senior striker had a magical night on March 6 when he scored two goals — including the game clincher — in a 4 to 2 region victory over Northview. The night’s big win was the season’s last for the Dubs and for Phillips it capped a stellar career of 22 goals for North Atlanta, a program record.  

Girls Soccer

Maddie Grice: Jan. 30 vs. Chamblee. Grice, a part of North Atlanta’s star-studded soccer team, scored at least one goal in each of her five games. Despite putting up multiple goals in blowout wins over Cross Keys and Sandy Creek, her goal in the team’s first game against Chamblee was the most crucial, as the Warriors pulled out a close 2 to 1 win.

Boys Lacrosse

Larry Love and James Brewer. February 11 vs. Sequoyah: On a dark and rainy night in mid-February in faraway Canton, the Warrior lacrosse team took on Sequoyah High School in a match that featured a nail-biting finish. The Warriors took a late 4 to 3 against the talented Chief squad. From there senior Warrior standouts Love (goalie) and Brewer (defenseman) helped put the clampdown on a charging Sequoyah offense to secure the hard-earned North Atlanta victory. 

These standout Warriors: now gone — never forgotten!