The 2022 GHSA football season kicked off Wednesday at Johns Creek’s The Colosseum, with the Kell Longhorns using an air attack to dominate the Cherokee Bluff defense, and that turned out to be the difference in a 38-23 win in coach Bobby May’s debut for the Longhorns.
Kell and Cherokee Bluff opened the 31st annual Corky Kell Classic, an 11-game event spanning four days and four venues and ending Saturday with a four-game slate at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Longhorns junior quarterback Bryce Clavon went 14-for-24 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions to lead the attack. He completed a 62-yard pass to Marquavious Saboor, and a 60-yard touchdown to Jaden George on separate scoring drives. Peyton Zachary led the team with 109 yards and a touchdown on seven catches.
“We like to attack and stretch the field vertically so that’s part of our deal,” May said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do but we’re happy to get the win.”
The Longhorns committed 14 penalties for 107 yards but committed no turnovers. They forced four Cherokee Bluff fumbles and recovered two, one of which was a 54-yard scoop-and-score by Sawain Simmons, which put Kell ahead for good at 7-0 with 7:54 left in the first quarter.
On their next two possessions, the Bears lost another fumble, then turned the ball over on downs. The Longhorns responded with touchdowns on each ensuing drive — the first an 8-yard touchdown pass from Clavon to TJ Murray, and the second a 26-yard touchdown pass from Clavon to Zachary — which gave the Longhorns a 20-3 lead with 2:10 left in the half.
May comes from Westlake, where he went 21-5 the last two seasons, reaching the 6A quarterfinals last year and the semis in 2020. He replaces Brett Sloan, who went 35-21 in five seasons, including 2-3 in the playoffs, where his teams never advanced past the second round.
The Longhorns will compete in 5A after spending the past two years in 6A, while the Bears move up to 4A after competing in 3A since its 2018 founding.
The Bears set a program record for wins in 2021 by going 11-1, besting their 10-2 record from the year before. Both runs ended in the second round. Before 2020, the Bears were 3-17 their first two seasons. Tommy Jones has been the program’s only coach.
The Bears were led by Jhace Justice, who had four catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.
Next week, Kell hosts 6A’s Allatoona, and Cherokee Bluff goes to 3A’s Adairsville, with both games Aug. 26.
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