By — Hayden Gilbert
ATLANTA — The 2023 edition of the Georgia Elite Classic has come and gone and this season, underrated upperclassmen and young future stars showed the state how just talented they are. The games featured explosive offensive plays, disruptive defenses and an ending that will go down as one of the best in the event’s 11-year history.
The seventh-grade game was a highly contested game that saw a missed field prove the difference in the 14-13 win for the Gold team. Carrollton’s quarterback, Trucker Jordan, was one of the major difference makers in the game. Jordan, looks to be the next great Trojan quarterback, completing seven of his nine passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, as he helped to lead the Gold team to the victory. Rome running back Jeremy Ferguson, even though he was on the losing team, looked to be the next in the long line of great Wolf running backs. Ferguson was the Blue team’s stalwart back, carrying the ball 14 times for 47 yards and touchdown. The Blue team’s leading receiver, Lassiter’s Miles Moore, showed he can be an explosive. Moore was every quarterback on the Blue team’s favorite target, catching seven passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. Marist linebacker Hudson Kalb was a ballhawk for the Blue team. Kalb made 10 tackles while also getting three tackles for loss helping create an exciting seventh-grade game.
In the eighth-grade game, a late touchdown proved to be the difference in a game that was tied seven to seven until 1:18 left in the game. East Paulding quarterback Bode Spence showed out in the Blue team’s victory, completing seven of his 15 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. Across the field, quarterback Trace Hawkins showed off his dual threat ability for the Gold team. The Calhoun quarterback completed five of nine passes for 75 yards while rushing for 40 additional yards on seven rushes, leading the Gold team in both stats. Milton’s young athlete, Keelan Wonsley showed how explosive he can be as a wide receiver. Wonsley caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown, leading the Blue team in all three stats, as well as catching the game winning touchdown. On the defensive side of the ball, Marist defensive lineman Lucas Rosser proved to be extremely disruptive accumulating 10 tackles, a sack and three tackles for loss, helping lead the Blue team to the win.
The Freshman and Sophomore game proved to be one of the best in the event’s history, with the Sophomore team driving down the field and scoring a touchdown as time expired. However, a failed 2-point conversion ended the game in an upset win for the Freshmen. Prince Avenue quarterback Ben Musser, coming off a State Championship backing up record breaking quarterback and Georgia Tefch-bound Aaron Philo, showed out for the Freshmen. Musser completed seven of 10 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns, along with 46 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. The game provided the Wolverines’ hopefuls a sign that he can be the next great Prince Avenue quarterback. Kimauri Farmer, fresh off leading 7A power Carrollton in rushing and helping the Trojans make the quarterfinals, was the game’s leading rusher. Farmer rushed the ball seven times for 78 yards and a touchdown. Another Prince Avenue product, Andrew Beard, had 117 yards and a touchdown on three receptions for the Freshman team. He showed a great connection with quarterback Ben Musser and the reason why he already has offers from Division-One schools. Max Brown, younger brother of Clemson Signee Sammy Brown, began to step out of his older brother’s shadow. Brown, fresh off of helping Jefferson to a semifinals appearance, was another dominant player for the Freshmen. He made nine tackles and forced a fumble while playing every other drive, helping hold off the Sophomores in a highly contested game.
The Junior team was a battle that ended up being decided by the Blue team holding the Gold team to a field goal in the first quarter. The four-point margin it created was the difference in the 21-17 game. Fresh off leading Adairsville to its second-straight Region Championship, Jamarian Pullum went off for the Blue team. On only four carries, Pullum rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown, with his 70-yard touchdown being a major difference in the game. Brooks Brien was one of the major reasons the Gold team was in the game. Coming off his first year as the starting quarterback at Bethlehem Christian and helping lead them to the quarterfinals of the GIAA playoffs, Brien completed seven of his 12 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. AJ Avery showed why multiple Division One schools have offered the Chattahoochee product. After leading the Cougars in receiving for the past two seasons, Avery did the same for the Gold team, catching five passes for 99 yards, leading both teams in both stats. Georgia Commit Tae Harris showed why he is committed to the SEC power. After helping Cedartown to a second-round playoff appearance, Harris had five tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass deflection, helping the Blue team pull out the win.
The Senior game was dominated by the Blue team defense, which recorded an impressive 20 sacks in the game, just one less than every other team in the event combined, leading the Blue team to a 14-0 victory. Westminster running back Fain Barton led the Blue offense, contributing 44 yards on seven rushes and a touchdown. Coming off a season where he helped lead Westminster to its first playoff win since 2018, Barton played a key role in the Blue team’s success. KJ Smith, coming off a season leading Roswell to its third straight quarterfinals appearance, passed for 111 yards, completing nine passes. Despite facing constant pressure, Smith did his best to keep the Gold team in the game. Decatur product Tre’vyon Webb, who entered the game after helping lead the Bulldogs to their fifth straight playoff appearance, made a significant impact with two catches for 56 yards, leading the Gold team in receiving yards. Jamontez Hines, the Carver-Atlanta product, had an impressive game, tallying 35 career sacks with the Panthers. Webb showcased his dominance with 7 sacks, spending as much time in the opposing backfield as anyone and significantly contributing to silencing the Gold offense.
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