KirVonte Benson didn't begin playing football until he was a sophomore at Marietta. Now a senior, the former state 100-meters champion (10.6 seconds) has emerged as a Division I prospect.
Benson broke Derrick Tinsley's 17-year-old school rushing record against South Cobb last week, when he ran for 320 yards. Tinsley, who later played at Tennessee, is now Marietta's running backs coach.
"KirVonte is 5-8, 190-plus pounds, so he runs with a lot of power," Marietta coach Scott Burton said. "He also won the AAAAAA 100-meter state championship his sophomore year, so he is obviously very fast as well. He is still very raw, but his ceiling is unbelievably high."
Benson has 682 yards on 94 carries (7.25 ypc) and seven touchdowns on the season. Burton notes that Benson scored 24 on his first attempt at the ACT.
Top five
*B.E.S.T. Academy RB Deshawn Waller, pressed into quarterback duty because of injury, was 11-for-20 passing for 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-6 victory over Therrell. He also rushed for 200 yards and a touchdown.
*Houston County RB Kenny Gant rushed for 231 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries and scored a fourth touchdown on an 85-yard kickoff return in a 42-28 victory over Richmond Academy. Gant had five catches for 51 yards.
*Lowndes DL Corveon White had five tackles for losses - including two sacks - for 24 yards in losses in a 45-15 victory over Rockdale County. White also had a team-leading seven solo tackles. White has 11 tackles for losses on the season and six of Lowndes' 12 sacks.
*Marietta RB KirVonte Benson rushed for a school-record 320 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries in a 44-28 victory over South Cobb. Benson also caught a pass for 43 yards and returned a punt 10 yards, giving him 373 total yards. Benson has 682 yards and seven touchdowns on 94 carries for the season.
*Schley County RB/LB Tra Minter rushed for 325 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries in a 60-26 loss to Greenville. Minter also had eight solo tackles.
Lines of distinction
*Howard rushed for 238 yards in just one half plus three plays in a rain-shortened 21-0 victory over Rutland. Paving the way were LT Alamin Younis, LG Bryce Fincher, C Daniel Allen, RG Cody Varner and RT Ahamad Thomas. Tahjae Lockett rushed for 217 of those yards.
*Pinecrest Academy rushed for 471 yards out of its triple-option offense in a 42-14 victory over Walker. Paving the way were C Brian Flanagan, LT Garrison Winter, LG Gatlin Winter, LG Regan Koehler, RT Luke Delbalzo and RG Logan Stafford. Ryan McCarthy rushed for a school-record 211 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries.
Best of the rest
*Alpharetta CB Devin Mayers intercepted two passes, returning one 65 yards for a touchdown, in a 31-10 victory over Johns Creek.
*Archer PK Cole Fisher made a 55-yard field goal in a 14-10 loss to Grayson.
*Banks County RB/LB Trevae Cain rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries, caught two passes for 29 yards, and had three tackles and forced a fumble, which he recovered, in a 43-0 victory over East Jackson.
*Carver (Atlanta) RB Gregory Peyton rushed for 286 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries and scored on runs of 40, 73 and 82 yards in a 34-13 victory over Dunwoody.
*Central Gwinnett LB Adonis Thomas had 11 tackles, two sacks and three tackles for losses in a 30-25 victory over South Gwinnett.
*Chattahoochee WR Isaac Kinsey had seven catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in a 23-18 loss to West Forsyth.
*Chestatee LB Kris Pierce had 15 solo tackles, five assists, a tackle for a loss and a forced fumble in a 24-19 victory over Pepperell.
*Christian Heritage RB/FS Ahmaad Tanner rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns and intercepted a pass in a 33-0 victory over Gordon Lee.
*Creekside DB Joshua Moon had 12 tackles and a sack and returned a punt for a touchdown in a 41-0 victory over Druid Hills.
*Dalton LB/QB Jase Chastain had 11 tackles, forced a fumble and rushed for 44 yards and a touchdown in a 44-3 victory over North Atlanta.
