Hillgrove’s Caleb Walters is finally healthy again after being limited by an ankle injury over the final month of the regular season, and that was not good news for South Gwinnett.
The senior running back scored all five of his teams touchdowns on short but powerful runs to lead the Hawks (10-1) to a 35-14 victory in the first round of the Class 6A football playoffs Friday night in Powder Springs.
It was Hillgrove’s first playoff victory since beating Walton in the second round in 2018. The Hawks, seeded No. 2 from Region 3-6A, will be at home again next week to face Peachtree Ridge, the No. 4 seed from Region 7-6A that upset Region 6 champion North Atlanta 43-27 in the first round. Hillgrove also reached the 10-win mark for the fifth time in the school’s 19-year history.
Walters scored on runs of 1 and 3 yards on Hillgrove’s first two possessions, added another 3-yarder on the opening possession of the third quarter, and scored twice more in the final 5:21 of the game on runs of 1 and 6 yards to put the game out of reach.
“I felt good coming out here,” Walters said. “I just came out here and played to the best of my abilities. I’ve got to thank my O line and my teammates. Now I’m back, and we’re just ready for the next game.”
Walters finished with 129 yards on 28 carries.
“Caleb’s a workhorse,” Hillgrove coach Justin DeShon said. “We’ve got other backs that complement him, and the guys in front. He’s a hard runner, and he’s the key to our offense since our quarterback [Donovan Mack, who suffered a broken arm midway through the season] went out, and he’ll remain the key next week.”
In a game where about 75% of the plays were running plays, every possession was both time consuming and precious. Each team had just seven possessions in the game, and Hillgrove scored on five of theirs, making it tough for South Gwinnett to climb back into the game after it fell behind early in the second quarter.
South Gwinnett (7-4), the No. 3 seed from Region 4-6A, had little trouble scoring on the game’s opening possession, driving 80 yards in nine plays, four of which went for 11 yards or more. Xavier Butler capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Comets their only lead of the game.
South Gwinnett got only two more first downs in the first half, however, and Walters scored on Hillgrove’s next two drives and the first possession of the third quarter for a 21-7 lead.
Butler got South Gwinnett back within seven points on a 41-yard touchdown run with 3:45 to play in the third quarter. The Comets had a chance to get closer on their next possession but turned the ball over on downs when they were stopped short on a fourth-and-1 play near midfield early in the fourth quarter.
Walters scored on Hillgrove’s next two possessions for the final points of the night.
“Our team is just gritty,” DeShon said. “[South Gwinnett] is a good, physical football team from a good region. I’m just proud of our kids. This was a battle. We knew it would be, and our kids stepped up.”
Butler finished with 118 yards rushing and 77 yards passing, accounting for all but 48 of South Gwinnett’s total yards.
South Gwinnett - 7-0-7-0 - 14
Hillgrove - 7-7-7-14 - 35
First quarter
S - Xavier Butler 1 run (Miguel Ramos kick), 8:41
H - Caleb Walters 1 run (Carter Genchi kick), 4:00
Second quarter
H - Walters 3 run (Genchi kick), 8:16
Third quarter
H - Walters 3 run (Genchi kick), 7:45
S - Butler 41 run (Ramos kick), 3:45
Fourth quarter
H - Walters 1 run (Genchi kick), 5:21
H - Walters 6 run (Genchi kick), 2:52
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