Behind a big night from perhaps their best player in Travis Hunter, the Collins Hill Eagles are in the state championship game for the first time in program history following a 31-14 win over the Lowndes Vikings in the Class 7A semifinals Friday at Fahring Field in Suwanee.
Hunter, a junior 5-star athlete and Florida State commit, caught 11 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns and hauled in an interception for the No. 6 Eagles (12-2), who will play the top-ranked Grayson Rams for the state title 7 p.m., Dec. 30 at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
The championship will be a rematch from Sept. 18, when Grayson won 28-7 at Collins Hill. The Rams (13-0) defeated Norcross 28-0 on the road in the other semifinal on Friday.
“I just wanted to put the team on my back and show them what I can do,” Hunter said. “This feels great, but we ain’t done nothing yet.”
On the upcoming rematch with Grayson, Hunter said, “We were supposed to beat them the first time. We comin’ for a ring in this one.”
The Eagles survived a chaotic game in which they committed four turnovers and 11 penalties for 80 yards and saw their 4-star quarterback, Sam Horn, injured late in the third quarter, though he’d return after missing two offensive series. They overcame their misfortunes because the Vikings committed four turnovers plus a turnover on downs, along with 10 penalties for 105 yards.
Perhaps the biggest turning point of the game came when the Vikings opted to be aggressive toward the end of the first half with the score tied at 7. On first-and-10 from their own 22, Vikings quarterback Jacurri Brown scrambled from heavy pressure outside the pocket, dashing toward the sideline to heave a soft, high-floating lob that fell into the hands of Eagles defensive back Jayden Davis, who returned it 14 yards to the Vikings 32.
On the first play of the Eagles’ ensuing possession, they executed a trick play in which the center hiked the ball to Horn as the entire offensive line stayed frozen. Vikings defenders took the bait and didn’t move as Eagles running back Spenser Anderson bolted down the sideline on a wheel route, where Horn found him wide-open for a 23-yard reception that put them on the Vikings’ 9. Horn found Sean Norris in the end zone on the next play with 0:47 left in the half to make it 14-7.
Horn was 28-of-36 passing for 241 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, with Hunter catching eight of those passes for 94 yards and a 15-yard touchdown.
The second half was more from Hunter, who scored on touchdown receptions of 33 and 45 yards on the Eagles’ first two possessions of the third quarter, the second making it 28-7 with 4:39 left.
The Vikings would answer on the next drive when, on third-and-3 from the Eagles 42, Brown scored his second rushing touchdown of the game with 3:46 left in the third. But they wouldn’t score again as their final possessions ended in two punts and an interception.
After Eagles kicker Isaac Bonacci drilled a 26-yard field goal that brought the score to its final margin with just over two minutes left in the game, Lowndes fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the Eagles recovered and then kneeled the ball three times to end the game.
For the No. 4 Vikings (10-2), it was a third consecutive trip to the semifinals after reaching the title game last year, where they lost to Marietta. They were in their first season under Jamey DuBose, who replaced long-time coach Randy McPherson.
The Vikings were led by Brown, who rushed 15 times for 55 yards and both of the team’s touchdowns. Jaheim James had two catches for 57 yards.
For the Eagles, Horn finished 37 of 53 passing for 372 yards and four touchdowns to two interceptions. Hunter filled in at quarterback when Horn got hurt and was 0-for-2 with an interception and rushed for 12 yards on four carries. Clint Gilbert had a team-high 17 receptions for 90 yards.
Lowndes 0 7 7 0 — 14
Collins Hill 7 7 14 3 — 31
C — Travis Hunter 15 pass from Sam Horn (Isaac Bonacci kick)
L — Jacurri Brown 1 run (Preston Hart kick)
C — Sean Norris 5 pass from Horn (Bonacci kick)
C — Hunter 33 pass from Horn (Bonacci kick)
C — Hunter 45 pass from Horn (Bonacci kick)
L — Brown 42 run (Hart kick)
C — Bonacci 26 FG
