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Hebron Christian Academy

Devon Caldwell Touchdown vs Prince

Football Wade Cheek

Caldwell Scores Six Touchdowns in 63-20 Route of Prince Avenue; Lions Advance to State Semifinal

Senior running back Devon Cadlwell scores one of his six touchdowns in Hebron's 63-20 quarterfinal win over Prince Avenue. Wade Cheek/Hebron Athletics.
DACULA, Ga. - Hebron football advanced to the semifinal round of the GHSA Class 3A-A state tournament, after a 63-20 victory over Prince Avenue Christian last Friday, Nov. 28, in an offensive onslaught. 

Overall, the No. 2-seeded Lions totaled 594 yards of offense against the No. 7 Wolverines, with senior running back Devon Caldwell leading the charge, rushing for 351 yards and six touchdowns on the back of a strong offensive line. 

"It goes back to an unbelievable job on the offensive line, unbelievable job by a guy like Jarvis (Mathurin), who on one of the opening plays takes a hitch (for 72 yards), so you gotta put two dudes on him, and obviously Devon is super special, his acceleration, once he has a little crease, he's gone, so, great job all the way across," head coach Kenny Dallas said. "The pass game is complementary to the run game, because you want to spread a defense out, to where they have to defend everything on the field. We've got a special offensive line, a special tailback, a special receiver and a special offensive coordinator (Michael Davis) calling the plays" 

Caldwell, a Mercer commit, found holes within the Prince Avenue defense all night, contributing the majority of Hebron's 455 yards on the ground. Fellow back JJ Stowers rushed for 21 yards with a touchdown. 

The air attack, led by quarterbacks Jordan Greene and Gray Costello, along with senior wide receiver Mathurin, certainly made opportunities for the run game. Mathurin, a Georgia Southern commit, caught three passes, including one for a 72-yard touchdown, totaling 118 yards and two scores. Freshman receiver Austen Kitchings added two receptions for 23 yards. 

Together, Greene and Costello had 116 passing yards and two touchdowns. Junior gunslinger Michael Kyles Jr. added 23 passing yards on two completions. 

The first quarter was tight, and Hebron went into the second frame with just an 8-7 lead. However, the Lions scored the next two touchdowns, taking a 22-7 lead. Prince Avenue added a touchdown with 2:15 left until halftime, but Caldwell scored his third touchdown of the quarter just over a minute later. 

Hebron went into the locker room with a 35-14 lead. 

The Wolverines saw more success this time around, compared to their initial loss to Hebron on Halloween, when they scored just six points. However, the Lions' defense put together another impressive showing, allowing just 267 yards, with Prince starting quarterback Ben Musser at the helm. 

Musser, who is already a touted prospect for the collegiate ranks, felt pressure from the Lions all night, taking a handful of sacks, while throwing an interception. 

Hebron also forced two fumbles, which were both recovered. 

"(Musser) is a heck of a player ... I thought he ran the ball with great courage tonight, and he made some plays," Dallas said. "(Prince) has some weapons over there, so to hold them to 20, at the end of the day, good teams are going to make some plays as well. You always want a shutout, but that's not what's going to happen."

Senior defensive back Max Steve and fellow senior linebacker Stroud Morris led the Lions in tackles, the former collecting 13 and the latter nabbing 10. Steve also forced a fumble, while Morris had a 0.5 sack and a tackle for a loss (TFL). 

Marley Woods (seven tackles, two sacks, two TFLs), Beau Bennett (eight tackles, one TFL, one fumble recovery), Jack Mostiler (three tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery), Jai'lil Goley (three tackles, two pass breakups, one interception) and Zech Dallas (eight tackles) were also defensive contributors. 

With another 40-plus point win in the books, the Lions will now set their sights on Greater Atlanta Christian for a semifinal matchup. The No. 6 Spartans sport a 10-2 record, and are coming off a 49-14 win over Athens Academy. 

Kickoff between the two Gwinnett County foes is set for 7:30 p.m. at Burlingame Field. 

"(GAC) is a really new one for me, so I'm really looking forward to it," Dallas said. "I think the world of coach (Tim) Hardy, been there for a long time and they've had a lot of great programs. This is going to be a great ballgame next Friday night."

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Players Mentioned

Beau Bennett

#32 Beau Bennett

Sophomore
Stroud Morris

#12 Stroud Morris

Junior
Jack Mostiler

#44 Jack Mostiler

Junior
Devon Caldwell

#17 Devon Caldwell

Junior
Jordan Greene

#19 Jordan Greene

Sophomore
Max Steve

#6 Max Steve

Junior
JJ Stowers

#31 JJ Stowers

Freshman
Marley  Woods

#0 Marley Woods

DL/TE
Junior
Jai

#2 Jai'lil Goley

WR/DB
Sophomore
Michael  Kyles Jr.

#15 Michael Kyles Jr.

QB
Junior
Austen  Kitchings

#16 Austen Kitchings

WR/DB
Freshman
Zech  Dallas

#43 Zech Dallas

DL/FB
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Beau Bennett

#32 Beau Bennett

Sophomore
Stroud Morris

#12 Stroud Morris

Junior
Jack Mostiler

#44 Jack Mostiler

Junior
Devon Caldwell

#17 Devon Caldwell

Junior
Jordan Greene

#19 Jordan Greene

Sophomore
Max Steve

#6 Max Steve

Junior
JJ Stowers

#31 JJ Stowers

Freshman
Marley  Woods

#0 Marley Woods

Junior
DL/TE
Jai

#2 Jai'lil Goley

Sophomore
WR/DB
Michael  Kyles Jr.

#15 Michael Kyles Jr.

Junior
QB
Austen  Kitchings

#16 Austen Kitchings

Freshman
WR/DB
Zech  Dallas

#43 Zech Dallas

Sophomore
DL/FB