For the second-straight season, Hebron football clinched its spot in the GHSA A-3A Private state championship with a 50-24 win over Greater Atlanta Christian last Friday, Dec. 5.

With the convincing win over the Spartans, the Lions will take on Calvary Day School for the title, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 1:00 p.m.

Hebron now sports an 11-1 record, while the Cavaliers are 12-1, after a semifinal win over Fellowship Christian (24-7). 

Against GAC, the Lions got started early, scoring on their opening drive, after a punt from the Spartans. That score was a 31-yard touchdown run by none other than senior running back Devon Caldwell, who started Hebron's climb to a 28-10 lead at halftime. 

For game, Caldwell rushed for 265 yards on just 15 carries with five touchdowns to his name. 

"With Devon, I think of excellence and I think of a leader," head coach Kenny Dallas said. "He doesn't say a whole lot, but he would be the first one to tell you, he's got an incredible offensive line. It's a team deal that he's rushed for the number of yards he has, but he's special." 

With one game left to play, Caldwell has rushed for 2,287 yards on 242 carries, scored 36 touchdowns, while catching 12 passes for 186 yards and one score. 

With the three-score lead in tact at halftime, Hebron still had room to score, which they did just two minutes into the third quarter, as Caldwell scored on a 37-yard run. 

This put the Lions ahead 36-10, after a successful two-point conversion by senior offensive lineman Fletcher Turk. 

Joining Caldwell and Turk in the scoring onslaught was senior wide receiver Jarvis Mathurin, who totaled 110 receiving yards on five catches, along with 112 return yards, including a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. 

"It's just a bad idea," Dallas said of kicking the ball off to Mathurin. "(I'm) super proud of the kids that we have and our coaches. Gotta stay humble ... hungry ... and healthy, and you also need to have some good players, because great players make for good coaches." 

Mathurin also had a 93-yard touchdown connection with senior quarterback Gray Costello. 

GAC responded less than two minutes after Caldwell's early third-quarter score, making it a 36-17 deficit, but Mathurin nearly took the ensuing kickoff the length of the field. That score, combined with the connection with Costello, gave Hebron a 50-17 lead. 

The Spartans scored a late touchdown to make the final a more respectable 26-point difference, but the Lions polished off yet another 50-point performance in cruising fashion, pressing on to the title game. 

"Every team dreams of this, so to actually make it hear, there's so much that had to happen," Dallas said. "But from Day 1, we've talked about the three H's (humble, hungry, and healthy). Not all of that is in your control. You don't get to this final game by mistake. You've got to have great players and we have great players and great young men."

The Lions will return "back to the Benz" for a chance to repeat as state champions. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. in Atlanta. 

Mercedes-Benz Stadium enforces a strict clear bag policy. Bags must be transparent and no larger than 12" x 6" x 12". Small clutches (no larger than 4.5" x 6.5") are permitted. No other bags will be allowed. For full details, please visit the stadium's A-Z Guide and Policies page and click on Bag Policy. 

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