Eagles on Top! Hilton Head Christian claims another football championship

After a slow start to the season, Hilton Christian football finished with a bang another state championship.

The Eagles won their 11th straight game and defeated Wilson Hall, 28-6, to win the SCISA Class 3A championship on Saturday at Charleston Southern’s Buccaneer Field.

It is the Eagles seventh state championship in program history and third in the last five seasons.

“This is what we worked for all season,” Hilton Head Christian quarterback Dylan Clark told reporters after the game. “We started out pretty slow at the beginning. But it doesn’t matter how you start, it is how you finish. I think this is the best way you can finish.”

Hilton Head Christian started the season 0-2 with one of the losses, a 17-10 defeat to Wilson Hall on Aug. 25.

But the Eagles dominated the rematch and capped off an impressive playoff run. Hilton Head Christian won its three playoff games by a combined score of 112-43.

Clark had another strong game for the Eagles. The senior threw two touchdowns and ran for a pair of scores. He finished with 274 yards of total offense, including 151 through the air.

The Eagles got on the board first when Clark scored on a 4-yard run to make it 7-0 with 6:57 left in the first quarter.

Hilton Head Christian’s defense kept it that way with a big stand as they stopped the Barons on the 9-yard line to begin the second quarter.

The score stayed that way until Clark hit Tyshon Mansell on a screen pass and the speedy receiver took it 60 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 with 9:58 in the third quarter.

The Eagles’ defense set up their next score as they recovered a fumble at the Barons’ 15. A few plays later, Clark scored on a 1-yard run to make it 21-0 with 8:04 in third.

Wilson Hall got on the board when Clark Kinney threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Blake VanPatten to cut the lead to 21-6 with 7:03 in the third quarter.

But HHCA answered right back as Clark hit Gage Zatalokin for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 3:08 left in the third.

“We kept on getting better,” HHCA coach Ron Peduzzi said after the game. “We aren’t perfect, but at times we are pretty good. Just a great job by our young men and our coaches. I’m real happy for Hilton Head Christian Academy and the community.”

Wilson Hall ends the season with a 10-3 record. It was the Barons’ first championship appearance since 2013.

Kinney finished with 197 yards passing. and VanPatten had six catches for 147 yards.

SCISA state championships

Friday

Class 4A Championship

Hammond 28, Laurence Manning 21

8-man

Jefferson Davis 20, Holly Hill 14

Saturday

Class 2A Championship

Bethesda Academy 18, Williamsburg Academy 17

Class 3A Championship

Hilton Head Christian 28, Wilson Hall 6

Class A Championship

Patrick Henry 35, Lee Academy 28