Update: Trinity Christian blasts Prince Avenue to win state championship
8 pm – UPDATE … STATE CHAMPIONS – The Trinity Christian Lions left no doubt in Thursday’s state championship game against Prince Avenue Christian. The Lions raced to a 35-0 lead in the first half enroute to a 55-28 victory to capture the GHSA 1-A Private Football State Championship at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta. Trinity Christian and head coach Kenny Dallas finished the 2021 season a perfect 14-0 and earned the school’s first state title in football.
From Staff Reports
It’s for all the marbles tonight at Center Park Stadium. The Trinity Christian Lions square off with the Prince Avenue Christian Wolverines for the GHSA 1-A Private State Championship in high school football.
This will be the second consecutive year these two squads have met in the state title game. A year ago, it was Prince Avenue Christian, behind 5-Star quarterback Brock Vandagriff, that came out a winner, 41-21. The game was closer than the final score indicated as Trinity Christian trailed just 27-21 early in the final quarter.
The Lions, 13-0, advanced to tonight’s championship on the strength of quarterback David Dallas’ touchdown pass to Aaron Gates in the second overtime last Friday to defeat perennial power Eagle’s Landing Christian, 48-45. Dallas had also thrown a 40-yard TD to Bryce Wilcox in the final seconds of regulation to tie the game at 35-35 and send it into overtime.
Trinity Christian received a first-round bye to begin the GHSA state playoff run, then defeated Athens Christian (48-14), Darlington School (56-7) and ELCA (48-45) to get to tonight’s game. Prince Avenue, 13-1, won on a forfeit over King’s Ridge in round one, then downed Brookstone, 52-0, First Presbyterian, 41-22, and Fellowship Christian, 38-28, to arrive in the final.
The game is set for 5 p.m. at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium (formerly Turner Field). Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at https://gofan.co/app/school/GHSA. According to the GHSA website, tickets will not be sold at the stadium on the day of the game.
Both Trinity Christian and Prince Avenue have had four common opponents this year – Athens Academy (TC won 59-7, PA won 49-13), Athens Christian (TC won 48-14, PA won 44-15), Brookstone (TC won 55-14, PA won 52-0) and Fellowship Christian (TC won 56-20, PA won 38-28).
Earlier this week, the ajc.com released its All-Region Team for Region 4-A Private and as most expected, it was dominated by Trinity Christian. Listed below are the honorees from both Trinity Christian and Heritage School.
AJC.COM ALL-REGION 4-A PRIVATE TEAM
AWARDS
Most Valuable Player – David Dallas, QB, Trinity Christian, Sr.
Co-Offensive Player of the Year – Dominick Cosper, RB, Trinity Christian, Sr.
Co-Offensive Player of the Year – Josh Dallas, WR, Trinity Christian, Sr.
Defensive Player of the Year – Christian Hanson, LB, Trinity Christian, Sr.
Co-Dual Athlete of the Year – Aaron Gates, WR/DB, Trinity Christian, Jr.
Coach of the Year – Kenny Dallas, Trinity Christian
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB – Hugh Barbee, Heritage School, Sr.
RB – James Thorpe, Heritage School, Sr.
WR – Bryce Wilcox, Trinity Christian, Sr.
WR – Malachi Townsend, Heritage School, Sr.
OL – Wyatt Anderson, Heritage School, Sr.
OL – Carson Beach, Trinity Christian, Sr.
OL – Max Gosdin, Trinity Christian, Sr.
OL – Nathan Jones, Trinity Christian, Sr.
PK – Noah Maupin, Trinity Christian, Sr.
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL – Cam Matthews, Trinity Christian, Soph.
DL – Josiah Johnson, Trinity Christian, Sr.
DL – Ethan McDowell, Trinity Christian, Jr.
LB – Ryan Earl, Trinity Christian, Jr.
LB – Shawn Braxton, Trinity Christian, Jr.
LB – Jimbo Batchelor, Trinity Christian, Sr.
DB – Tyson Wall, Trinity Christian, Sr.
P – Josh Taylor, Trinity Christian, Jr.
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
RB – Jamal Chandler-Fuller, Heritage School, Jr.
WR – Javan Harrison, Trinity Christian, Sr.
OL – Hunter Mashburn, Trinity Christian, Sr.
OL – Wyatt Wood, Trinity Christian, Sr.
PK – Mack Mikko, Heritage School, Jr.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL – Zion Marseille, Trinity Christian, Sr.
DL – Jacob Miles, Heritage School, Jr.
LB – Cody Anderson, Heritage School, Soph.
DB – Thomas Scoggins, Heritage School, Soph.
HONORABLE MENTION
Sam Taylor, Trinity Christian, Jr.
Szhani Lewis, Trinity Christian, Jr.
Ben Oliver, Trinity Christian, Jr.
Sam Wall, Heritage School, Sr.
