This week’s Drive for the GHSA State Title matchup is between Cambridge and Kell, who will face off on Peachtree TV at 8 PM this Friday in Marietta. Cambridge is 5-2 and 3-0 in region play thus far. Their two losses have come from West Forsyth and Denmark. Kell is 6-0 in Bobby May’s first season at the helm and is coming off a 47-7 victory against Northview. Junior QB Bryce Clavon is one of the best passers in the state. He has 1,915 total yards and 23 touchdowns on the season. Clavon is also an elite baseball prospect ranked No.8, according to the perfect game. Clavon has also drawn interest from Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, and South Carolina to play football, according to Dawgs Daily. Coach May talked about his quarterback and the season he is having.
“He’s a really talented player, works hard, and takes advantage of opportunities,” said May. “He gets the ball to playmakers, and when that is not available, he makes a play himself. We are happy with his play.”
Peyton Zachary in the receiving corps is another player to watch for Kell in this game. Zachary is only a freshman and leads the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, averaging 78 yards a game. A memorable moment in his early career was in the Corky Kell Classic when he had seven catches for 121 yards and an unreal touchdown catch over a defender.
“Zachary is a really hard worker and mature for his age. He doesn’t act like a typical freshman,” said May. “Zachary came in, worked for it, and didn’t ask for anything. He’s earned everything he got. That is paying dividends on the field.”
A matchup that will be pivotal in this game is the Cambridge offensive line vs. Kell defensive line. This one will be a chess match. Cambridge has a very experienced group and has built a vast amount of cohesion. Kell DE Joshua Barker has been a game-wrecker all season. He leads the state with 10.5 sacks. Surprisingly, Barker doesn’t have any D1 offers.
“Four guys have been three-year starters on our offensive line, which you hardly ever get in high school. The fifth started some games for us last year,” said Bennett. “We felt like that has been a huge strong point for our offense. We have a couple of guys on there, one with an offer and a couple definitely with interest. They have been a big part of our success offensively. Anytime you have those guys with experience, it is a big factor for you.”
“Barker has some Division II, Division III, NAIA offers. We think he is a lot better player than that. No disrespect to those schools,” said May. “He’s a dominant player you have to prepare for. Even if you prepare for him, I’m not sure if you can stop him from making plays. Hopefully, he continues to make those plays. He works hard and has been playing great for us.”
A strength for Cambridge coming into this game is its versatility. They can beat you running the football and through the air. Their versatility was apparent in their victory against Greater Atlanta Christian two weeks ago.
“An example is against GAC. We had all four receivers, a running back, and our quarterback all score. To have six different guys score says a lot about the ability of those kids,” said Bennett. “It wasn’t by manipulation. It wasn’t by running the score up. They were making plays. Jack Marlow has been a four-year starter for us on offense, and he’s kind of played everything. Ian Chaffin has been a return specialist and has tremendous speed. Connor Harris is another kid who has been our mainstay and does a good job in his routes.”
That doesn’t include senior stud running back Christian Isibor, who has 834 yards rushing and ten touchdowns, or senior wideout Will Taylor who nearly had a 1,000-yard season last year as a junior.
“It’s his third year in the system of the offense that we run, and he’s very comfortable. Isibor has an edge to him that you don’t see out of a 165-pound back a lot,” said Bennett. He runs very physical and is hard to bring down. He’s got the breakaway speed that physical backs typically don’t have. He has gotten a whole lot better in pass protection. He’s matured and grown up and has been a huge factor for us on offense.”
“Taylor has brought leadership to the wide receiver room. He’s probably not getting the touches he wants because our offense has changed a little bit with Christian being able to run the ball so well,” said Bennett. “He just wants to win and does whatever he can to help us win. He comes to work every day and has grown as a receiver to understand the game and the concepts of what we are doing.”
Both teams are evenly matched, making for an elite Friday night showdown. Coach May and Coach Bennett outlined the keys to the game and what their teams needed to do to win.
“We have to contain the quarterback. Offensively, we have to set a tone early with the run game. Pick and choose our spots when we want to do certain things,” said Bennett. “Just do what we do and stick to our system and the way we play. That would be the biggest key for me.”
“I think the team that turns over the ball the least and the team that plays the hardest is going to win,” said May. “Usually, when two teams are evenly matched, whoever plays the hardest and protects the football will win.”
The series is tied 2-2 all-time, with Cambridge winning in the 1st round of the playoffs back in 2020.
Loading ...
