Class 6A: Hughes 35, Gainesville 28
Top-ranked Hughes scored two touchdowns in a 14-second span late in the second quarter to create some separation from Gainesville and then held on for a 35-28 victory in the Class 6A championship game Saturday night at Georgia State’s Center Parc Stadium.
Hughes, the state runner-up in 2021, captured the first championship in the history of the school, which opened in Fairburn in 2009. Hughes head coach Daniel Williams, who took over the program in 2019, went 2-8 in his first season but has a record of 39-4 since then.
Gainesville, ranked No. 4, tied a school record for victories with its 14-1 season in its first year under head coach Josh Niblett. The Red Elephants were seeking their first state championship since 2012.
Hughes (15-0) was ranked No. 1 from start to finish, but this was the toughest challenge. The Panthers had scored at least 41 points in their previous 14 games, and no game had been closer than a 47-21 victory over Class 7A McEachern on Aug. 26.
Hughes had its lead cut to 9-6 on a 28-yard field goal by Gainesville’s Eric Guerra with 59 seconds remaining in the first half, but the Panthers answered with a three-play, 79-yard drive and scored on a 15-yard pass from Prentiss “Air” Noland to Jekail Middlebrook that increased the lead to 15-6 with 25 seconds left. Gainesville fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Hughes scored on the next play on an 18-yard pass from Noland to Jaden Barnes for a 23-6 lead with 11 seconds remaining before halftime.
Gainesville got as close as they would get when Baxter Wright threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Travien Watson with 3:59 to play in the game, but the Red Elephants never had the chance to pull even as Hughes ran the remaining time off the clock.
Hughes broke the GHSA record for points in a season when Joshua Solano kicked a 28-yard field goal with 3:35 to play in the first quarter. The Panthers finished the season with 792 points, surpassing the mark set by Rome with 758 in 2017.
Middlebrook, the Panthers’ leading rusher with 1,347 yards coming into the game, was held to 34 yards on 10 carries but scored two touchdowns, including a 72-yard kickoff return late in the third quarter after Gainesville had cut the lead to 29-21.
Noland was 18-of-21 passing for 263 yards and three touchdowns. Barnes caught eight passes for 152 yards and a touchdown.
Gainesville’s Wright completed 22 of 34 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 53 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Watson caught 10 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Naim Cheeks, who came in with 1,775 yards rushing, had 54 yards on 17 carries.
Game Statistics
Hughes - 3-20-12-0 - 35
Gainesville - 0-6-15-7 - 28
First quarter
H – Joshua Solano 28 field goal, 3:35
Second quarter
G - Eric Guerra 20 field goal, 11:05
H - Jelani Thurman 20 pass from Prentiss Noland (kick blocked), 7:49
G - Guerra 28 field goal, 0:59
H - Jekail Middlebrook 15 pass from Noland (kick blocked), 0:25
H -– Jaden Barnes 18 pass from Noland (Thurman pass from Noland), 0:11
Third quarter
G - Baxter Wright 2 run (Guerra kick), 7:54
H - Noland 1 run (pass failed), 4:01
G - Travien Watson 7 pass from Wright (Wright run), 0:24
H - Middlebrook 72 kickoff return (pass failed), 0:10
Fourth quarter
G - Watson 10 pass from Wright (Guerra kick), 3:59
Rushing: Hughes - Justus Savage 7-41, Jekail Middlebrook 10-34, Prentiss Noland 7-(-2). Gainesville - Naim Cheeks 17-54, Baxter Wright 17-53, Tre Reece 1-5.
Passing: Hughes - Prentiss Noland 18-21-0-263. Gainesville - Baxter Wright 22-34-0-191.
Receiving: Hughes - Jaden Barnes 8-152, Jelani Thurman 3-42, Jekail Middlebrook 2-19, Justus Savage 2-18, Jediyah Willoughby 2-16, Javonni McGee 1-16. Gainesville - Travien Watson 10-102, Darius Cannon 9-48, Tre Reece 2-43, Naim Cheeks 1-(-2).