Player of the Week: Amarion Fortenberry a playmaker for Columbia Wildcats

COLUMBIA, Miss. (WDAM) - Amarion Fortenberry didn’t see his first action at running back until the first round of last year’s playoffs.

He looks like a natural at the position now, rushing for 182 yards and four touchdowns in Friday’s win over Sumrall.

“The main thing with Amarion is he loves football,” said Columbia head coach Chip Bilderback. “He’s the same person every day, works extremely hard, very smart football player. We’re definitely glad he’s a Wildcat for sure.”

There’s no measuring the value Fortenberry brings to Columbia’s football team.

The junior cornerback’s been just as tenacious on the offensive side of the ball this season, too.

“I think if you ask Amarion he’d probably rather just play defense but he’s kind of a team guy,” Bilderback said. “He’s a great defender but offensively every week he’s gotten better running the football and you’ve seen his confidence. It’s been really fun to watch his growth this season on the offensive side.”

“I like both positions because I feel like I need to do whatever needs to be done to help the team win because we know our goal at the end of the year,” Fortenberry said.

Claiming the school’s first state title since 1982 last season, Columbia would like to make it a yearly ritual.

“We want to win another one because of the feeling that it was,” Fortenberry said. “Going through all the blood, sweat and tears to get there. And all the hard work that we know we have to put in to get back there.”

Of course, region play is how the Wildcats can put themselves in position to make another championship run.

Next up is the much-improved Forrest County Aggies.

“Number one you just look at what coach [Larry] Dolan does offensively, defensively,” Bilderback said. “He’s always going to find your weak link and attack it. He’s going to make you defend a bunch of stuff. He’s got all the pieces for a Larry Dolan offense to click. We’re going to have to be on our P’s and Q’s this week and we’re really going to have to get after it. We got a tough task at hand.”

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