Today’s interviewee is Greenville Christian coach Jon Reed McLendon, whose team will play Collins Hill on Friday in the Freedom Bowl at Milton. Greenville Christian, a Mississippi school with an enrollment of only about 250 students, won Class 3A of the Midsouth Independent School Association in 2020 and is ranked the No. 4 team statewide by MaxPreps.
Jon Reed McLendon, Greenville Christian (Miss.) head coach
1. Why come all the way to Georgia for this game? “We have a friend that lived in Atlanta, and his son went to Milton, and he told us about the event. He knew we had a good group last year and were coming off a state championship season and bringing back the core group. He just told us we ought to make a call about getting in there, maybe showcasing the kids we have on a bigger stage. That was how it started.”
2. What should Georgia high school football fans know about your team and school? “This is going to be different for us. We’re not a large school. We’re a 3A private school in Mississippi. Our roster is going to be significantly smaller than what’s going to be on the other side. We do have some talented kids. We’ve got at least four that are going to be Division I football players. We’ve got three that are committed. Our quarterback, D.J. Smith, is not committed but has Division I offers as well. For a smaller roster, we’ve got a good group of kids. We’re excited to get tested against the best team in Georgia by all indications.” [Those committed to D-I schools are DB Jaterrious Elam (Mississippi State), LB J.D. Stewart (Southern Miss) and WR Chris Bell (Southern Miss).]
3. You’ve had good teams in the past, but you suddenly had a great year in 2020. What happened last season that led to the state title? “We had a pretty good core that had been with us since the seventh grade. They’d been with me during my time here, and they’ve developed. But we also had quite a number who transferred in because of COVID that shut down some of the public school systems and they were looking for a place to play last season. There was kind of a mass exodus from the public schools in the Delta, and private schools picked up kids looking to play from around the area. It made for a special season.”
4. What do you know about Collins Hill? “I know they’re really good. The quarterback Sam Horn and Travis Hunter, those two guys are a deadly combination. We’ve seen a bit of them from last year and obviously got the Brookwood film [from Collins Hill’s first game]. They do a good job of scheming to get the ball in Travis’ hands, and the moment you commit too many to him, somebody else will make a big play. So they’re really explosive offensively. Defensively they make big plays. With Travis on defense, it makes you cautious throwing it because he can score just as quickly on the defensive side. Those things jump out you, a really good team led by maybe the No. 1 athlete in the country.”
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