It’s Hebron Christian’s defense that paves way to second straight title

The offense gets most of the attention at Hebron Christian, rightfully so after they rolled into Wednesday’s championship game having scored 50-plus points in eight straight games.

But it was the team’s defense that saved the day for the Lions in the Class 3A-A Private game and helped the Lions hang on to defeat Calvary Day 28-21 and win its second straight state championship.

The outcome wasn’t secured until Jarvis Mathurin intercepted a pass with 1:15 remaining — Hebron’s third pick of the day and Mathurin’s second — that the Lions could take a deep, cleansing breath.

“It was crazy,” Mathurin said. “I knew they were going to go over the top and I just played the ball.”

The Hebron defense allowed 236 yards in the air but clamped down on Calvary Day’s running attack and limited the Cavaliers to 7 rushing yards on 23 attempts. Calvary Day had minus-23 rushing yards at halftime.

“We’re a defense that’s going to fly to the ball, and everyone’s going to be making plays and doing their job,” linebacker Max Steve said. “It’s not just me. Everybody is doing their job.”

The always-active Steve deserves a lot of credit. The senior had eight tackles, six of them solos, with a sack, an interception and two breakups. Beau Bennett had eight tackles and Masen Hardy had seven tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss.

“They had some great athletes on their side, and we prepared all week,” Steve said. “We’re probably the most physically practiced team in the state. We go hard at practice and it’s about doing our individual job and leaving it on the line.”

The Calvary Day defense was equally stout, limiting Hebron to 186 yards rushing — 88 of those coming on two runs — behind three sacks by Elisha Williams and 10 tackles from Jeffrey McCormick.

Calvary Day couldn’t get out of its own way early. On their first possession, the Cavaliers snapped the ball over the head of James Mobley, who also punts. He scrambled to recover the ball and down it at the 1. Hebron’s Devon Caldwell ran it in for a touchdown on the next play; he finished with 85 yards rushing on 25 carries.

Hebron went up 14-0 when left-handed quarterback Jordan Greene rolled right and threw back to the left side, where Steve was open at the 11 and walked it into the end zone.

The Lions followed with a 58-yard run by Mathurin, a Georgia Southern signee who flashed to the TV camera a “Hail Southern” message he had written on his gloves. Mathurin finished with 61 yards rushing on four carries.

Calvary Day had a nine-play scoring drive capped by Mobley’s 1-yard quarterback keeper with 5:41 left in the half and maintained the momentum in the third quarter by scoring on Ca’Den Jones’ 2-yard run, cutting the lead to 21-14 at 6:52.

Hebron regained its two-touchdown advantage after a poor 19-yard punt that gave the Lions the ball at the Calvary Day 27. Hebron scored when Gray Costello flipped a pass to Austen Kitchings in the right flat that he turned into a 27-yard touchdown.

Calvary Day answered when Mobley threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Ty Pinckney, who outwrestled the defender in the end zone with 4:11 remaining. Mobley was 23-for-44 with 236 yards and three interceptions.

The Cavs appeared to have recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the original call that gave them possession was overturned on video review. They forced Hebron to punt and took over at their own 14 with the possession ending on Mathurin’s interception.

“Our defense stepped up in a tremendous way,” Caldwell said. “Our offense was struggling a little bit and the defense stepped up. It’s an amazing feeling. I don’t have the words. It’s just one of those feelings you get.”