Collins Hill, one of the more dominant Georgia state champions in history, is playing another game in Las Vegas.
The Eagles will face Graham Kapowsin, Washington’s Class 4A champion, as part of the GEICO State Champions Bowl Series at 4 p.m. Saturday in a game televised by ESPN2, Collins Hill coach Lenny Gregory confirmed Monday. Chaminade-Madonna of Florida is playing Highland of Arizona in the second game.
“That’s just an amazing opportunity for our kids to play one more football game,” Gregory said.
Collins Hill is ranked No. 3 in three national polls after finishing its Georgia season 15-0. Collins Hill beat Milton 24-8 on Saturday in the Class 7A final. Collins Hill became the first Georgia team in the highest classification to win every game by 15 points or more since 1971.
Graham-Kapowsin, a Tacoma-area school, was equally dominant in Washington, going 14-0, beating every opponent by 16 or more points and defeating Lake Stevens 44-7 for its championship.
Saturday’s game can further cement Collins Hill’s legacy.
The Eagles will be remembered foremost for their quarterback-wide receiver duo of Sam Horn and Travis Hunter.
Horn, committed to Missouri, is one of only eight players in state history to throw for more than 10,000 yards in his career. Hunter, committed to Florida State, tied the state record for touchdown receptions in a career with his 46th against Milton. He can break the record Saturday. All 46 came from Horn, making Horn and Hunter the most prolific QB-WR scoring duo in state history.
But lesser appreciated was Collins Hill’s defense. Collins Hill beat five top-10 opponents, and none scored more than eight points.
“Stat-wise, it’s one of the best teams of all-time,’’ said Gregory, an assistant on Grayson’s 2011 unbeaten state champion. “As far as me and teams I’ve coached, I’d say this is probably the best I’ve been a part of when you look at the offense and defense combined. I felt like the Grayson 2011 team didn’t have the offense we have now. I think defensively, they were very similar.’’
Collins Hill’s consistency more than anything else set the team apart. Collins Hill never had a close call.
“Every season, you expect to have a hiccup, but it never happened to us,” Gregory said. “The kids really bought into that mind-set of going 1-0 each week. On Monday, I’d say we’re preparing to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I don’t care what you see on film, prepare for the very best opponent. That’s hard for high school kids not to think, oh, they’re not very good.”
A couple of other recent state champion might’ve even more high-end prospects, too, but Collins Hill was not unarmed. Horn and Hunter are top-125 national recruits. Three others - defensive lineman Asani Redwood, tight end Ethan Davis and safety Jayden Davis - have Power Five Conference offers.
Gregory praised their maturity.
“I’ve been so impressed with how our kids handled each week, especially with all the distractions and so many people telling them how good they were and so many colleges recruiting them, people outside pulling at them,” Gregory said. “Their focus was impressive.”
Collins Hill will be the fourth Georgia team to participate in the GEICO Bowl Series In 2019, Class 7A champion Marietta beat Washington’s Eastside Catholic 53-14. In 2018, Lee County lost to St. Frances Academy of Baltimore in Leesburg, and in 2016, Valdosta beat Chandler of Arizona.
About the Author
