Henry County impresses at Nike football tournament

Henry County has elevated expectations for the football season after an impressive showing in one of the nation's premiere passing leagues this summer. The McDonough school advanced to the championship game of last weekend's Nike 7-on-7 tournament in Beaverton, Ore., losing to Plant High of Tampa, Fla. Henry County is headed to a similar event this weekend in Hoover, Ala. "It's not really football; it's seven players instead of 11, and it's without pads," Henry County coach Mike Rozier said. "However, any time you can do well against some of the nation's best football teams in any form of competition, it's going to benefit your team." Henry County wide receiver Jamal Patterson, who has more than 40 scholarship offers, was named co-MVP of the Nike event, sharing it with Plant quarterback Aaron Murray, who has committed to Georgia. "If we continue working hard and stay focused, I think we're going to surprise some people this season," Patterson said.