Fellowship Christian Prepares For Battle In State Championship Game

By Mike Blum

ROSWELL, GA -- Of the 16 teams competing for a state high school football championship this weekend in the Georgia Dome, only two of the smallest classification teams fit the description of “coming out of nowhere.”

McIntosh County, which was 4-17 the last two seasons including 0-10 in 2014, at least made the Class A public school playoffs last year.

Fellowship Christian came into 2016 with exactly one winning season since the school began its football program in 2004. The Paladins went 11-2 in 2007, reaching the Class A quarterfinals before losing to perennial power Clinch County.

Since then it’s been a succession of losing or .500 seasons, with Fellowship going 14-16 the last three years under head coach Al Morrell, who was 5-5 in 2015.

With a mostly veteran squad back this year, the Paladins had hopes of posting a rare winning record, but 13-0 and a spot in the state finals was likely a little beyond the expectations for Morrell and his players.

Roswell's Fellowship Christian will take the field at 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 9 against Eagle's Landing Christian Academy at the Georgia Dome.

A chance to play for a state championship was very much on the minds of Eagle’s Landing coming into the season.

The Chargers won the Class A private school championship game last year, lost in the finals in 2014, went 11-0 before losing in the semifinals in 2013 and won their first state title in 2012. ELCA has reached the state playoffs every year since 2004 and is 79-15 since 2010, with seven of those losses coming in 2014, when the team recovered from a 0-6 start to reach the championship game.

The Chargers came into the 2016 season as heavy favorites to repeat as champions, sporting a squad with size, speed, talent and depth. Like Fellowship, the Henry County school is 13-0 coming into the Dec. 9 title game with a string of impressive victories.

ELCA has scored at least 34 points in all 13 of its wins, with Wesleyan the only team to hold the Chargers to less than 39. ELCA defeated Wesleyan 34-31 in the regular season and 35-13 in a playoff rematch. The Chargers broke open a close game in the second half last week against Tattnall Square, winning 42-21.

Fellowship led 31-7 in last week’s semifinal in Athens against Prince Avenue Christian, surviving a second half rally to win 31-28. The Paladins have outscored their opponents 492-161 this season, with an early 14-7 victory over perennial playoff contender Mt. Paran the game that set this season in motion for FCS.

The Paladins rolled through their sub-region schedule, knocked off previously unbeaten Mt. Zion, Carrollton 28-14 in the Region 6-A championship game. They won their first two state playoff games by scores of 38-7 and 45-13, the latter a rematch against Mt. Paran, which had not lost since the earlier defeat against Fellowship.

The Paladins feature a veteran team, with 16 seniors and eight juniors among its 25 primary players. Offensively, the Paladins are a run-oriented team, with seniors Andrew Minkert and Andrew Johnson both over 1000 yards rushing this season with a combined 23 touchdowns. Johnson has 1100 yards and Minkert 1050.

Senior quarterback Reid Hardin has added 800 yards and 16 TDs. Hardin has thrown the ball very effectively, completing 102 of 172 passes for 1750 yards and 26 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Senior Ryan Reid has had an outstanding season at wide receiver with 67 catches for 1236 yards and 17 TDs. Junior wingback Merrick Haigler has three scoring receptions the past two weeks and senior tight end Trevor Lewis, primarily a blocker, has his only TD catch of the season in the playoffs.

The Paladins have rushed for more than 3700 yards behind the blocking of seniors Jackson Kreikemeier and Charlie Thompson and juniors Tad Aycock, Mason Russell and Davis Shaw. Other than Thompson, the Paladins have plenty of size up front.

While most of the Fellowship starters on offense also see action on defense, the Paladins have a sizable number of defensive regulars who play primarily on that side of the ball.

Junior lineman Billy McCurry leads the team in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks, with seniors Ethan Minkert and Zachary Murray joining him in the line along with occasional stints from several of the starters on the offensive line. Murray is the primary backup on the offensive line and may be needed in that capacity in the championship game.

Other defensive regulars include juniors Matt Morton and Matthew Curry and senior Chase Cochran at inside linebacker, seniors Trey Robinson and Carter Isaacs at outside linebacker, and junior James Milhollin and sophomore Cameron Gill, who leads the team with four interceptions, in the secondary.

Gill is also one of the team’s main kick returners. Reid, Hardin and Haigler also play extensively on defense, with senior Jack Pritchard a backup in the secondary.

All three of the team’s kickers are seniors -- Garrett Depew (field goals and PATs), Nathan Shirley (punter) and John Consoli (kickoffs). The Paladins appeared on their way to an easy win in the semifinals before Prince Avenue rallied in the second half. Fellowship jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the opening period, with Hardin scoring on a quarterback sneak for the first score and connecting with Reid for 25 yards and a score. Robinson’s interception set up the first FCS touchdown.

After Prince Avenue closed within 12-7, the Paladins took a 25-7 halftime lead on an 11-yard TD catch by Haigler and Hardin’s second scoring run. Andrew Minkert’s 5-yard touchdown made it 31-7 before the Wolverines launched their comeback, pulling within three points midway through the final period.

Hardin completed 14 of 22 passes for 120 yards and two TDs, and added 114 yards rushing on 25 carries. He also ended a Prince Avenue scoring threat with an interception in the end zone. Minkert (63) and Johnson (31) had almost 100 yards between them and Reid caught nine passes for 70 yards.

Friday’s title game will begin at 10 a.m., an unlikely starting time for a state championship game. It will be the first of four games that day at the Georgia Dome, with four more Saturday, concluding with the Roswell-Grayson game in the 7A Division.

All eight state championship games will be broadcast on GPB.

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