Top high school football performers notch huge offensive numbers in Week 2
Devon Caldwell’s path to football stardom has been a steady climb, and what he did Friday night was the peak so far.
The Hebron Christian senior running back rushed for a career-high 328 yards in a 45-29 victory against Fellowship Christian in a rematch of a 2024 Class 3A-A Private semifinal.
Caldwell has improved his season rushing totals from 699 yards as a freshman to 1,082 as a sophomore to 1,458 as a junior on a state championship team.
Caldwell committed to Mercer this month, but some schools continue to recruit him, especially service academies, who are attracted to his 4.4 GPA.
Top five performers — Week 2
Berrien RB Gene Watson rushed for 334 yards and six touchdowns on 44 carries and scored a two-point conversion in a 47-21 victory over Lanier County.
Hebron Christian RB Devon Caldwell rushed for 328 yards on 29 carries, caught four passes for 102 yards and scored four touchdowns in a 45-29 victory over Fellowship Christian.
McEachern RB Henry Pullen rushed for 223 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries and caught a 42-yard TD pass in a 21-0 victory over North Cobb.
Newnan QB Brodie Campbell was 27-of-45 passing for 516 yards and four touchdowns in a 60-56 victory over East Coweta. WR John Matthews was his main target with nine receptions for 257 yards and a touchdown.
West Forsyth RB Andrew Davis rushed for 233 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, caught four passes for 69 yards, had eight tackles and two tackles for losses and intercepted a pass in a 31-17 victory over Marietta.
Best of the rest
Aquinas WR Jack Rhodes had seven receptions for 135 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-7 victory over Bryan County.
Athens Academy RB Payton Prince rushed for 212 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries in a 28-0 victory over Savannah Country Day.
Athens Christian RB Harper Ford rushed for 164 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries and had two receptions for 45 yards in a 43-0 victory over Heritage of Newnan.
Bowdon QB Josh Hopkins was 9-of-16 passing for 211 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 84 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in a 55-22 victory over Macon County.
Brunswick RB Nigel Gardner rushed for 146 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-10 victory over Wayne County.
Buford LB Kanon Nelson had four solo tackles, two assists, one tackle for a loss, one QB pressure and an interception in a 42-14 victory over Benedictine.
Camden County ATH David Coleman returned four kickoffs for 216 yards and two touchdowns and one punt for 44 yards in a 57-33 victory over East Lake, Florida.
Carver (Atlanta) DL Michael Johnson Jr. had five tackles for losses and three sacks in a 35-0 victory over Luella.
Cass QB Brodie McWhorter was 15-of-19 passing for 287 yards and four touchdowns and scored a touchdown in a 55-14 victory over Model.
Chamblee DB Ed Reed blocked two punts, giving him three in two games, in a 44-7 loss to Tucker.
Cherokee Bluff LB Maddax Sutulovich had seven tackles, two sacks, one tackle for a loss and a forced fumble in a 47-2 victory over Apalachee.
Clinch County DL Aiden Glover had two sacks, three tackles for losses, a forced fumble and three QB pressures in a 21-13 victory over Wilcox County.
Coosa WR/DB Vayne Millsap had three receptions for 55 yards, one kickoff return for 24 yards, four punt returns for 67 yards, four solo tackles and one assist in a 34-0 victory over Southeast Whitfield.
Creekside DB Carter Jamison had 10 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups and two tackles for losses in a 32-0 victory over Seminole, Fla.
Dodge County WR/DB Jerimiah Burns had three receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown and clinched the victory with an interception in a 31-29 win over Bleckley County.
Druid Hills DL Chaz Glover had 3.5 tackles for losses, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in a 17-14 victory over Midtown.
Dunwoody LB David Remigailo had six solo tackles, one tackle for a loss, a fumble recovery and a safety in a 24-16 victory over Pope.
Dutchtown DE Mycah Mitchell had 12 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble in a 30-7 loss to South Gwinnett.
East Forsyth DB/PK Jony Aguilera had six solo tackles, six assists and one pass breakup, blocked a field-goal attempt and kicked a game-winning 20-yard field goal in overtime in a 19-16 victory over Dawson County.
East Jackson DE Chase Winfield had seven solo tackles, six assists, 0.5 sacks and a blocked kick in a 21-14 victory over Commerce.
Eastside QB Payton Shaw, playing only the first half, was 20-of-24 passing for 276 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-0 victory over Hiram.
Emanuel Academy LB Tucker Free had seven tackles, 3.5 tackles for losses, two sacks, one fumble recovery and a blocked punt in a 66-0 victory over Grace Christian.
Fellowship Christian WR Jackson Thrasher had nine receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a 45-29 loss to Hebron Christian.
