Travis Hunter might’ve had the best season for any two-way football starter in Georgia history last year, catching a state-record 137 passes for 1,746 yards while intercepting eight passes for a Class 7A runner-up team.
Now, he’s being ridiculous. In his 2021 season opener Saturday, the Collins Hill wide receiver/cornerback didn’t pick up where he left off. He had his best game ever.
Hunter caught 13 passes for a career-high 232 yards and two touchdowns, threw a 28-yard TD pass, intercepted a pass and made two solo tackles, one for a loss, in a 36-10 victory over Brookwood.
Hunter could threaten more state records this year, but he says that’s not his focus.
“I don’t really have a personal goal,” Hunter told GHSF Daily intern Abbey Walton in an interview leading up to the Brookwood game. “I’m really just going to try to get to the state championship game again and win it all and help my team.”
Top five
*Athens Christian RB Johne’ss Davis rushed for 251 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries in a 35-18 victory over Walker.
*Collins Hill WR/CB Travis Hunter had 13 receptions for 232 yards and two touchdowns, threw a 28-yard TD pass, intercepted a pass and made two solo tackles, one for a loss, in a 36-10 victory over Brookwood.
*McEachern WR Kaleb Webb had six receptions for 146 yards and three touchdowns and returned a kickoff 86 yards for a score in a 53-20 victory over Kell.
*Oconee County WR/DB Darius Johnson caught two passes for 146 yards and two touchdowns, threw a 24-yard TD pass and made six tackles in a 42-35 victory over North Oconee.
*Trinity Christian QB David Dallas was 12-of-15 passing for 182 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 72 yards on 10 carries in a 59-7 victory over Athens Academy.
Best of the rest
*Arabia Mountain RB Solomon Rayton rushed for 224 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries in a 21-6 victory over Rockdale County.
*Banneker RB/WR Jamill Williams rushed for 84 yards and three touchdowns on five carries, caught two passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, had 205 all-purpose yards and made three tackles in a 56-12 victory over KIPP Atlanta Collegiate.
*Berrien RB Demar Riley rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in a 34-6 victory over Long County.
*Brantley County RB/DB Kellon Middleton had 169 yards from scrimmage on 17 touches, two touchdowns, seven tackles and two pass breakups in a 27-19 loss to Charlton County.
*Brookstone RB/WR/DB Joel Jones returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown, rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries, had five tackles, forced two fumbles and intercepted a pass in a 70-24 victory over Calvary Christian.
Credit: Jason Getz
Credit: Jason Getz
*Buford LB/WR Malik Spencer had five solo tackles and a five-yard sack, forced a fumble, broke up a pass and scored on a 36-yard pass in a 35-27 victory over North Cobb.
*Calvary Day QB Jake Merklinger was 15-of-26 passing for 252 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 75 yards in a 21-13 victory over Prince Avenue Christian.
*Camden County CB Zach Andreu had three balls thrown his way, intercepted two of them and broke up the other in a 31-0 victory over Columbia that was called at halftime because of lightning. Andreu also had two tackles.
*Carrollton WR/DB Terrell Carmichael caught TD passes of 71 and 69 yards and recorded solo tackles and a tackle for a loss in a 49-13 victory over New Manchester.
*Cass WR Sacovie White had six receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-19 victory over Dawson County.
*Chamblee DB Sydyk Ross forced two fumbles, returned a fumble 15 yards for a touchdown and returned an interception 35 yards for a score in a 59-21 victory over North Springs.
*Cherokee QB A.J. Swann was 14-of-17 passing for 247 yards and four touchdowns in 2.5 quarters of a 52-6 victory over Mays.
*Christian Heritage QB Christian Thomas was 10-of-18 passing for 182 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a 31-21 loss to Fellowship Christian.
*Coahulla Creek RB Tyler Locklear rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries in a 31-25 victory over Northwest Whitfield.
*Creekside LB Vincent Hill had six solo tackles, two tackles for losses, 10 assisted tackles and a fumble recovery in a 19-14 victory over Grayson.
*Dade County DL Isaac Pangle had 10 tackles, eight behind the line, in a 21-12 victory over Gordon Lee.
*Fayette County RB Javon Graham rushed for 130 yards and four touchdowns on seven carries and had two receptions for 52 yards in a 67-0 victory over Midtown.
*Fellowship Christian RB/DB Josh Cole rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries and had four solo tackles, one for a loss, in a 31-21 victory over Christian Heritage.
*First Presbyterian QB Jakhari Williams threw five TD passes in a 48-0 victory over ACE Charter. He was 14-of-17 for 275 yards.
*Franklin County TE/DE Keylan Rutledge had eight solo tackles, three tackles for losses, one sack and a TD reception in a 20-6 victory over Lumpkin County.
*Georgia Military WR Caleb Bush had three receptions for 115 yards and three touchdowns in a 46-0 victory over Creekside Christian.
