Return trips to the Georgia High School Association football state championships are no easy feat, however on Monday, the Creekside Seminoles returned to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the second season in a row to take on the Benedictine Cadets, who won back to back state titles in 2021 and 2002, for the Class 4A Championship.
Striking first, Creekside would score on the opening drive of the game as quarterback Cayden Benson would rush for his first touchdown of the night helping the Seminoles take a 7-0 lead. On the ensuing possession, the Cadets would put together a productive drive, however would settle for a field goal and trail 7-3.
In the second quarter, Benson would rush for his second touchdown of the night to help extend the Creekside lead to 14-3 and after the Seminoles defense forced a Cadets’ fumble, recovered by Creekside, a Cedric Kelly rushing touchdown on the ensuing Seminoles possession would give Creekside a 21-3.
However, Benedictine would see momentum swing in their direction as they would score 21 unanswered points to take a 24-21 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Cadets’ scores would come courtesy of two touchdown passes from Stephon Cannon, one to Eron Mallard and a second to Stanley Smart Jr. and a touchdown pass from LaDamion Guyton to Bennett Conaway.
The momentum swings continued in the second half as Creekside would score the first 21 points in the third quarter, including a Benson touchdown pass to Eric Paul, yet just as in the first half, Benedictine would not allow the 42-24 deficit to detour them as they would respond with 15 unanswered points to make it a 42-39 Creekside lead with just over a minute remaining in the game.
Following the Cadets’ score to get within three points of Creekside, they would attempt an onside kick which the Seminoles would recover and eventually allow the clock to run out and giving the GHSA 4A state title, their first state championship since 2013. “We’re used to adversity, we’re from the southside. All my kids know how to do is respond when it gets tough,” Creekside head coach, Maurice Dixon said as he praised his players for their efforts to regain the lead in the third quarter, just the second time this season they trailed.
“That’s who they are. They have a can’t stop, won’t stop mentality. They’ll keep grinding until the clock runs out,” Dixon said about the Creekside players. Monday’s win marked Creekside’s first time winning a state title since 2013 and their second in program history. “It’s just the cherry on top, the icing on the cake from all the work these boys put in,” Dixon said of the Seminoles’ state title win.