Flowery Branch RB Griffin Harper rushed for 200 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries in a 31-28 victory over Habersham Central.
Gainesville DE Kadin Fossung had four solo tackles, two tackles for losses, two QB pressures and two QB hits in a 49-7 victory over Moody, Alabama.
Gilmer FB/LB Madden Hopkins rushed for 95 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries and had four solo tackles and four assists in a 42-20 victory over Union County.
Gordon Lee RB/LB Layne Vaughn rushed for 135 yards on 24 carries and had 10 tackles in a 24-7 victory over Lafayette.
Grayson RB Brandon Gray rushed for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries in a 24-16 victory over Rabun Gap.
Haralson County RB Khemp Boyd rushed for 220 yards on 20 carries, caught five passes for 60 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 28-0 victory over Pike County.
Harrison QB Aiden Watson was 18-of-27 passing for 201 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 90 yards on eight carries in a 49-21 victory over Wheeler.
Hawkinsville RB Martin McDonald rushed for 182 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries in a 34-23 victory over Schley County.
Heard County QB Ethan Tisdale was 8-of-12 passing for 113 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries in a 55-6 victory over South Atlanta.
Heritage (Ringgold) WR Cohen Fletcher had seven receptions for 177 yard and a touchdown in a 27-20 victory over Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.
Hughes OLB Kijon Brown-Braxton had four tackles for losses, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in a 42-7 victory over Mays.
Jasper County LB/RB Tyrin Epps had seven tackles, three tackles for losses, two fumble recoveries and a blocked punt, rushed for 16 yards and three touchdowns on five carries, and scored two two-point conversions in a 28-0 victory over Hancock Central.
Kell LB Michael Domanik had eight tackles, two sacks and two tackles for losses in a 37-0 victory over Alpharetta.
Landmark Christian WR Jo’Van Freeney had seven receptions for 170 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-21 victory over Christian Heritage.
Lassiter OL/DL Chase Jones had nine solo tackles, an assist, a sack and three tackles for losses in a 35-24 victory over Alexander.
Lincoln County DL/OL Charles Jean-Charles had two solo tackles and two assists, forced a fumble and had four pancake blocks in a 37-6 victory over Jenkins County.
Loganville Christian QB Kylan Frazier passed for 213 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns and made five tackles in a 54-26 loss to Strong Rock Christian.
Lovett LB Ford Diffley had four tackles and a sack, forced a fumble, blocked a punt and intercepted a pass that sealed the victory in a 17-10 win over Crisp County.
McIntosh County Academy DL Javonte Cummings had nine solo tackles, seven assists and three tackles for losses in a 40-35 loss to Charlton County.
Morgan County LB Jordan Gordon had eight first hits, 10 assists and one tackle for a loss in a 46-14 victory over Putnam County.
Mount Bethel Christian QB Geno Lucke was 9-of-12 passing for two touchdowns in less than a half of a weather-shortened 13-7 victory over Creekside Christian.
Mount Paran Christian QB Kobe Flemming was 7-of-8 passing for 102 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on five carries in a 30-0 victory over Mount Pisgah Christian.
Norcross DB Chase Huff returned a punt for a touchdown, made 10 tackles and broke up four passes in a 45-28 victory over Mill Creek.
North Oconee WR Dallas Dickerson returned the first punt of the game 78 yards for a touchdown and caught three passes for 124 yards and a touchdown in a 56-7 victory over Dalton.
Northgate LB Brysen Davies had 10 solo tackles, four assists, one sack, one tackle for a loss and a forced fumble that led to the winning touchdown in a 12-9 victory over Villa Rica.
Oglethorpe County freshman RB Zion Pass rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in a 30-27 victory over East Hall.
Peachtree Ridge DB Trae Macon had four tackles and two interceptions in a 31-6 victory over Piper, Florida.
Pierce County DB Dylan Johnson had four tackles, broke up two passes and intercepted a pass in a 20-7 victory over Coosa Christian of Alabama.
Pope freshman Ivan Darden rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries in a 24-16 loss to Dunwoody.
Richmond Hill DL Tre Brown had seven tackles and two tackles for losses and scored two touchdowns in a 21-0 victory over Glynn Academy.
Ridgeland QB Kaiden Williams was 13-of-20 yards passing for 262 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-19 victory over Armuchee.
River Ridge DB/QB Andrew Rowe intercepted two passes and had nine tackles in a 17-7 victory over Denmark.
Rockmart WR Gavin Green had four receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns in a 39-14 loss to Cartersville.
Sandy Creek LB Drew Dawson had 16 tackles and intercepted a pass in a 35-7 victory over McIntosh.