*Haralson County DE Riley Bell had 12 tackles, five QB pressures and three tackles for losses and batted down a pass in a 43-24 victory over Pepperell.
*Harlem RB Jason Williams rushed for 136 yards, had 82 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns in a 21-14 victory over Aquinas.
*Harris County RB Cooper Corey rushed for 154 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries in a 28-21 loss to Troup.
*Hart County RB J.L. Lackey rushed for 208 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries and had 26 yards receiving in a 54-21 victory over Elbert County.
*Jefferson RB Sammy Brown rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in a 22-13 victory over Rabun County.
*Kennesaw Mountain LB Evan Duke had two sacks and returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown in a 28-12 victory over East Paulding.
*Lakeside (Atlanta) RB A.J. Holloman scored on a 57-yard run, 57-yard reception and 95-yard kickoff return in a 21-12 victory over Berkmar.
*Lithia Springs WR Ayden Smith had five receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns in a 55-27 loss to Douglas County.
*Macon County LB Ken’Wan Felton had two tackles for losses, a sack, a forced fumble and a 55-yard fumble return in a 26-0 victory over Clinch County.
*Marietta WR Camden Overton had seven receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown in a 28-25 loss to Colquitt County.
*Milton LB A.J. Crawford had nine tackles, three sacks, four QB pressures and a tackle for a safety in a 45-0 victory over Hapeville Charter.
*Monroe Area QB Selation Straughter was 9-of-14 passing for 197 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and averaged 45 yards on two punts in a 28-7 victory over Loganville.
*Mount de Sales QB A’Khori Jones rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown and passed for 48 yards in a 17-7 victory over Jasper County.
*Mount Zion (Carroll County) RB/DB Malachi Ackles returned a punt for a touchdown, scored two rushing touchdowns and intercepted a pass, all in the first half of a 48-14 victory over Central of Talbotton.
*Mountain View LB Armond Jones had 15 tackles, three for losses, and a sack and spearheaded a goal-line stand as time expired in a 14-13 victory over Shiloh.
*Murray County ATH Taylor Carrell had four receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown, scored a two-point conversion, returned a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown, blocked a field-goal attempt and had four solo tackles in a 35-34 victory over Southeast Whitfield.
*North Cobb WR Reggie Givhan had 11 receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown and returned a kickoff 68 yards in a 35-27 loss to Buford. Givhan finished with 203 all-purpose yards.
*North Forsyth K/P Will Peltz put six of seven kicks into the end zone, made a 36-yard field goal and averaged 43 yards a punt in a 37-7 victory over Alcovy.
*North Hall PK Luke Brown kicked a 43-yard field goal and put three of five kickoffs in the end zone in a 23-14 victory over Paulding County.
*North Paulding’s Jaylen Poe rushed for 190 yards on 18 carries in a 35-14 victory over South Gwinnett.
*Northeast QB Travion Solomon was 10-of-14 passing for 187 yards and rushed for 63 yards in a 33-28 victory over Jones County.
*Northside (Warner Robins) WR Centavious Lowe had three receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns, one an 82-yarder for Northside’s opening score, and threw a 30-yard TD pass in a 48-7 victory over Veterans.
*Pelham QB Zane Touchton was 19-of-32 passing for 270 yards and a touchdown in a 26-12 victory over Mitchell County.
*Pepperell RB D.J. Rogers rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns and caught a TD pass in a 43-24 loss to Haralson County.
*Perry QB Armar Gordon was 19-of-28 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-13 victory over Houston County.
*Pope WR/DB Cam Bleshoy had six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown and intercepted two passes in a 24-14 victory over Villa Rica.
*Prince Avenue Christian WR/DB Bailey Stockton had 11 receptions for 118 yards, two tackles for losses and a forced fumble in a 21-13 loss to Calvary Day.
*Roswell WR/DB Ethan Nation had seven receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown, made four tackles, forced a fumble, intercepted a pass and returned a kickoff 52 yards in a 45-26 victory over South Forsyth.
*Roswell QB Robbie Roper was 26-of-33 passing for 447 yards and six touchdowns in a 45-26 victory over South Forsyth.
*Sequoyah OLB Carter Sandt had five solo tackles, five assists, two pass breakups and an interception in a 28-0 victory over Woodstock.
*Sonoraville RB Zach Lyles had 105 yards rushing on 10 carries, 97 yards receiving on two catches and two touchdowns, all in the first half, in a 21-0 victory over Model.
*Spalding RB Nazir Berry had 202 yards from scrimmage on 17 touches in a 42-14 loss to Griffin.
*Taylor County RB/DB Nyshun Parks rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns and intercepted three passes in a 34-21 victory over Crawford County.
*Thomasville RB Malik Harper rushed for 166 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries in a 42-34 victory over Brooks County.
*Towns County WR Collin Crowder had 12 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-6 victory over King’s Academy.
