Prince Avenue Christian’s 2nd-half push secures blowout win in Richt’s debut

The Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines were struggling to open the season, but after two hours worth of weather delays stalled the second half, they came out a different team and raced to a 40-17 win over the Callaway Cavaliers Wednesday at Kell Stadium.

The game was the first of the 2025 GHSA football season and kicked off the 34th annual Kell-Hunter Classic, which runs through Saturday and has 11 games across Kell, Rome Barron Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Wolverines trailed 17-14 at halftime, but a lightning delay that began during halftime delayed the start of the third quarter by an hour. With the score unchanged, a second lightning delay during the middle of the third quarter halted play for another hour.

On the first play after the second delay, Wolverines quarterback Brent Musser ran 58 yards up the middle on a keeper to give them a 20-17 lead with 4:57 left in the third quarter. On the Wolverines next possession, running back Andrew Beard broke a 54-yard run for another score to make it 26-10.

The Wolverines effectively closed out the game with 7:22 remaining, when they punted away to the Cavs, who opted not to field it, which led to Callaway starting the drive on its own 1. Three plays later, Zechariah Duke intercepted the ball and the Wolverines took over on the Callaway 24. Three plays later, Musser hit Beard for a 24-yard touchdown to make it 33-17 with 6:48 left.

The Wolverines, ranked No. 1 in 3A-A, won in Jon Richt’s head coaching debut. Richt, the school’s first quarterback in 2005, is in his first season as head coach of his alma mater after serving as the team’s offensive coordinator the previous four seasons under coach Greg Vandagriff.

“Well, we had some really good ideas coming out of halftime, but then there was a torrential downpour, right?,” Richt said. “So then you just try to figure out what to call that you’re not going to fumble the ball and give the game away. Glory to God, I mean, it was awesome to be able to get out here and do a good job, focus, finish and do the right thing. I’m just blessed to have this group of guys sitting over on the sideline, that allowed me to coach them, and they played awesome tonight, so I’m fired up.”

The Wolverines will look to improve on last year’s runner-up finish to Hebron Christian in the 3A-A championship in Vandagriff’s final season as coach. The Wolverines, who finished 10-4 last year, went 107-16 in nine seasons under Vandagriff, including state titles in 2020, 2022 and 2023. He resigned following the 2024 season and took a job at Lakeway Christian in Tennessee.

The Wolverines have won their region each of the previous five seasons. Though they compete out of Region 8-2A, the Wolverines will split off into the private school bracket for the playoffs.

Musser, a 4-star junior committed to Virginia Tech, went 14 of 19 passing for 227 yards and two touchdowns to one interception, and rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Beard, also a 4-star junior, ran for a game-high 150 yards on 13 carries with two touchdowns, and had six catches for 71 yards and another touchdown. Both are preseason all-state selections.

“This team has prepared all summer, so to come out mentally focused after a long delay like that — I’m very proud of this team," Musser said.

The Cavaliers, ranked No. 4 out of Region 2, were led by senior quarterback Blake Harrington, who rushed 18 times for 109 yards. He was 7 of 19 passing for 105 yards and an interception. Juniors Christon Kennedy and DJ Mahone each had a rushing touchdown, and Jayden Bailey kicked a 41-yard field goal.