The Clarke Central High School varsity football team will compete in the 2024-25 Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA State Football Championship playoffs against Houston County High School on Nov. 15. According to head varsity football coach David Perno, the team’s seniors built an environment that has contributed to their undefeated region record of 5-0 this season. “(The seniors are) all over the field and there’s really not one in particular that I would say is ‘the guy.’ They’re good collectively, all of them are doing their part and setting a good example,” Perno said. Illustration by Kimberly Sanabria-Amaya
The Clarke Central High School varsity football team will compete in the 2024-25 Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA State Football Championship playoffs against Houston County High School on Nov. 15.
Football Fellowship
(From left to right) Clarke Central High School varsity football players and seniors Da’Rod Hester, Laiji McCalla, Kelin Fanning, Corey Watkins, Spentavius Long, Jordan Ball and Kaleb Sewell run during the Gladiators’ game against Oconee County High School in Billy Henderson Stadium on Aug. 23. According to head varsity football coach David Perno, the team’s seniors built an environment that has contributed to their undefeated region record of 5-0 this season. “(The seniors are) all over the field and there’s really not one in particular that I would say is ‘the guy.’ They’re good collectively, all of them are doing their part and setting a good example,” Perno said. Photo by Wyatt Meyer
With state playoffs in sight, the CCHS varsity football team attributes their undefeated region record to their team’s community and leadership.
The Clarke Central High School varsity football team will compete in the 2024-25 Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA State Football Championship playoffs against Houston County High School on Nov. 15.
The team is ranked first in Region 8-AAAAA with a region record of 6-0 and an overall record of 8-2. This is a stark contrast to the Gladiators’ 2023-24 team, which placed fifth in the region with a region record of 2-4, the worst in CCHS head varsity football coach David Perno’s time at CCHS after starting in the 2016-2017 season. Last season’s team missed the fourth-place cutoff for state playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
“We didn’t have a good year last year, (which has) been number one since February, and these kids, they’re a close team. They get along, they play well together and they’re pretty well-focused,” Perno said.
“I finally feel like with the quarterback we got and our running back, and our mentality and our culture (being) so much better than (past) teams, that we would have a real chance (in playoffs)”
— David Perno,
CCHS head varsity football coach
According to Perno, the CCHS roster includes 34 seniors this season. Their leadership has contributed to the increase in wins for the team as the seniors encourage a cooperative environment.
“My leadership is better at the top (with) our seniors. Our seniors last year just didn’t really know how to lead and they just didn’t do a good job at handling (leading) varsity,” Perno said.
CCHS varsity football linebacker and senior Kelin Fanning has been a member of the varsity team since he was a sophomore. This season, Fanning has been mindful of the legacy he will leave to the rest of the team once he graduates.
“One thing I wish I would have did, I wish I didn’t take those years coming up for granted. So I be trying to tell (the underclassmen), ‘Don’t goof off, don’t play around, because high school gonna fly by fast,’” Fanning said.
To Perno, senior weapons like CCHS varsity football quarterback Hezekiah Millender and running back Corey Watkins have impacted the team for the better as they look to their first state playoff game.
“I finally feel like with the quarterback we got and our running back, and our mentality and our culture (being) so much better than (past) teams, that we would have a real chance (in playoffs),” Perno said.
Varsity football Class AAAAA rankings
Clarke Central High School varsity football wide receiver La’gracion Little, a sophomore, catches a touchdown pass in the Gladiators’ 54-20 Region AAAAA win against Loganville High School on Oct. 11 in Billy Henderson Stadium. CCHS will play Houston County High School in the first round of the 2024-25 GHSA AAAAA State Football Championship playoffs on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Billy Henderson Stadium. “Houston County is, without question, as good a four seed as we’re ever going to play in this type of situation. That part is concerning, because you don’t want to have this type of season and then get in there in the playoffs (where) anything can happen,” CCHS head varsity football coach David Perno said. Photo by Wyatt Meyer
The CCHS varsity football team will play against Houston County High School in the first round of the 2024-25 GHSA AAAAA State Football Championship playoffs.
Ranked 19th in the Georgia High School Association Class AAAAA, the Clarke Central High School varsity football team is matched up against the No. 8 Houston County High School Bears for the first round of the 2024-25 GHSA Class AAAAA State Football Championship on Nov. 15 in Billy Henderson Stadium.
Offense
Passing
CCHS quarterback Hezekiah Millender, a senior new to the state of Georgia, is ranked 17th in Class AAAAA for passing yards, averaging 179.8 yards per game with 1,798 yards total and 25 touchdown passes.
