The nation's No. 7 team may be down the nation's No. 1 player but it hasn't slowed
Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.). The 9-0 Eagles have relied on a lights-out defense but face their toughest challenge to date Friday when they visit unbeaten
Mill Creek (Hoschton, Ga.), the state's No. 5 squad.
Many believed state title hopes were done when two-way star
Travis Hunter, rated No. 1 by 247Sports for the Class of 2022, suffered a lower leg injury in a 63-0 win over Peachtree Ridge on Oct. 1. The Florida State-bound receiver and cornerback suffered a high ankle strain, significant enough to keep him out five or six weeks.
Hunter should be well enough to return early in the state playoffs, which begin Nov. 12. Mill Creek (8-0) will prove a precursor to the postseason as the Hawks feature a balanced offensive attack (1,347 yards passing, 1,209 rushing) and a stingy defense (10.1 points per game).
How to watch
When: Friday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Mill Creek HS
Online streaming: NFHS Network
Donovan Journey leads the way offensively with 665 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns to go with a team-best 22 catches and 217 yards. The 6-foot, 175-pound senior has rushed for three touchdowns twice this season, including a season-best 167 yards on 12 carries in a 56-0 win over Mountain View.
Mill Creek junior quarterback
Hayden Clark has thrown for 1,270 yards and 10 touchdowns, but the Hawks rely on a by-committee approach, on both sides of the ball.
The Hawks are just outside the MaxPreps Top 25 nationally, and the incentive to jump into the rankings includes having a score to settle with Collins Hill, which snapped a six-game series losing streak to Mill Creek with a 28-17 victory in 2020. The series between the two squads have been tight since 2006, with Mill Creek holding an 8-7 edge.
The Eagles had Hunter in the 2020 contest and the ultra-talented standout had another outstanding performance with 15 catches for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
Though Hunter won't play Friday, quarterback
Sam Horn will. The 6-4, 190-pound Missouri commit was 27-of-35 passing for 342 yards in that game and finished the season with 3,910 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. In 2021, even without Hunter the last two games, he's 182-of-260 for 2,144 yards and 21 touchdowns. He's considered even a better baseball player.
Sam Horn, Collins Hill
Photo by Cecil Copeland
Hunter, who led the nation last year with 137 catches for 1,746 yards and 24 touchdowns, still leads the team in catches in 2021 with 46 for 691 yards and five scores. Horn now relies on Marshall-bound wide receiver
Cam Pedro (40, 536, 5) and
Ethan Davis (34, 419, 3), the No. 2-rated junior tight end in the state. The Eagles rush for about 120 yards a game, led by 5-9, 190-pound running back
Spenser Anderson (406 yards, six TDs).
Where the Eagles truly fly around is on defense. In the last six games, they've allowed 39 points (4.3 per game) with five shutouts. They're led by the linebacker duo of
Dion Crawford (6-2, 215) and
Rich Dorsey (5-10, 205), who've combined on 121 tackles. The team leaders are linebacker
Roberto Bryant with 77 tackles followed by defensive end
Asani Redwood (6-3, 227) with 69.
This quartet is part of a defense that causes havoc with pressure to opposing quarterbacks. The Eagles have recorded 46 sacks, led by Redwood (14) and Crawford (11).
