Card Class 17 Update: Davis Mills still has a shot at a state title

And then there was one. A lone-standing Cardinal commit has survived this far. Can the nation’s top pro-style passer earn a title ring?

2017 Commits

QB Davis Mills - Greater Atlanta Christian School (Norcross, Ga.)

Mills and GAC faced their toughest challenge of the season against the Liberty County Panthers in the regional final. Both teams pushed each other to the brink, but Mills played the hero role once again, threading a 23-yard dart through the Panther coverage into the arms of Trent Fowler in the end zone, earning the Spartans a 44-38 victory in triple overtime.

Here’s video of the aforementioned dime:

The Spartan quarterback was firing the ball all over the field, as six different receivers tallied at least one reception. Calm and collected after regulation ended in a tie, Mills kept GAC in the game with two first-play touchdown passes on its first two overtime possessions, finishing the game 22-of-37 for 313 yards and five touchdown passes and added 26 rushing yards and a score on the ground.

Mills and his team then found themselves in a defensive struggle in the state semifinal game against Peach County HS. The Trojans defense left nothing to chance, and the Spartans defense knew they needed to lock down after their marathon game two weeks ago.

As luck would have it, Mills turned to his legs, scoring the only GAC TD on a two-yard run in the second quarter on what was an underwhelming night passing for the senior (16-of-27 for 229 yards) compared to his normal offensive output. The scoring scamper turned out to be the difference in the 13-7 victory.

Mills is now just one win away from holding a Class AAA Georgia state title above his head in the Georgia Dome this Friday against Cedar Grove HS.

WR Osiris St. Brown - Mater Dei HS (Anaheim, Calif.)

Osiris was not a prominent contributor in Mater Dei’s 48-21 section semifinal win two weeks ago over Rancho Cucamonga, catching only two passes for 20 yards. The win, in which the Monarchs ran for 233 yards and five touchdowns, guaranteed a rematch against St. John Bosco in the CIF southern section title game on Saturday. Mater Dei defeated SJB in late October, and the Braves were definitely ready dish out a cold dish of revenge.

Over the past few games, St. Brown seemed to fade into the background, becoming, in my opinion, underutilized. The St. John Bosco secondary held the usual game-breaking wideout to 38 yards on four receptions in a disappointing 42-28 loss.

I would conjecture that OSB’s dip in production (catches over two games) correlates with the Monarchs’ sputtering passing attack and scoring drop-off (First time not over thirty points in a game since first run-in with SJB). 2019 quarterback JT Daniels did not top the 300-yard mark, something he did with regularity for most if not all of the season.

OL/DL Drew Dalman - Palma HS (Salinas, Calif.)

Palma’s big boys cleared the way Emilio Martinez’s 211 yards, but the Chieftain offense only mustered one touchdown in a 14-10 loss to Valley Christian HS. Dalman ended his season with a team-leading total of seven sacks.

Oaks Christian (Calif.) tight end Colby Parkinson, Etowah (Ga.) safety/wide receiver Stuart Head, Davis (Calif.) tight end Tucker Fisk, and 2018 Saraland (Ala.) quarterback Jack West were previously eliminated from the playoffs. Brighton (Ut.) running back/linebacker Sione Lund did not qualify for the postseason.

Here’s the updated playoff tracker.