DRIVE FOR THE GHSA STATE TITLE: Lions and Titans collide on Friday when Hebron Christian travels to Blessed Trinity

After both teams fell short in their last appearances on the field, one program will get back on track Friday night when the Class A-3A Private No. 2 Hebron Christian Lions travel to Roswell to face off against the Class 4A No. 4 Blessed Trinity Titans in a battle of one-loss high-powered football programs.

Friday’s matchup will be broadcast live on Atlanta News First (Channel 46) and the Peachtree Sports Network (cable and YouTube TV), and streamed live on the Atlanta News First app. From your home, download the free ANF+ app anywhere you stream — FireTV, AppleTV, Roku and YouTubeTV — simply by searching for “Atlanta News First” on those platforms. If you are on the go, you can download Atlanta News First for free in the app store on your Apple or Android device. You can also watch live here on the WANF – Special Events channel.

These two programs are meeting for the second time in both of their histories as Blessed Trinity took down Hebron Christian last season 24-10 in the early season test for both teams.

Coming off of the schools first-ever state championship a year ago in Class A-3A Private under Jonathan Gess before he accepted a job in South Carolina, longtime Georgia high school football coach Kenny Dallas stepped in to keep the program the perennial power it is used to being.

Dallas and the Lions have compiled a 2-1 record this season with wins over North Atlanta in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic and over Fellowship Christian before dropping their last game to McCallie (TN) their last time out.

The high-powered Lions offense is led by running back Devon Caldwell and wide receiver Jarvis Mathurin as the two have been an explosive pair for the new head coach and have proved to be reliable options yet again. The versatile pair of Caldwell and Mathurin have provided a great spark for the Lions offense as Caldwell has posted 670 total all-purpose yards (463 rushing, 102 receiving, 105 KR) while Mathurin has totaled 312 yards (113 rushing yards, 111 receiving, and 88 KR). Both have proved to be consistent options for quarterback Michael Kyles Jr. who is in his first season as the starter for the Lions.

Senior defensive back Max Steve has become a leader for the Lions defense as he is averaging seven tackles per game and has totaled 21 on the season including an interception after missing the first game of the year against North Atlanta in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic.

Junior linebacker Albert Wilham leads the team in total tackles with 27 on the season including a tackle for loss.

On the opposing sideline, longtime Georgia high school football head coach Ed Dudley enters his third season with the Titans as they started 3-0 for the fourth-straight season before losing to Milton last week in their first loss of the season. Dudley and the Titans made it all the way to the semifinals last season and are seeking their first state championship appearance since 2019 under Tim McFarlin when they won three state titles in a row.

Senior running back Ahmontae Pitts has been a consistent option at running back for the Titans and has recorded 410 rushing yards on 49 rushes and five rushing touchdowns on the season. Pitts has also recorded a touchdown through the air for Blessed Trinity, showcasing his versatility for the Titans.

Wide receiver Quinn Davis leads the Titans in receiving with 199 yards through the air on 10 receptions, serving as the clear top-option in the passing game for Blessed Trinity.

The Titans defense is led by the Jacobs brothers as DJ and Dawson lead one of the best defensive lines in the entire state.

DJ, a budding 5-star in the Class of 2027 is ranked as one of the top players in the country in his recruiting class. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, the older of the Jacobs brothers has already made a name for himself, even with two seasons of high school football yet to be played. Jacobs has received offers with plenty of the top college football programs in the country. He is ranked in the top-three players in the country in the Class of 2027 according to 247Sports.com already totaling a team-high 33 total tackles and eight tackles for loss through four games.

His brother, Dawson, has totaled 29 tackles on the season as the two lead the team in the category. While his brother is a top player in the country in his recruiting class, Dawson is not someone for opposing offenses to overlook as he is ranked as a top-100 player in the Class of 2028 and a 4-star according to 247Sports.com and has continued to receive offers while playing for the Titans.

This Friday, the action will start ahead of the Score Atlanta broadcast of the Hebron Christian vs. Blessed Trinity matchup at 8 p.m. with the Georgia High School Countdown to Kickoff, beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Atlanta News First (Channel 46) and the Peachtree Sports Network (cable and YouTube TV). The pregame show, which will feature on-air talent Rusty Mansell, Brandon Adams and Kaylee Mansell will preview the upcoming matchup with each person picking their winning team, along with interviews from each participating head coach. After the clock hits zero, stay tuned after the game for the Georgia High School Postgame Show, which will be broadcast live from the Score Atlanta Studio, with Score Atlanta’s Craig Sager II, Max Wolborsky, Hayden Gilbert and Landon Knight featured on the program. The postgame show will run from game’s end till midnight every Friday night, with a full breakdown of each game, call-in guests chiming in to voice their opinions, and updates from other top-tier games around the state. The postgame show, like the pregame show, will be broadcast live on Atlanta News First and the Peachtree Sports Network.