One of the state’s most closely contested rivalries of the last two years will take center stage tonight on GPB Sports Football Fridays in Georgia as the Mays Raiders play 2023 state finalist Creekside Seminoles. The winner will have an early leg-up in the Region 4-4A championship race. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. from “The Swamp,” Arrowhead Stadium on GPB-TV Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Each of the last two meetings have been decided by just one point with the Seminoles beating the Raiders 21-20 in 2023 and 22-21 in 2022. Each of Creekside’s last three wins in the Southside Atlanta rivalry have all been one-point victories including the Seminoles 49-48 win in 2018. This will be the 11th all-time meeting dating back to 2002 with the series tied 5-5. Nine of the 11 meetings have been as region rivals.

Maurice Dixon, Creekside

Maurice Dixon, Creekside

The Teams

Creekside enters the game 1-2 after reaching the 2023 5A championship game back in December before falling to 15-0 Coffee 31-14. It’s been a crazy season for the Seminoles. This will be their first home game and their first Friday night game. After having their season-opener vs Rome in the Corky Kell Classic canceled because of that unfortunate bus wreck involving the Wolves, Creekside lost twice out of state.

The Seminoles were 30-27 losers at Westside (Anderson, S.C.), the overall No.1 team in that state and then a 70-0 loser at DeSoto, Texas, a team that has been ranked as high as No.1 in the country but is currently No. 4 overall in Texas and No. 22 in the Max Preps National Rankings. But Creekside had the same thing happen last year losing 62-0 at national power Mater Dei (Calif.) and then not losing another game until the GHSA final, finishing 13-2. The Seminoles obliterated Forest Park 65-0 last Thursday in their first game in the state.

The Seminoles are led by coach Maurice (Mo) Dixon who is 57-32 in his eighth season at his alma mater and has gone 34-8 the last three seasons with a 2021 semifinal finish, 2022 quarterfinal finish and 2023 State Runners-up finish.

The Mays Raiders are 3-1 under first-year head coach Reggie “Boobie” Austin. A long-time Mays assistant and defensive coordinator under former head coach Niketa Battle, Austin is back after three years away to lead the Raiders program. Mays’ three wins over Stephenson, Douglass and Pace Academy have come by a combined 18 points with a blowout loss vs 2022 state champion Hughes in week two.

Austin grew up in the Mays neighborhood but because of school district lines actually attended and starred at the old Harper High School. He played four years at cornerback for Wake Forest 1996-99 and in 2000 was the fourth-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in the same draft class with Brian Urlacher. He played 18 career games over two seasons with the Bears. He’s also had success as a baseball coach, leading the Raiders to three region titles in his first stint at the school and his son R.J. is a star second baseman with the Vanderbilt Commodores and future high MLB Draft pick.

Reggie Austin, Mays

Reggie Austin, Mays

The Match-Up

Creekside Offense – Led by junior QB Caden Benson who follows in the footsteps of Vinson Berry. In three games Benson has completed 67% of his passes for an average 168 passing YPG and is also the Seminoles leading rusher right at 50 rushing YPG. Unlike last year’s State Finals team that averaged 257 rushing YPG, the strength of Creekside’s offense is in the WR corps. 4-Star Dylan Vickerson is 12-159 yards receiving with 1 TD. Vickerson has 23 offers including Tennessee, Missouri and UAB. 3-Star Eric Paul 8-121 yards receiving, 2 TD has 6 offers including Memphis, Liberty, and West Virginia. Damien “Bam” Henderson 9-144 yards receiving, 1 TD has been offered by Eastern Kentucky. RB Anthony “Red” Hill (offered by NCAA DII Warner University) and Corey Mims are averaging a combined 75 YPG. The offensive line is led by college prospect Jayvon Perry at LT. He has 6 offers including Florida State. Pitt and Boston College

Creekside Defense – Led by 5-11, 245, Sophomore DE/LB (Star position) Tavarre Terrell already has 12 TFL and 8 QB Sacks in just 14 career games and you can expect to see him get some carries on the offensive side of the ball as well. Senior LB Dillyn Blakey has 119 career tackles, 10 TFL and 6 QB Sacks and has 5 offers including Fort Valley State, Albany State and North Carolina Central. 6-0, 255, Sophomore DE Cassius Burch has 20 TT and 5 TFL.