Sprayberry QB Jaden Duckett was 6-of-11 passing for 214 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 152 yards and a touchdown on five carries in a 42-24 victory over Etowah.
St. Anne-Pacelli WR John Thompson, in his return from an ACL injury, had six receptions for 121 yards in a 28-6 victory over Tattnall Square.
Stephenson WR Noah Mahoney had seven receptions for 173 yards and a touchdown in a 40-26 victory over Arabia Mountain.
Strong Rock Christian MLB Kingston Stevens had 10 solo tackles, six assists and a pass break up in a 54-26 victory over Loganville Christian.
Thomas County Central LB Omari Stephenson had five solo tackles, two tackles for losses and a sack in a 56-0 victory over Cairo.
Tift County LB Braylon Samuel had four solo tackles, six assists and a tackle for a loss, scored a safety, forced a fumble and blocked a punt in a 22-0 victory over Gadsden County, Florida.
Tucker DB Ty’aire Byrd had three solo tackles, one tackle for a loss, one interception and one fumble returned 40 yards for a touchdown in a 44-7 victory over Chamblee.
Upson-Lee RB Jy Garmon rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in a 27-0 victory over Manchester.
Walton RB Noriega Thompson rushed for 191 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries in a 27-17 victory over Lambert.
Warner Robins QB Chandler Dyson, playing only the first half, was 11-of-15 passing for 300 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 22 yards in a 53-0 victory over Fayette County.
Washington County TE Jordan Edwards had seven receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-7 victory over Jefferson County.
West Hall RB/LB Ben Phelps rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns and had three tackles in a 21-17 victory over Northview.
Whitefield Academy RB Mason Hollingsworth rushed for 275 yards and five touchdowns on 21 carries in a 48-14 victory over Mount Vernon.
Winder-Barrow RB M.J. Dowdy rushed for 267 yards and four touchdowns in a 57-34 victory over Forsyth Central.
Lines of distinction
Dacula’s offensive line of Esteban Ortiz, Canes Cenat, Nicolas Stafford, Gavin Comer and Sean Ewan paved the way for 540 yards of total offense, 316 rushing, with eight backs scoring touchdowns in a 64-14 victory over Meadowcreek.
Duluth’s offensive line of Anel Alic, Josh Gary, Bo Baltazar, Yail Rodriguez and C.J. Noisette led the way for 361 rushing yards and 12.0 yards per carry with five rushing touchdowns and 16 pancake blocks in a 51-14 victory over Centennial.
Franklin County’s offensive line of Brody Camp, Langston Brooks, Billy Hammock, Kennan Burtch and Alijah Kibler created space for 309 rush yards and nine rushing touchdowns (by seven backs) and 70 points in the first half of a 70-15 victory over Johnson of Gainesville.
Houston County’s offensive line of Braylin Mills, J.W. Fite, Aiden Wiley, Brandon Stokes and Antonio Bridges paved the way for 569 total yards (303 rushing, 266 passing) in a 56-42 victory over Effingham County.
Monroe Area’s offensive line of Mason Townsend, Colton Brewer, Ahmad Walton, Jay Hardegree and Makhi Brown with tight end Noah Delgado paved the way for 512 total yards, 386 rushing, in a 41-3 victory over Cedar Shoals.
North Paulding’s offensive line of Gama Fabre, Max Spencer, Drake Bentley, Jarrett Reaid and Julio Sutton-Childers was the driving force behind 366 rushing yards in a 45-30 victory over East Paulding. Brycen Morris (166) and James Skelly (163) each rushed for more than 150 yards.
Pickens’ offensive line of Kiptyn Rasco, Ben Wigington, David Kirby, Christian Rasco and Jeremiah Johns made way for 436 total yards (275 rushing, 161 passing) and allowed no sacks in a 34-14 victory over Sonoraville.
Ringgold’s offensive line of Issac Dotson, Slade Swaney, Ty Henderson, Julian Barrera and Cameron Talley blocked for two 100-yard rushers — Jeremiah Frost (175) and Haddon Fries (128) — in a 43-0 victory over Murray County.
Riverwood’s offensive line of Beck Smith, Chase Alexander, Henry Pridgen, Tyler Chaney and Julian Daisy paved the way for 427 total yards (252 rushing, 175 passing) in a 40-7 victory over Chattahoochee.
Whitewater’s offensive line of Ethan Grimsley, Michael LeBlanc, Reid Mathis, Noah Underwood, Wilson Knight and Maddox Gardner was the lead force behind 526 total yards (363 rushing, 163 passing) in a 49-20 victory over Starr’s Mill.
About the Author
Todd Holcomb has been a contributor to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 1985. He is currently co-founder and editor of Georgia High School Football Daily.
