North Murray QB/safety evokes comparisons to former Mountaineer Ladd McConkey
Hudson Hulett is 5 feet, 10 inches and 185 pounds. He’s an exceptional athlete who is a 1,000-yard rusher and starting quarterback and safety. Players with those qualities who attend North Murray High School will get the obvious comparison.
“Reminds me a lot of Ladd,” North Murray coach Preston Poag said, referencing Ladd McConkey, the former Mountaineers quarterback who starred at Georgia and now plays wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers. McConkey is 6-0, 185.
Hulett rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns, passed for 80 yards and got in on 11 tackles in a 49-21 victory over Sonoraville last week. He became the state’s first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards this season. His team is 6-0 for the first time in history. He has one scholarship offer, from Gardner-Webb.
“He is just a playmaker like Ladd,” Poag said of Hulett. “Both of them never get tired. I have never had a player practice like him, too. It is crazy how he practices. His recruitment is similar to Ladd. Schools are reluctant because of his size. They are going to miss out if they do not offer him. He is a great leader for my program.”
Here are some of the top performances from Week 8 of the high school football season:
Top five performances in Week 8
Colquitt County LB McKenzie Graham had 10 solo tackles, five assists, three tackles for losses and a fumble recovery in an 18-17 victory over Valdosta, which entered the game averaging 50 points per game.
Creekside QB Cayden Benson was 15-of-24 passing for 454 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-0 victory over Pace Academy.
North Clayton QB Justin Murphy was 17-of-21 passing for 221 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries in a 45-38 victory over Luella that clinched 6-1 North Clayton’s first winning season since 2011.
North Murray QB/DB Hudson Hulett was 4-of-6 passing for 80 yards and a touchdown, rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries and had three solo tackles and eight assists in a 49-21 victory over Sonoraville.
Richmond Hill LB Jaylon Deal had 12 solo tackles, nine assists, two tackles for losses, one sack, two forced fumbles and an interception in a 24-20 victory over Camden County.
Best of the rest
Alpharetta RB Matthew Schletty rushed for 233 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries in a 40-14 victory over South Forsyth.
Benedictine DL LaDamion Guyton had four tackles for losses in a 61-0 victory over Warner Robins.
Briarwood Academy LB Caleb Furr had nine solo tackles, seven assists, 4.5 tackles for losses and an interception in a 24-0 victory over Augusta Prep.
Brooks County RB Damari Baynard rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in a 37-0 victory over Lanier County.
Buford DL Bryce Perry-Wright had two tackles for losses and blocked a field-goal attempt in a 34-3 victory over Collins Hill.
Burke County DB Ranquavious Morris had seven tackles, four assists, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a 24-14 loss to Thomson.
Calhoun WR Justin Beasley had six receptions for 181 yards and two touchdowns in a 49-0 victory over Ridgeland.
Cambridge freshman DL K.J. Biermann had eight tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss and forced a fumble in a 46-14 victory over Westminster.
Carrollton LB Keontay Kidd had three tackles for losses in a 48-9 victory over Westlake.
Carver-Atlanta LB Michael Johnson returned a fumble 87 yards for a touchdown and had four tackles for losses in a 35-14 victory over KIPP Atlanta Collegiate.
Cass WR Elijah Slocum had 12 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown in a 56-28 loss to Cartersville.
Cherokee Christian QB Colton Messer rushed for 190 yards and four touchdowns on 14 carries and passed for 75 yards and a touchdown in a 41-7 victory over Dominion Christian.
Coahulla Creek QB Waelyn Baliles passed for 242 yards, rushed for 59 yards and had a hand in all three touchdowns in a 42-21 loss to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe.
Commerce WR Essien Lockleer had 11 receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns in a 55-28 loss to Rabun County.
Coosa RB Xander Sledge had 27 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown in a 34-0 victory over Armuchee.
Creekview LB/RB Mason Munn eight solo tackles, four assists, two tackles for losses, a sack, two QB pressures, an interception and a 16-yard TD run in a 36-35 overtime loss to Sprayberry.
Dunwoody ATH Jayden Smith had three solo tackles, three tackles for losses, three sacks and a fumble recovery in a 31-14 victory over Arabia Mountain.
Franklin County LB Elliott Harbin had 10 solo tackles, five assists, two tackles for losses, a QB pressure and two fourth-down tackles in a 34-7 victory over East Jackson.
