Hebron Christian (10-1-1, 4-0) has never won a state championship, but with a talented team and a trio of players scoring more than half of the team’s goals, the Class 3A No. 1-ranked Lions are poised for a deep run in the Class 3A playoffs.
Freshman midfielder Benji Gunji leads the team with 16 goals and seven assists. He scored a season-high four goals in a 7-2 victory over Mount Paran on Feb. 9 and three goals in a 9-3 victory over Franklin County on March 7.
A pair of junior midfielders – Sam Carlson and Aiden Kanclerz – have also been a key element to Hebron’s success.
Carlson has 14 goals with eight assists and scored three goals each in victories against Athens Academy, George Walton Academy and Monroe Area. Kanclerz adds 12 goals and 12 assists and scored a season-high three goals against Franklin County.
Senior Luke Skogland has scored six goals with five assists, senior Mason Luke adds six goals with nine assists. In the goal, junior Cam Eblen has 38 saves and has allowed just nine goals in 12 matches with a third of those coming against Franklin County in a 9-3 victory.
Hebron tied with Class A Division I No. 3 Whitefield Academy 0-0 on Feb. 23 and lost to Class 7A West Forsyth 3-2 on March 12. Since the loss, the Lions beat Rockdale County 5-0, Class 3A No. 2 Oconee County 1-0, Monroe Area 7-0 and Stephens County 8-1 last week.
Against No. 2 Oconee County (8-3-3, 3-1), Gunji scored the game winner to give the Lions the top-spot in the Area 8 standings.
Hebron will enjoy a week of well-earned rest before traveling to Hart County (7-5, 1-2) to close Area 8-3A play on April 9. The team will close the regular season at home against Class 7A Dacula (2-7, 4-10) on April 11 before the playoffs begin April 17.
See this week’s boys rankings below.
Class 7A
1. Hillgrove
2. Discovery
3. Lambert
4. South Forsyth
5. Milton
6. Grayson
7. Archer
8. Peachtree Ridge
9. Collins Hill
10. Pebblebrook
Class 6A
1. River Ridge
2. Johns Creek
3. Sprayberry
4. Sequoyah
5. Lassiter
6. North Atlanta
7. North Forsyth
8. Veterans
9. Marist
10. Blessed Trinity
Class 5A
1. McIntosh
2. Clarke Central
3. Dalton
4. Cass
5. Centennial
6. Greenbrier
7. Kell
8. Calhoun
9. Chattahoochee
10. Decatur
Class 4A
1. Johnson-Gainesville
2. Westminster
3. Starr’s Mill
4. Cedar Shoals
5. Whitewater
6. Druid Hills
7. Pace Academy
8. East Forsyth
9. Cherokee Bluff
10. Clarkston
Class 3A
1. Hebron Christian
2. Oconee County
3. Savannah Country Day
4. Wesleyan
5. Columbus
6. Bremen
7. Coahulla Creek
8. Pike County
9. Richmond Academy
10. Thomasville
Class 2A
1. Model
2. Toombs County
3. Union County
4. Walker
5. Jeff Davis
6. East Jackson
7. Callaway
8. Tattnall County
9. Pierce County
10. Landmark Christian
Class A Division I
1. Atlanta International
2. Dalton Academy
3. Whitefield Academy
4. Tallulah Falls
5. Paideia
6. East Laurens
7. Woodville-Tompkins
8. Mount Vernon
9. Metter
10. Rabun County
Class A Division II
1. Georgia Military
2. Lake Oconee Academy
3. Aquinas
4. Christian Heritage
5. Atkinson County
6. Dooly County
7. Fugees
8. Towns County
9. Atlanta Classical
10. Wheeler County
