State championship game between Hawks and Knights feature a lot

They begin with offseason workouts in the spring, go through the summer at camps and more workouts in the heat and then go through a 10-game regular season schedule.

For the Heritage Hawks and the Deerfield-Windsor Knights two playoff games were added to the 2012 schedule and the two will meet Friday night in Albany to close the season with the winner claiming the GISA AAA state championship trophy.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30.

Both teams come into the game with 11-1 records and are number one seeds from their respective regions.

The game will also mark a homecoming of sorts as Hawks head coach Kevin Prisant will return to the school where he played and coached under current head coach Allen Lowe.

Both coaches have told various media outlets the game is about the kids and not about their relationship as coach and student but the subject has become a part of the story of this game.

The game has been promoted as a battle of David (Heritage) and Goliath (Deerfield-Windsor) with the football program of the former completing its seventh season with 40 wins while the latter has been playing football since 1970 and has 287 wins to its credit.

Prisant is in his second year at Heritage and as a head coach while Lowe has been in the business for 27 years including two stints at Deerfield-Windsor and a stint at Calvary Day of Savannah.

In other words, Prisant may have learned from the right teacher.

Also added in the mix is the first state football championship in Coweta County should the Hawks leave Dougherty County victorius.

The Newnan Cougars played for the GHSA AAAA title in 1981 but were defeated 21-0 by Warner Robins.

Regardless, the game will feature the two best running backs in the GISA with the Hawks' Candler Rich and the Knights'  Khron Mcclain.

Rich, the program’s all-time leading rusher, leads Heritage with 1805 yards and 22 touchdowns with offers from Ivy League schools at his feet while the Knights' offense begins and ends with Mcclain who has 168 carries for 1966 yards with 23 touchdowns and has 16 catches for 259 yards and seven more touchdowns.

The Hawks have also benefitted from a number of other players including senior quarterback Joe Bonner after his return from a shoulder injury and has thrown for over 3000 yards in his career including over 600 this year with 11 touchdowns.

Other  contributors have included tight end Garrett Jones, fullback Tyler Nix, wingback David Bready and wide receiver Spencer Perry who have figured in the Hawks success on both offense and defense.

Following Mcclain in the rushing attack of the Knights is Matthew Fox who has 51 carries for 405 yards and five touchdowns while Kemarvin Pitts has 50 carries for 382 yards and also has five touchdowns.
At quarterback for the Knights is Dallas Margeson who has accounted for 53 carries for 112 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 58 completions in 104 attempts for 939 yards and 16 scores.