Gordon Lee RB Layne Vaughn rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries in a 42-7 victory over Dade County.
Habersham Central RB Donovan Warren rushed for 216 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-22 victory over Clarke Central.
Hapeville Charter DB Anthony Brooks returned a punt for the tying touchdown and intercepted two passes in a 20-17 victory over Holy Innocents’.
Heritage -Ringgold RB Brayden Slaughter rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries in a 29-14 victory over Gilmer.
Houston County WR M.J. Mathis had nine receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-0 victory over Northside of Warner Robins.
Jackson County WR Silas McDaniel had five receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns and returned two punts for 43 yards in a 67-0 win over Apalachee.
Jasper County LB Cope Durand had 21 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in a 21-18 victory over McNair.
Jefferson freshman RB Christopher Hays rushed for 208 yards on 27 carries in a 22-7 victory over Monroe Area.
Kell DL Collin Davis had four solo tackles, four tackles for losses, one sack and an assist in a 3-0 victory over Blessed Trinity.
Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe WR Jared Mitchell caught seven passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-21 victory over Coahulla Creek.
Lambert QB Ethan Daughtery was 23-of-36 passing for 266 yards in a 33-31 victory over North Atlanta.
Landmark Christian WR/DB Jo’Van Freeney had three receptions for 50 yards and three touchdowns, intercepted two passes and returned three punts for 52 yards in a 42-0 victory over B.E.S.T. Academy.
Liberty County RB Elijah Brown rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-20 victory over Johnson of Savannah.
Lovett LB Ford Diffley had six tackles, two sacks and an interception in a 29-6 victory over Therrell.
Lowndes DB Knyon Simmons had four solo tackles and intercepted a pass in a 35-0 victory over Tift County.
Mary Persons WR Mason Stephens had eight receptions for 160 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on two carries in a 42-20 victory over Trinity Christian.
Mays CB Gerald Hunter had seven solo tackles, three pass breakups and two interceptions in a 22-7 victory over Jackson of Atlanta.
McEachern QB Calvin Pittman Jr. was 13-of-22 passing for 233 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 141 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries in a 48-21 victory over Harrison.
Metter WR Keyshawn Polk had four receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 29 yards in a 45-0 victory over Claxton.
Mill Creek DB Cameron Camarotti had four solo tackles, one tackle for a loss, two QB hurries and a fumble recovery in a 37-17 victory over Dacula.
Morgan County RB Christian Monfort rushed for 239 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries and caught two passes for 21 yards in a 60-27 victory over Rutland.
Mount Paran Christian RB Christian Holmes rushed for 130 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries in a 42-12 victory over Walker.
Newnan LB Rodney Colton had four tackles, two sacks and an interception returned for a touchdown in a 38-0 victory over Dutchtown.
Norcross DB/RB Joshua Burks had 10 tackles, one tackle for a loss, five pass breakups and 15 carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns in a 22-16 victory over Parkview.
North Cobb Christian WR/LB Cooper Bazarsky rushed for 244 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries and made two tackles in a 23-17 victory over Murray County.
North Gwinnett LB Jake Godfree had eight solo tackles, eight assists, two tackles for losses, two sacks, one pass breakup, one QB hurry and one fumble return for a touchdown in a 45-14 victory over Peachtree Ridge.
Northside-Columbus RB Jai Jackson rushed for 102 yards on 13 carries and caught a 30-yard pass in a 34-12 victory over Mundy’s Mill.
Northwest Whitfield QB Gavin Nuckolls was 18-of-27 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown in a 40-7 victory over LaFayette.
Peach County RB Ashton Barton rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries and returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown in a 52-20 victory over Dougherty.
Pierce County RB/LB Justin Powell rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and had two solo tackles, two tackles for losses, a sack and a fumble recovery in a 34-13 victory over Cook.
Rome LB Jayden Worsham had 10 tackles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in a 49-7 victory over Villa Rica.
Screven County QB DeMarko Ward rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries and passed for 69 yards in a 19-9 victory over Bryan County.
South Effingham RB/OLB Khyran White rushed for 240 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and made a touchdown-saving tackle on a fumble return in a 34-28 victory over Greenbrier.
Southeast Bulloch LB/RB D.J. Brooks had four solo tackles, one assist, two tackles for losses, one sack, a 44-yard fumble return for a touchdown and two carries for 18 yards and a touchdown in a 55-16 victory over Groves.