*Troup QB Taeo Todd rushed for 141 yards and passed for 120 and two touchdowns in a 28-21 victory over Harris County.
*Valdosta LB Jacquez McGowan had 12 solo tackles, seven assists, three tackles for losses, a sack and three QB hurries in a 48-20 loss to Warner Robins.
*Warner Robins RB Malcolm Brown rushed for 131 yards on 32 carries, had three receptions for 30 yards and scored three touchdowns in a 48-20 victory over Valdosta.
*Wesleyan QB Jeff Miller was 18-of-22 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-0 victory over Mount Pisgah Christian.
*West Hall FS Noah Lagault had five solo tackles and three assists, broke up two passes and intercepted one, leading a secondary that intercepted as many passes as it surrendered (two), in a 14-7 victory over East Jackson.
*Westlake DB Gannon Weathersby had a team-leading six solo tackles and two sacks and forced a fumble in a 29-14 victory over Archer.
*White County WR Darius Cannon had 242 all-purpose yards – 32 rushing, 35 receiving, 146 kick returning and 29 punt returning – in a 24-20 loss to Stephens County.
*Whitefield Academy LB/RB Caleb LaVallee rushed for 60 yards and had two sacks and forced a fumble in a 13-0 victory over Mount Vernon.
*Winder-Barrow DB Omarious Smith intercepted two passes, returning one 90 yards for a touchdown, and had six solo tackles and four assists in a 19-3 victory over Apalachee.
*Woodward Academy RB Damari Alston had 203 yards from scrimmage on 26 touches in a 17-14 victory over Eagle’s Landing Christian.
*Worth County QB Chip Cooper was 18-of-36 passing for 225 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 148 yards in a 35-28 victory over Turner County.
Lines of distinction
*Bryan County’s offensive line of Tarrell Singleton, Carter Tapley, Jordan Wells, John Good, Chris Bell and Evan Knight – Singleton the biggest at 5-8, 220 – cleared a path for 327 rushing yards in a 38-12 victory over Butler that ended a 24-game losing streak. Austin Clemens rushed for 145 yards, and Jacari Carney rushed for 108.
*Central Gwinnett’s offensive line of Jaden Marlin, Ashille Hodge, Markeith Cunningham, Dominique Anglin and Michael Olawoyin facilitated 333 rushing yards – 206 from Jason Jackson – in a 20-0 victory over Discovery.
*Dade County’s offensive line of Zack Counts, Landon Williams, Isaac Pangle, Austin Sorrelle, and Andrew Buffington led a hard-nosed running attack that produced 256 yards with 14 pancake blocks and 13 knockdowns in a 21-12 victory over Gordon Lee.
*Flowery Branch’s offensive line of Shaun Shockley, Gavin Roberts, Jonathan Garrison, Eric Garner and Brice Deitz and tight end John David Peacock allowed no sacks or QB hurries and led a 329-total yard effort in a 21-14 victory over St. Pius.
*Forsyth Central’s offensive line of Luke Sacchetti, Mitchell Dunlap, Hudson Roach, Brandon Carver, Charlie Shadburn, R.J. Shaheen and Michael Johnson paved the way for 370 yards from scrimmage, including 263 rushing, in a 62-0 victory over Northview.
*Sequoyah’s offensive line of Marshall Ketcham, Jimmy Anderson, Demitri Morris, Tayo Ogundele and Zachary Barrett and tight ends Harrison Hood and Ty Moores set the tone in a 28-0 victory over Woodstock as the Chiefs rushed for 349 yards on 45 attempts.
*Social Circle’s offensive line of A.J. Vinson, Matt Riley, Rowen Vandergriff, Lucas Langley, Trey Douglas and Tucker Cleary helped the Redskins put up 481 yards of total offense with no sacks in a 40-6 victory over George Walton Academy. Logan Cross was 27-of-37 passing for 333 yards.
*South Paulding’s offensive line of Madden Sanker, Kai Keller, Andrew Young, Blaise Bice and Issac Keene – all underclassmen – expedited 303 rushing yards and 272 passing while allowing no sacks in a 43-42 victory over Hiram. R.J. Caffey had 148 yards rushing. Brenden Gates had 175 receiving.
*Southeast Whitefield’s offensive line of Jayden Calhoun, Zane Smith, Zander Burkett, Andres Rios and Jordan Osario made way for two 100-yard rushers – Jordan Trevino (134) and Brady Ensley (114) – in a 35-34 loss to Murray County.
*Thomasville’s offensive line of J.J. Jackson, Ayden Aque, Caden Shokat, Hakeem Myrick, Jacob Tyson, Jaiwan Anderson and Cam Bates cleared the way for 318 yards rushing and five touchdowns while allowing only one sack in a 42-34 victory over Brooks County. Malik Harper rushed for 166 yards and four touchdowns. Thomasville avenged a season-opening loss from 2020.
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