Mays Offense – Led by senior QB and Chapel Hill transfer Jaylin Wyatt has thrown for 839 yards (fourth most in 4A) averaging 210 passing YPG with 7 TD and 3 INT. Raiders have a pair of dynamic WR in Senior Clayton Coppock and Junior Jamarion Dowdell. Coppock might be one of the most underrated WR in the state with 21-481 yards receiving (fourth most in 4A), averaging 22.3 yards per catch, 120.3 YPG and has scored 6 of the Raiders’ 8 TD. He has 6 offers including West Georgia, Alabama State and Morehouse. Dowdell is 10-207 yards receiving and 1 TD and has been offered by Georgia State and UNLV. The Raiders ground game is led by junior Kamari Johnson 57-275 yards, 91.7 YPG, 1 TD. The OL is led by college prospect RT Jaden Veal (6-4, 245, Sr) with offers from Alcorn State, Morehouse, and Lenior-Rhyne.

Mays Defense – Raiders LB Savion Husband is one of the top tacklers in the state with 55 stops in 4 games for an average of 13.8 TPG. Husband is No. 3 in tackles in 4A and No. 6 overall in the state. DT Malik Glass has 31 TT, 3 TFL and 4 QB Sacks which leads the region. Drop End Antavis Collins has 37 TT, 9.7 TPG and 2 TFL. Collins has offers from Bluffton University and Minnesota North. Those three players are the top three tacklers in Region 4-4A.

The Recruiting

Creekside Prospects

Seniors

#1 Dylan Vickerson – 6-1, 215, Senior – Rivals 4-Star WR - 23 offers including Tennessee, Missouri and UAB

#9 Fenix Harper – 6-0, 173, Senior DB (Starting CB for Seminoles) – Five offers including Toledo, UMass, and Alabama A&M

#30 Dillyn Blakely – 6-1, 207, Senior LB – Five offers including Fort Valley State, Albany State and North Carolina Central

#13 Zarion “Saint” Jones – 6-1, 190, Senior LB – Four offers including North Carolina Central, Morgan State and Mississippi Valley State

#27 Zack Carter – 6-3, 197, Senior DB (Plays CB for Seminoles) – Offered by Alabama A&M

Juniors

#6 Eric Paul – 5-9, 165, Junior – On3 Recruiting 3-Star WR – Six offers including Memphis, Liberty, and West Virginia

#51 Jayvon Perry – 6-3, 270, Junior OT – Six offers including Florida State, Pitt, and Boston College

#11 Sean Williams – 6-0, 160, Junior DB (Plays FS for Seminoles) – Eight offers including USF, Georgia State, and Indiana 

#12 Tyree Colzie – 6-0, 155, Junior DB (Plays NB for Seminoles) – Six offers including Western Michigan, Toledo, and Liberty 

#3 Damien “Bam” Henderson – 5-10, 170, Junior ATH (Plays WR for Seminoles) – Offered by Eastern Kentucky

#2 Anthony “Red” Hill – 5-9, 170, Junior ATH (Plays RB for Seminoles) – Offered by Warner University (NCAA DII program in Lake Wales, FL)

Sophomores

#18 Major Levell – 5-11, 203, Sophomore LB – Five offers including Indiana, Toledo, and UMass

#22 Gary Walker – 6-0, 195, Sophomore RB – Four offers including Boston College, UMass, and Memphis. Out for the season with injury.

#14 Hayden Dixon – 5-11, 165, Sophomore DB (Plays Strong Safety for Seminoles) – Four offers including Pitt, Toledo, and Western Michigan. Coach Mo Dixon’s son.

#24 Nash Johnson – 6-3, 197, Sophomore DB (Plays CB for Seminoles) – Offered by Georgia State and Georgia Southern

Mays Raiders

Seniors

#1 Clayton Coppock – 6-0, 165, Senior WR/DB – Six Offers including West Georgia, Alabama State and Morehouse

#55 Jaden Veal – 6-4, 245, Senior OT/DE – Offered by Alcorn State, Morehouse, and Lenoir-Rhyne

#59 Jaheem White – 6-3, 315, Senior OG – Offered by Alcorn State and Lenoir-Rhyne

#13 Antavis Collins – 5-10, 175, Senior LB – Offered by Bluffton and Minnesota North

Juniors

#6 Jamarion Dowdell – 5-8, 168, Junior WR – Offered by Georgia State and UNLV

So, join Wayne Gandy, Jon Nelson, Hannah Goodin, and me for our Emmy Award-winning Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week as the 3-1 Mays Raiders play at 2023 state finalist Creekside Seminoles. Remember at halftime Hannah will highlight this week’s Make That Kid an Offer nominees.

You can watch Football Fridays in Georgia in so many ways. You have traditional TV (GPB), online at GPB.org, GPB Sports app, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Twitch. 

Now if somehow, you miss it live or just want to watch it again, don’t worry, we replay the entire Football Fridays in Georgia Game of the Week at 11:15 p.m. or you can watch it on demand anytime at GPB.org. 

Enjoy your September 20, 2024, Football Friday in Georgia!