If there was a question if Prince Avenue Christian could weather the graduation of Aaron Philo, it has been answered.
Philo, the state-record-breaking quarterback who is now at Georgia Tech, passed for 13,922 yards in his career, broke Cartersville-great Trevor Lawrence’s record (13,902) by merely 20 yards while not having played as a freshman, and led the Wolverines to back-to-back Class A Division I titles.
As a freshman, Philo learned at the feet of Brock Vandagriff – head coach Greg Vandagriff’s son – and rarely saw the field during the 2020 state championship run.
So, in short, Philo had a great education and was really good at throwing the football.
But times change and people change and in the nightcap game of the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic at West Forsyth, 6-foot-2, 190-pound sophomore quarterback Ben Musser helped Prince Avenue defeat the host team 35-28 while ushering in a new era for the Wolverines.
“He did a great job,” said Prince Avenue Christian head coach Greg Vandagriff. “He missed a few plays here and there, underthrew a couple of throws, but he will get better. I think he played really well.”
Musser scored on a 63-yard touchdown run with 1:57 left in the third quarter to help the Wolverines pull away after West Forsyth tied the game early in the third quarter. The run – coupled with a 5-yard touchdown reception from Hudson Hill with five minutes left in the third quarter – were decisive.
“On any given night, anybody can beat anybody,” Vandagriff said.
Andrew Beard put Prince up 6-0 on a short run but the ensuing extra-point attempt missed the mark. West Forsyth got on the board with a 32-yard field goal from Asher Mote with 3:58 left in the first quarter.
Musser connected with Thornton Hester on a 2-yard pass to expand the Wolverines’ lead to 12-9 after another failed point-after try. West Forsyth scored on a 52-yard reception from Max Walraven to Hunter Green with 5:22 left before the half.
However, Hudson Hill returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to maintain the margin. Late in the second half and early in the third quarter, West Forsyth scored on a 31-yard field goal from Mote and a 6-yard run from Foster Orris to tie the game at 20.
Musser passed to Hill on the 5-yard touchdown to put Prince up 28-20 after Beard’s 2-point conversion with 5:24 left in the third quarter. His run expanded the lead to 35-20 late in the third quarter.
“What we have been very fortunate with is,” Vandagriff said. “In today’s culture, just like kids who go into the portal, kids want to go play for a good team and so, we have been very fortunate to have kids who were in maybe ninth grade playing for a bad team to move into our area and it’s helped us with our young talent.”
West Forsyth found the end zone on a 2-yard run from Orris with nearly 10 minutes left, but the Prince Avenue defense kept West at bay to secure the victory.
Musser was 11-of-17 passing for 94 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 13 times for 192 yards and a touchdown. Beard had 21 carries for 187 yards and a touchdown.
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