Covenant pair anxious to perform in all-star game
Chaz Ferguson expected last Sunday’s first practice for the Middle Georgia Football All-Star game to be an eye-opener.
After all, Ferguson, who plays at Covenant in one of the smallest high school divisions in the state, the Georgia Independent Christian Athletic Association, would be practicing with some of the best players in Middle georgia from all classifications.
But nothing had really prepared him for lining up right next to Warner Robins offensive lineman Tez Raybon, who stands 6-foot-7 and 350 pounds. Ferguson? he is 5-10 and 205 pounds.
“I thought for a few minutes that maybe I didn’t belong in this game,” said Ferguson with a smile. “I mean, Tez is just huge, and most of the guys were a lot bigger than me, but all of them were really nice, and once the football started, I was fine. I see it as an honor to be picked to play in a game like this and I am really looking forward to it.”
Ferguson is one of two Covenant players in the 3 p.m. game Saturday at Fort Valley State, being joined by quarterback Cody Farr, who threw for 1,200 yards and 17 touchdowns last year as a junior.
“When I got the phone call that told me I was selected to play in this game, I thought it was a prank call at first,” said Farr, who will play a varsity basketball game on Friday night. “But when I realized it wasn’t, I was very excited, I feel like it is a great opportunity for me to play against some great talent.”
Farr also admitted that the first practice was a little nerve-racking.
“I mean, I am sitting back there with two great quarterbacks (Westside’s Savion Knowlton and Griffin’s Tylan Morton) and receivers that could just fly, so I was pretty nervous at the start,” he said. “Plus, we are running the spread, and I have never run a no-huddle type of offense, so I had to ask questions.
“But once I got used to the speed of the game, I felt like I did OK. The other guys were all really cool, so that made it a lot easier.”
Both Ferguson and Farr admitted that nerves would be present, but in different ways.
“I don’t think it will feel like a regular-season game, but I am sure I will still have some nerves,” Ferguson said. “But I am just ready to go out and do the best that I can.”
Farr has a little different take on nerves.
“Well, I am a quarterback, so my mistakes are easier to be seen, so I am thinking I will be more nervous than a regular high school game,” Farr said. “I mean, I will probably already be nervous during our basketball game Friday night.
“But after that first play or my first pass attempt, the nerves go away and it just becomes football again. I know that Chaz and myself probably are coming from the smallest school in the game, but we both want to show everyone that we can still play good football.”
This story was originally published January 11, 2017 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Covenant pair anxious to perform in all-star game."