Hornets Take Another Shot at High School Football State Title

By Mike Blum

For the second straight year, an unbeaten Roswell team will face an opponent considered to be the best team in Georgia for a high school football championship in the state’s highest classification.

Last year, the Hornets lost to defending state champion Colquitt County in the 6A championship game, 30-13. Roswell came into the playoffs ranked third in 6A.

This year, the Hornets are again 14-0 and this time ranked second in the new 7A classification behind Grayson, which is 13-1. Both teams have played very ambitious schedules, with Grayson facing four outstanding teams from outside the state.

The Rams’ sole loss came against a Florida team composed of top college prospects from all over the country that is ranked No. 1 in national polls.

The championship will be played at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Georgia Dome. It will be the final game played there, as the new football stadium under construction next door is scheduled to open in time for the 2017 season.

The game is a rematch of last year’s semifinal contest, with the Hornets scoring a near-miraculous 30-26 victory after Grayson had taken a 26-23 lead on a field goal with 35 seconds to play. Senior quarterback Quintarius Neely completed consecutive passes of 30 and 35 yards to senior receivers Kendrick Jackson and A.J. Smith, the latter for a touchdown with 10 seconds on the clock, as the Hornets quickly went down the field without the aid of any timeouts.

The Hornets return 13 starters from that team, along with Justin Ellis, a starter at defensive end before suffering a season-ending injury early in the Hornets’ 2015 schedule, and kicker Turner Barckhoff. Among the losses was a trio of defensive starters who signed scholarships with Clemson, Indiana and North Carolina, with one of the three starting as a true freshman (Marcelino Ball) and another playing on a team that is competing for a national championship (Tre Lamar).

Despite those key losses, the Hornets are a better defensive team this year, and are considered perhaps the best defensive unit in the state with 10 senior starters. Roswell has yielded only 115 points (8 per game), with North Cobb the only team to score more than 14 points against the Hornets, all of them coming in the second half of a 42-21 loss.

The Hornets feature a swarming defense that has shut down the run against almost every opponent, put unrelenting pressure on quarterbacks attempting to pass and blanketed receivers, with a few exceptions.

Roswell’s last three playoff opponents all finished with minus yards rushing, largely due to 21 sacks by the Hornets, many of them by Ellis, who has enjoyed a huge comeback season. Koby Cumberlander gives the Hornets a second strong pass rusher at the other end, with interior lineman Max Boyd and linebackers Sam DiRoberto and Mitch Stone keying the run-stopping aspect of Roswell’s defense.

Cornerbacks LeAnthony Williams and Justus Harris and safety Xavier McKinney make it dangerous for teams to attempt to throw the ball downfield, with Williams and McKinney combining for six interceptions the last three weeks. The two are among the best at their positions in the state, with McKinney a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Roswell’s first-time starters on defense are lineman LaMon Titus, linebacker Cade Gonzales and safety Jesse Bridgman, the lone junior among the group. Linebacker Cade Anderson and fifth defensive back Kevin Holliday, both juniors, are the main reserves.

The Hornets sport a balanced offense that averages 220 yards per game on the ground and 190 through the air. Malik Willis, a senior transfer from Westlake (the team Roswell defeated 28-0 in the semifinals), has done an excellent job stepping in for the graduated Neely, passing for 2560 yards and 27 touchdowns. Willis is also a dangerous running threat, gaining more than 1000 yards with 12 touchdowns, using his speed and elusiveness to break big gainers on the read option or on scrambles evading pass rushers.

Running back Sheldon Evans, who has been hampered in the playoffs by an ankle injury, has rushed for more than 1600 yards with 17 touchdowns, bringing his totals for three seasons as a starter to more than 5300 yards and 65 rushing touchdowns.

The Hornets’ all-senior offensive line is led by tackle Jordan Tucker, one of two returning starters up front along with Jack Nichols. Grant Silver moved from defense to offense this season, with Rylan Summerour and Lucas Adams taking over as starters.

Roswell’s lone returning starter at receiver is senior Jayden Comma, who leads the Hornets with 44 catches for 764 yards and 10 touchdowns. Junior Christian “Scooby” Ford has emerged as the second most productive receiver, with senior transfers Corey Reed and Kentrell Barber, a converted quarterback, giving the team four receivers with at least 30 receptions. Junior tight end Tyneil Hopper has become a more frequent target in the playoffs and is a key part of the team’s passing game.

While Roswell sports three key transfers, the Hornets are overwhelmingly a home-grown team, with almost all of this year’s starters being sophomores and freshmen on the team that turned around Roswell’s fortunes in 2014.

Grayson, on the other hand, features a starting lineup with some of Gwinnett’s most talented players, many of whom played for other area teams last year, including five of the Rams’ seven most highly rated senior prospects.

Quarterback Chase Brice is the Rams’ most prominent player who appeared in last year’s loss to Roswell, and had a big game against the Hornets. Most of his main offensive weapons are part of the Rams’ group of talented transfers, with the Rams’ defense also relying largely on transfers. Defensive back DeAngelo Gibbs will be one of McKinney’s main competitors for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

The Rams have had a tougher road to the title game than the Hornets, defeating defending state champion Colquitt County 49-21 in the quarterfinals and previously unbeaten Mill Creek 44-26 last week.

Grayson is coached by Jeff Herron, who won a state championship at Oconee County in 1999 and three at Camden County from 2003 to 2009. He also had successful stints at Wheeler in the mid 1990's and Prince Avenue Christian the last three years. This is his first season at Grayson.

Roswell’s John Ford inherited a team that went 3-17 in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and led the Hornets to an 8-4 record and a playoff victory in his second year as head coach. The Hornets are 28-1 under Ford the last two seasons, with Ford looking to win a state title as both a coach and player, having been part of Brookwood’s 1996 championship team.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast live on GPB.

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