Ford, a pivotal part of the Yellow Jackets'

18-5 season last year, missed the playoffs after falling awkwardly and suffering a concussion in the final regular season game, a 54-43 loss at Friendly. Ford's injury was a huge blow for the Yellow Jackets, who ended up losing to arch-rival Frederick Douglass in the 2A South Region semifinals.

"Ever since I got hurt, I wanted to get them back," said Ford, who had a game-high 24 points in his return to Friendly, a 68-67, victory for the Yellow Jackets on Friday night. "Honestly it took two or three months after the concussion for me to feel normal. It was an unfortunate incident and I'm thankful to even be able to play basketball, because some people can't come back from head injuries."