Class 2A State Championship Preview
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Gray Collegiate (13-1) vs Silver Bluff (11-0) When Silver Bluff and Gray Collegiate meet for the Class 2A state championship on Friday night at Benedict’s Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, one team will look to be adding to history and the…
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Continue ReadingGray Collegiate (13-1) vs Silver Bluff (11-0)
When Silver Bluff and Gray Collegiate meet for the Class 2A state championship on Friday night at Benedict’s Charlie W. Johnson Stadium, one team will look to be adding to history and the other will be looking to make history for the first time.
Silver Bluff is looking to claim its sixth football title in school history while Gray Collegiate is looking to put a football trophy in the trophy case for the first time. It might just come down to a battle of wills.
Silver Bluff is allowing 8.2 points per game while averaging 47 per game on offense. Six of their wins have been by shutout.
Gray Collegiate is averaging 44.5 points per game and allowing 12.4.
The game will feature two of the top running backs in the state. Sophomore Traevon Dunbar Traevon Dunbar 5'10" | 205 lbs | RB Midland Valley | 2024 State SC has rushed for 1,833 yards and 28 touchdowns. His counterpart for Gray Collegiate, Kazarius Adams Kazarius Adams 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB Gray Collegiate Academy | 2022 State SC , has set records in his final season. He holds a single season rushing yardage state-record with 3,035 yards and 37 touchdowns. He will finish his career as the second all-time leading rushing in state history.
But both guys have plenty of help.
Junior QB Maleik Williams Maleik Williams 5'8" | 165 lbs | ATH Silver Bluff | 2023 State SC has 1,745 yards passing to go along with 653 rushing yards and has accounted for 27 total touchdowns for Silver Bluff. Tre Robinson is the main guy for Gray Collegiate, but Riley Staton Riley Staton 6'3" | 185 lbs | QB Gaffney | 2024 State SC has had to fill in, including some in the playoffs for the War Eagles. Robinson has 811 yards passing with nine touchdowns and 444 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Staton leads the team with 901 yards passing to go along with nine touchdown passes.
The top two pass-catchers for Silver Bluff are Nick Brown and Arthur Walker. Devin Johnson leads the way for Gray Collegiate with 42 catches for 607 yards and nine touchdowns. Austin Harris is next with 23 receptions for 418 yards and five touchdowns. Savion Smith has proven to be the big-play receiver by averaging 24.4 yards per catch on his 18 catches for 440 yards and four touchdowns.
Gray Collegiate has Alec Johnson Alec Johnson 6'2" | 285 lbs | OL Gray Collegiate | 2022 State SC at center and he’s a Georgia State commitment. Silver Bluff has Antwan Gaines leading the way up front.
Defensively, DE Jaden McLeod Jaden McLeod 6'0" | 210 lbs | DL Silver Bluff | 2022 State SC has 41 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and four forced fumbles for Silver Bluff. LB Vernon Lawrence and DE Davon Simpkins also create havoc and have over 20 tackles for loss each.
Linebacker Zach Glenn is the standout on defense for Gray Collegiate. The senior leads the way with 157 tackles on the season. Close behind him is fellow linebacker Jordan Robinson has 127 stops and linebacker Tory Kelly Tory Kelly 6'0" | 200 lbs | LB Gray Collegiate | 2022 State SC with 123 tackles.