Mill Creek 44, Walton 41

“All season it’s going to be that,” said Wood of the Hawks’ aggressiveness in the passing game.

Hawks senior quarterback Hayden Clark executed the attack, going 20-for-40 passing for 279 yards and a touchdown to no interceptions.

The Hawks kept the lead for most of the game, though the Raiders stayed close behind. Loyd was a big reason why. The 5-foot-7 junior showed flashes of Tyreek Hill out of the slot, burning his way down field past would-be defenders for open receptions and yards after the catch.

Walton took it’s first lead of the game at 13-10 with 3:12 left in the first quarter when Raiders junior quarterback Jeremy Hecklinski hit Loyd downfield on an 80-yard touchdown strike across the middle, which came on the drive’s first play. With 1:21 left in the half, Loyd caught a 53-yard deep ball down the sideline for another score to pull the Raiders to within 24-20, a lead the Hawks would take to halftime.

“We had to change coverages just for him,” Hawks fourth-year coach Josh Lovelady said of Loyd. “I think he’s going to make a big splash this year.”

Hecklinski, who holds offers from Eastern Kentucky, Georgia Southern and UCF, went 20-of-33 for 425 yards and four touchdowns to one interception.

Hawks defensive back and AJC Super 11 selection Caleb Downs picked off Hecklinski with about eight minutes left in the half and returned it 35 yards to the Walton 3. Three plays later, with the Hawks facing fourth-and-goal from the 1, he punched it in to give Mill Creek a 24-13 lead with 6:45 remaining.

The third quarter was the game’s highest-scoring, with the Raiders edging Mill Creek 14-10 to send the game into the fourth quarter tied at 34. Perhaps the biggest highlight came in the kicking game, where Mill Creek’s Jacob Ulrich nailed a 56-yard field goal to give the Hawks a 27-20 lead early in the third quarter. The ball sailed over the middle of the crossbar with a few feet to spare.

“That’s his range,” Lovelady said. “He can hit between 55 and 58 (yards in practice.)”

Ulrich’s 24-yarder opened the scoring in the fourth and gave the Hawks a 37-34 lead.

With 6:11 remaining, the Raiders took their second lead of the game when Makari Bodiford’s 1-yard run put them ahead 41-37.

The Hawks’ game-winning drive began at the 50-yard line with 1:23 left, following Downs’ 6-yard punt return. The Raiders were called for pass interference on the drive’s first play, but the drive stalled on the 35 as the Hawks faced fourth-and-4. Hawks quarterback Hayden Clark connected with 4-star Clemson commit Jamal Anderson for an eight-yard game to extend the drive. The next play, Clark hit Wood for the game-winner.

“It was a little pick play that we had and I wasn’t even supposed to get the ball, but I came open and made a big-time play,” Wood said.

The Raiders’ final possession began on their own 20 with 19 seconds left. Hecklinski completed passes of 10 and 14 yards and, coupled with a 15-yard Mill Creek penalty for sideline interference, the Raiders had one final play from the Mill Creek 32, with two seconds left. Hecklinski was sacked by Justin Content and Luke Mentz, and he fumbled on the way down. His teammate, Austin Williams, recovered and returned it 18 yards before being stopped at the 22.

Cam Robinson led Mill Creek with 80 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.

Walton’s Bodiford, who holds offers from Cincinnati, FAU and UMass, led all rushers with 140 yards and two scores on 21 carries. His teammate, 4-star linebacker Wendell Gregory, had a sack for a nine-yard loss.

The Hawks went 11-2 last year and reached the 7A quarterfinals for the second time in three years. They’ll travel to Norcross next week. The Raiders are coming off their best finish since 2011, going 9-4 to reach the 7A semifinals. They’ll travel to Brookwood, ranked No. 7 in 7A, next week.

In the game before Mill Creek and Walton, Brookwood beat Norcross 28-24.

For full stats, go here.