The Hebron Christian Lions will challenge the Hart County Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Hebron Christian's favor as the team sits on four straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Hart County has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road also dating back to last season.
Hebron Christian is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed past East Jackson to the tune of 55-10 on Friday. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Lions' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia football rankings (they are ranked 20th, while the Eagles are ranked 134th).
Hebron Christian's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Devon Caldwell led the charge by rushing for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only nine carries, while also picking up 35 receiving yards. Another receiver making a difference was Jarvis Mathurin, who picked up 85 receiving yards and two scores.
Hebron Christian didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Jai'Lil Goley and Dylan Hudson. Another thorn in East Jackson's side was Beau Bennett, who picked up two sacks and made nine total tackles.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 19 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Mathurin, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, after only 13 points in their last matchup, Hart County made sure to put some points up on the board against Prince Avenue Christian on Friday. The Bulldogs narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Wolverines 31-28. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Bulldogs have posted since August 23, 2024.
Hebron Christian better focus on containing Faustino Rangel and Zaylen Shealer as the pair were huge in Hart County's win. Rangel rushed for 128 yards and a pair of TDs, while Shealer picked up 79 receiving yards and one touchdown. What's more, Rangel posted two rushing touchdowns, the most he's had since back in November of 2024.
Hart County was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 247 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in three consecutive games.
Hart County's win bumped their record up to 2-4. As for Hebron Christian, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.
Everything came up roses for Hebron Christian against Hart County in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, as the team secured a 45-0 win. Do the Lions have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
