The willingness to stick with the program and work hard has paid off at Centennial High School, where the Knights are 4-0 for the first time since 2003.
“This is a great senior class and they’ve really committed themselves to the off-season program and everything we’ve demanded of them,” second-year coach Adam Miller said. “It’s been exciting to see them grow over this last year.”
When Miller took the job a year ago after spending two successful seasons at Westover, there were about ten guys who scrambled to find a different school, some of them good players. Miller admitted it wasn’t easy, but their exodus gave more young players an opportunity and accelerated the growth of the program.
“The difference is the seniors,” Miller said. “We’ve had a lot of young men who have bought into the process and it’s been fun to be a part of.”
The team is led by quarterback Hunter Campbell (6-3, 200), who has thrown for 807 yards and nine touchdowns, with only one interception.
“Hunter is one of the most talented quarterbacks I’ve ever been around,” Miller said. “He’s probably one of the best-kept secrets in the state of Georgia. He’s just athletic. He can run the football, he can throw the football and his mental capacity to understand and process information quickly is something I haven’t been around a whole bunch. He’s the whole package.”
The backfield features a thunder-and-lightning combination of sturdy Caleb Barbus, who has rushed for 311 yards and three touchdowns, and speedy Keyon Swilling, who has run for 232 yards and two touchdowns.
“We’ve got a good one-two punch back there,” Miller said.
The top receiver is Jackson Harrell, who has 16 receptions for a 13.8-yard average and one touchdown.
The defense is led by free safety Nate Black (6-2, 180), who also plays wide receiver. He even threw a touchdown off a trick play against Discovery.
“He really is the heart and soul of our team,” Miller said.
Centennial has beaten Riverwood, Duluth, Johns Creek and Discovery – all schools from a higher classification – and play at rival Chattahoochee on Friday.
“We try to challenge ourselves and make sure our kids are exposed to all types of different things, different areas, so when we get to the playoffs they’re not going to be shell-shocked by anything,” Miller said. “At the same time we want to keep rivalry with Chattahoochee going and get the one started back with Johns Creek. So it’s been a good challenge and we’re excited to keep it rolling, hopefully.”
Centennial has a 13-9 lead in the overall series against Chattahoochee, which dates to when the school opened in 1998. Centennial has won the last three games, including 33-28 in 2023.
Here are five other games to watch this weekend:
Milton at Blessed Trinity: No. 4 Blessed Trinity (3-0) takes a major step up in weight class this week to face Class 5A No. 1 Milton (3-0), which is ranked as high as No. 3 in the national polls. The teams have never met. The BT defense allows only 55.7 yards rushing and 109.7 yards passing but will be challenged by a Milton offense that features QB Luke Nickel (a Miami commit) and receivers C.J. Wiley (Florida State) and Ethan Barbour (Georgia).
Jefferson at North Oconee: Two nearby teams, who shared the same region for years, meet when Class 5A No. 2 Jefferson (3-1) visits No. 7 North Oconee (3-0). Two good quarterbacks will share the spotlight – North Oconee’s Harrison Faulkner and Jefferson’s Gavin Markey. Jefferson leads the series 6-3 but North Oconee won the last meeting 11-6 in 2021.
Monroe Area at Walnut Grove: This will determine the Walton County Championship, since both have already beaten Loganville. Walnut Grove (3-0) has lost its last five games to Monroe and trails the series 10-2. Walnut Grove running back Emadd Howard has rushed for 603 yards and 11 touchdowns. He set a school record with 1,236 yards in 2022 when the team went 9-3. Monroe’s Carr has run for 449 yards and four touchdowns in two games. Monroe (2-0) had last week’s game cancelled because of the tragedy at Apalachee.
Druid Hills at St. Pius: Druid Hills (2-1) and St. Pius (2-1) are expected to compete for playoff spots in Region 5. St. Pius has never lost to Druid Hills in 10 games, a series that dates to 1968. They haven’t played since 2011. The St. Pius defense will be challenged to slow Red Devils’ back Zach Manning, who ran for 210 yards and two touchdowns against North Springs.
Carver Columbus vs. Northside Columbus: Northside (3-0) has aspirations to join Starr’s Mill and Harris County to win the Region 3 title. The Patriots have especially been strong on defense, allowing only 21 total points. Christopher Perkins, Tye Bias, Jaiden Jackson and Jay Hud lead the stingy unit. Coach Andrew Oropeza will know more after this week. Northside has only one win in 10 tries against Carver and the teams haven’t played since 2019.
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