Albany Herald People’s Choice Player of Year: Emory McKenzie provided spark to Westover Patriots’ offense

ALBANY — Emory McKenzie’s favorite play of his high school career is also the only one that brought him to tears.

It was the Westover quarterback’s junior season and the Patriots found themselves in an overtime battle against Bainbridge.

The Patriots were set to attempt an extra point, something that had been the team’s “Achilles heel all year” according to Westover coach Octavia Jones.

After a low snap, McKenzie, who was also the holder, picked the ball up, scrambled towards the pylon, stretched out while carrying two defenders on his back and crossed the goal line to seal a 29-27 win.

“McKenzie played like a true leader tonight,” Jones said after the victory.

For the majority of his career at Westover, McKenzie was the heart and soul of the Patriots and that proved true this year. He ran the offense and was a leader on a team that was rather young. His efforts helped him land the Albany Herald’s People Choice Player of the Year honors.

“He was very important to this team,” Jones said. “He was a leader both on and off the field. He had the highest GPA on the team. He is just a person of high character that is a good example for all of our underclassmen.”

Despite winning just two games this year, the gunslinger put together his best season while remaining humble, making sure his teammates came first.

McKenzie was voted the Albany Herald’s People’s Choice Player of Year because of his outstanding play on both sides of the ball.

“I was just trying to do the best that I could to help the team out really,” McKenzie said. “I always held myself accountable and that is one thing I tried to implement to the team this year — always be accountable and do your job this year.”

The senior finished with 1,051 passing yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 1,168 yards. He averaged 7.6 yards per carry and led Westover with 11 rushing touchdowns. McKenzie was also the only player in the area to pass and rush for more than 1,000 yards.

One of his best performances came against his former school, Americus-Sumter. McKenzie, who spent his freshman year in Americus, rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries. He played a crucial part in the victory, the Patriots’ first win.

In Westover’s second win, a 25-0 victory over Dougherty, McKenzie finished with 137 total yards and two touchdowns.

After finishing out his high school career, McKenzie will enroll at Furman University and will see a new role with the Paladins. Instead of playing quarterback or safety, where he spent most of his high school career, McKenzie will move to linebacker.

In addition to standing out on the field, McKenzie excels off the field as well. He will major in physics at Furman and hopes to become a geophysicist.

He will also try to walk-on to the Furman baseball team. McKenzie was a standout baseball player at Westover where he hit .338 and stole 32 bases as a junior.

Westover will have to replace much more than their quarterback next season.

“He has definitely been a joy to coach,” Jones said. “It was really a privilege to have him at Westover. I just appreciate everything that he has done for the program.”