HCHS varsity football quarterback Antwann Hill Jr., a senior, has moved up 15 spots in the rankings since the 2023 season and is ranked first in both Class AAAAA and the state of Georgia for passing yards. Hill Jr. has averaged 287.4 passing yards per game and has 35 touchdown passes with 2,874 yards in total over the season.
Clarke Central High School varsity football quarterback Hezekiah Millender, a senior, runs the ball during the Gladiators’ 37-36 win over Oconee County High School on Aug. 23 in Billy Henderson Stadium. CCHS will compete in the 2024-25 Georgia High School Association AAAAA State Football Championship playoffs after placing first in Region 8-AAAAA for the regular season. “(The team has) been great all year and it’s been a joy to be on this ride with this group,” CCHS head varsity football coach David Perno said. “And when you have the type of leadership that these guys have provided, it’s been an enjoyable process and journey.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer
Rushing
Ranked seventh in the GHSA Class AAAAA for rushing yards, CCHS running back Corey Watkins Jr., a senior, averages 109.2 rushing yards per game and ended the regular season with 1092 total yards. Millender is ranked 43rd in Class AAAAA for rushing yards and has rushed 606 yards total, averaging 60.6 yards per game.
HCHS running back Austin Stinson, a sophomore, is ranked 30th in Class AAAAA for rushing yards. Stinson has averaged 74.3 yards per game with 743 total yards.
Receiving
CCHS wide receiver La’gracion Little, a sophomore, is ranked 27th in Class AAAAA with 623 total receiving yards. In his first season on the varsity team, Little has averaged 62.3 yards per game. Tight end Xayvian Berry, a senior, is ranked 45th in Class AAAAA and averaged 506 receiving yards per game for a total of 50.6 yards this season.
HCHS wide receiver and cornerback Isaiah Mitchell, a senior, is ranked second in Class AAAAA for receiving yards. He has averaged 121 yards per game and closed out the regular season with 1,212 total receiving yards.
Touchdown
For the Gladiators, Watkins Jr. is ranked 13th in Class AAAAA with 15 total touchdowns, averaging 1.5 per game. During the 2024-25 regular season, Watkins Jr. has eclipsed his previous highs from his sophomore and junior year. Millender is 33rd in the class, averaging 1.2 touchdowns per game for 12 total.
For the Bears, Mitchell is ranked 12th in Class AAAAA with 15 touchdowns scored in the season and an average of 1.5 touchdowns per game.
Check Out My Mid Season Highlights
Stats Through 1st Five Games39 Rec 627 Yds 16.1 AVG 9 Total TDs
4 Tkls 1 INT 1 Sack 2 TFL ⭐️@BearDownHOCO @CoachEdwards10 @CoachMont14 @On3Recruits @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/Dk22VC1Ui2— Isaiah (Bull) Mitchell (@IsaiahM199) September 23, 2024
A X post of Houston County High School wide receiver Isaiah Mitchell’s mid-season statistics is shown. Post by Isaiah Mitchell
Total Points
For CCHS, Watkins Jr. and Millender brought home 45% of the team’s points this season, with Watkins Jr. ranked 13th and Millender ranked 26th in Class AAAAA for total touchdowns. Watkins Jr. averaged 9.4 points per game and ended the regular season with 94 total points, while Millender averaged 7.4 points per game to amount to 74 total points.
On HCHS, Mitchell is ranked 12th in Class AAAAA for 90 points this season, averaging 9 points scored per game. Stinson and wide receiver MJ Mathis, a junior, follow with Stinson in 30th and Mathis in 50th. Stinson scored 72 total points with an average of 7.2 points per game, and Mathis has 60 points and has averaged 6 per game.
Defense
Sacks
CCHS defensive tackle Anthony Lonon Jr., a junior, and defensive end Laiji McCalla, a senior, closed out the season with nine and five sacks, respectively. London Jr. is ranked 10th in Class AAAAA for sacks, with McCalla ranked 35th.
HCHS defensive tackle and defensive end Jordan Davis, a senior, is 28th in Class AAAAA for sacks with five total this season.
Interceptions
Ranked 49th in Class AAAAA for interceptions, CCHS cornerback Da’Rod Hester, a senior, caught two interceptions in the season. Hester caught the first in the Gladiator’s 27-11 win over Jackson County High School on Sept. 20 and the second in their 48-21 win against Apalachee High School.
HCHS cornerback and strong safety Trey Leary, a junior, also has two total interceptions, one in the Bears’ 56-0 win against Alpharetta High School on Aug. 17 and the other in the team’s 14-0 loss to Coffee High School on Oct. 18. Leary is ranked 52st in Class AAAAA for interceptions.
Infographic: CCHS vs. HCHS