Southwest DeKalb QB Braylon Carter was 14-of-16 passing for 181 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 24 yards in a 31-14 victory over Lithonia.
St. Andrew’s DL Jack Kelley had three solo tackles, one assist, two sacks and three tackles for losses in a 42-0 victory over Harvest Community of Florida.
Stockbridge LB C.J. Harris had nine solo tackles, 10 assists and five tackles for losses in a 19-14 victory over Ola.
Sumter County DB/RB Aaron Kearse rushed for 31 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns and two defensive touchdowns (fumble, interception) in a 51-14 victory over Spencer.
Thomas County Central RB Deuce Lawrence rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns in a 48-0 victory over Veterans.
Thomas Jefferson Academy WR/DB Asa Price had three receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns and made 15 tackles in a 34-18 loss to Gatewood.
Thomson LB Tilan Ivey had four solo tackles, three assists, four tackles for losses and two sacks in a 24-14 victory over Burke County.
Towns County LB/RB Morgan Walker rushed 20 times for 95 yards and had nine tackles, two for losses, in a 14-12 victory over Anderson, South Carolina.
Trinity Christian RB Bakari Hamilton rushed for 125 yards on 21 carries in a 42-20 loss to Mary Persons.
Troup QB Garrison Edwards was 14-of-19 passing for 121 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 115 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries in a 35-7 victory over Upson-Lee.
Union County LB Micah Wallace had 10 solo tackles, one for a loss, eight assists and an interception returned 29 yards in a 21-7 loss to Ringgold.
Valdosta RB Deron Foster rushed for 202 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries in an 18-17 loss to Colquitt County.
Warren County RB Cedarius Johnson rushed for 235 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries, had two solo tackles and two assists and returned two kickoffs for 80 yards in a 48-14 victory over Greene County.
Wesleyan RB/DL Maddox Gartland had 31 rushes for 188 yards and a game-winning touchdown in overtime and made seven tackles and caused a fumble in a 25-19 victory over Mount Vernon.
West Hall WR Nasser Aliou had three receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown and 7.5 solo tackles in a 54-15 loss to Cherokee Bluff.
Westover WR Mikhail Simmons had all eight of his team’s receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a 26-7 victory over Bainbridge.
Westside-Augusta RB Tamari Curry rushed for 124 yards and five touchdowns on 23 carries and scored a sixth touchdown on a pass reception in a 49-7 victory over Howard.
Woodland-Cartersville RB Solomon James rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns, caught six passes for 94 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 49-35 loss to Allatoona.
Lines of distinction
Alexander‘s offensive line of Brandon Farrell, Cameron Blount, Luke Keller, Henry Workman, Brady Dever and Mylik Brookins led the way for 441 total yards — 220 rushing, 221 passing — in a 28-21 victory over Kennesaw Mountain. Jaquan Sutton rushed for 200 yards.
Douglas County’s offensive line of Joshua Sam-Epelle, Julius Dumas, Chase Mideau, Ezra Jordan, Eddie Alford and Terrance Brandon with tight ends Faraji Tucker and Marquis Johnson Jr. paved the way for 587 total yards in a 42-17 victory over East Coweta.
East Forsyth’s offensive line of Carter Book, Nate Briscoe, Brooks Brown, Elliot Grant, Jacob Osborne, Ayden Goodrich and David Brown paved the way for 249 yards and inflicted 16 knockdown blocks in a 21-14 victory over Cedar Shoals.
Griffin’s offensive line of Kendarious “KD” Smith, Nick Hodo, Landon Wilson, Xavius Miller and Quindarius Thompson paved the way for 389 yards rushing with 8.8 yards per carry and three rushing touchdowns in a 38-7 victory over Harris County. Marquel Colden rushed for 197 yards.
Johnson County’s offensive line of Derrick Dixon, Albert Connell, Cedric Bridges, Matthew McCoy, Dewayne Abrams and Jeffery Dupree blocked for 415 rushing yards in a 42-0 victory over Twiggs County.
Stephenson’s offensive line of Saikou Balde, Lamar Mack, Dante English Jr., Emanuel Holmes, Alieu Sanyang and Jacob Coates paved the way for 510 yards rushing and two 150-yard rushers — Jayden Johnson (240) and Anthony Booker (187) — in a 50-18 victory over Cedar Grove.
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.
