By: Kenneth Harrison

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Collins Hill (Suwanee, GA) is not one of the top high school football programs in the state of Georgia.

They have always struggled with being a consistent contender. Typically, every 3-4 years they have a class that can make the playoffs and win a game or two.

The 2020 season was very successful, they finished 12–3. The Eagles made it to the 7A state championship game and lost to Grayson for the second time.

They beat some very good teams in route to the state final game like Alpharetta, Parkview and Lowndes. Grayson was stacked with talent so there was no shame in losing to them.

Going into the 2021 season Collins Hill is returning some great talent. They have the top-rated recruit in the class of 2022, five-star corner back Travis Hunter. He is rated as the third overall recruit nationally and he committed to Florida State.

Hunter is 6’1, 165 pounds with great speed. He also returns kicks and punts for the Eagles. I would suggest looking up some of his highlights when you get a chance because he seems like a young Deion Sanders.

Quarterback Sam Horn is a four-star player and he’s rated as the 6^th best player in Georgia for the class of 2022. Horn has prototypical size for the position, standing 6’4 and 190 pounds. In 2020, he passed for over 3,900 yards, 41 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Horn has committed to Mizzou. I expect him to have another big year as a senior and cut down on his interceptions.

His top target is senior wide receiver Cam Pedro. Pedro recently committed to Marshall.

I have seen some publications rank Collins Hill in the national preseason top 25. The highest I have seen them ranked is No. 11. Even though that is high, Grayson is ranked higher.

It’s an understatement to say expectations are high and they are expected to compete for the 7A state championship. They are also in one of the toughest regions, 8-AAAAAAA.

The season kicks off August 22^nd against Brookwood. The Broncos are a very good program and they are coming off an 8-3 season. They have the No. 13 prospect in the state, corner back Marquis Groves-Killbrew. This will be a tough game. I give the edge to the Eagles.

Week 2 is against Sprayberry. This should be an easy win for Collins Hill.

September begins with a game versus Greenville Christian (Greenville, MS). They were 11–1 last year and won the state championship. The Saints will be a solid opponent.

Week 4 is on the road against Rome. The Wolves are very good, but they are in a smaller classification, 6A. The teams played last year, and Collins Hill won 28–14. I expect a similar result in 2021.

The next game is against Alpharetta. These teams played twice in 2020 and Collins Hill won both times. I expect the Eagles to beat Alpharetta again.

East Coweta comes to town September 24^th. The Indians were 10–2 in 2020 and won region 2-AAAAAAA. This will be a close win for the Eagles.

Region play begins October 1^st against archrival Peachtree Ridge. The Lions will get blown out similar to last season’s 42–7 score.

After a bye week Collins Hill travels to North Gwinnett. The Bulldogs are a very good team and I think they will win.

The last two games are against Mountain View and Mill Creek which will be convincing victories.

Going into the playoffs I expect the Eagles to be 9-1.