*Fannin County RB Tyler Beaver rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and caught four passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-0 victory over Armuchee.
*Griffin RB Malik Miller scored five touchdowns and rushed for 151 yards in a 53-7 victory over Eastside.
*Hancock Central QB Montkevius Fluellen rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-14 victory over Josey. Fluellen has scored nine touchdowns this season.
*Jackson (Atlanta) QB Keenan Moore was 18-of-22 passing - completing 16 straight at one point - for 276 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-27 victory over Washington. Orenzo Smith and Quintavius Monday, both WR/DBs, each had more than 100 yards receiving and seven tackles.
*Jefferson County QB Will Jordan, who missed his sophomore and junior seasons because of injury, rushed for 100 yards for the first time in his career (102) and threw a 31-yard TD pass for a 14-0 lead in a 14-7 victory over second-ranked Washington-Wilkes.
*Jones County DB Tyri Solomon had three interceptions and returned two for touchdowns (85 and 41 yards) in a 43-6 victory over Greenbrier. Sophomore QB Bradley Hunnicutt was 15-of-17 passing for 234 yards and three touchdowns.
*Lakeside-DeKalb RB Kelleyen Walker rushed for 179 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries and caught three passes for 84 yards and another touchdown in a 42-38 victory over Campbell.
*Locust Grove sophomore WR Champ Leddon scored on a 13-yard run, 85-yard kickoff return and receptions of 37 and 34 yards in a 48-19 victory over Pike County. He also averaged 41 yards per punt.
*Marion County RB/WR/DB Lorenzo Smothers rushed for 61 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries and caught three passes for 103 yards and a touchdown in a 40-19 victory over Dooly County.
*Meadowcreek QB Kalu Onumah rushed for 84 yards and a touchdown and passed for 128 yards and a score in a 14-7 victory over Clarkson. Meadowcreek now has victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002-03.
*Mount Pisgah Christian QB Aaron Winchester was 12-of-16 passing for 181 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in a 28-21 victory over Eagle's Landing Christian.
*Mount Vernon Presbyterian sophomore RB Ahmir Lee rushed for 220 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-26 loss to Wheeler County. Lee rushed for 209 yards the previous week against Towns County.
*Mundy's Mill RB/LB Khalid Hylton rushed for 205 yards on 22 carries and had eight tackles on defense in a 49-24 victory over Union Grove.
*Northside (Warner Robins) RB Willie Jordan rushed for 158 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries in a 38-7 victory over Lakeside of Evans.
*Parkview LB Stephen Moye had 10 tackles, three for losses, in a 37-24 victory over Brookwood.
*River Ridge FB Tremain Carr rushed for 226 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries in a 20-14 victory over North Springs.
*Roswell LB Tre Lamar had 12 tackles - one that stuffed a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak - and broke up two passes in a 27-15 victory over Walton.
*Tift County RB Berry Bennett rushed for 115 yards on 19 carries in a rain-shortened 26-12 victory over Baldwin.
*Troup WR Tremayne Tolbert caught seven passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-21 loss to Harris County.
*Union Grove PK Shawn Davis kicked a 50-yard field goal in a 49-24 loss to Mundy's Mill. Davis, who has an offer from Air Force, has three field goals and eight touchbacks on the season. He missed one 54-yard attempt that hit the crossbar.
*Warren County RB Timothy Seals rushed for 111 yards - his fourth straight of more than 100 - in a 20-15 victory over Harlem. Seals has 507 yards in Warren's 2-2 start.
*West Hall LB/TE Isiah Rowe blocked two punts in a 38-0 victory over North Hall. West Hall has begun the season with three shutouts.
*Westover RB Qundez Carter rushed for 251 yards on 11 carries and scored on runs of 43, 10 and 98 yards in a 31-10 victory over Northside of Columbus.
*Woodland (Stockbridge) LB Tre Allen had 19 tackles in a 23-14 victory over Northgate.
*Woodward Academy RB Elijah Holyfield rushed for 260 yards on 38 carries - including one stretch of 24 straight carries over four drives - in a 21-20 loss to Lovett.
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