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Smyrna, GA — The old adage is that defense wins championships. This certainly applies to all-star football games. Football Hotbed held its annual National High School Showcase games at Campbell High School on the outskirts of Atlanta, GA. The 2025, 2024, and 2023 classes played in three separate all-star games with players from around the country on Martin Luther King Day. A total of 24 high schools were represented in the first game of a tripleheader on the day.
In the freshman game, composed of athletes from the 2025 class, the defense reigned supreme. The Purple Team defeated the Blue team 12-6 in a game dominated by defensive play. There were 8 total turnovers between the two teams (5 – Team Blue, 3 – Team Purple), and both teams failed to finish with positive rushing yards (-34 – Team Blue, -12 – Team Purple).
It Was Over When…
Landen Williams (South Paulding, Dallas, GA) made an amazing one-handed catch in the fourth quarter. Benjamin Newman (Aquinas Institute, Pittsford, NY) found Williams over the middle and the receiver darted 63 yards for a touchdown to help make it a 12-0 game with 5:26 left to play (2-point conversion failed). Williams served as the team’s kicker, had a tackle for loss in the first quarter, and registered an interception in the fourth quarter.
The Blue team would make it interesting at the end of the game with less than a minute to go. Quarterback Dillon Mohammed (Greater Atlanta Christian, Jones Creek, GA) scrambled to his left and found a wide-open Amarion Kinyon (Norcross, GA) down the sideline for an 82-yard touchdown (2-point conversion failed). On the ensuing kickoff, the Blue Team attempted an onside kick that would fall right into the arms of Jeremiah Sanders (Paulding County, GA). Sanders was a force on the inside tallying three tackles for loss, a sack, and a fumble recovery.
Big Time Players
Armondo Blount (Dillard, Fort Lauderdale, FL) was an absolute terror in this game. Blount finished with 12 tackles, five sacks, and nine tackles for loss. Blount is extremely athletic for his size (6-2, 245) and is skilled at shedding blockers to get to the football. At times he blew past multiple blockers en route to the ball carrier. He was awarded the 2025 overall MVP.
FRESHMAN SHOWCASE MVP’s went to the dominate DL. Purple team’s Armondo Blount @ArmondoBlount out of Fort Lauderdale’s @high_dillard and Blue Team’s Colin Bellomy @ColinBellomy of @harrisonfball #hotbedworld pic.twitter.com/mtpw01027D
— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) January 17, 2022
On the other side of the football, an equally large yet nimble defensive lineman was dominant as well. Colin Bellomy from nearby Harrison High School, put on an impressive showing. The big (6-4, 220) defensive end had unofficially four tackles for loss, a pass break-up, a sack, and several tackles.
Just before the end of the second quarter, the purple team took a 6-0 lead. Damian Walksslow (Billings West, MT) stepped in front of a short pass and maneuvered his way 20 yards for a pick-six.
Isaiah Sexton (Sprayberry, Marietta, GA) showed flashes of offense in a game dominated by defense. Sexton had a couple of nice runs and a 15-yard reception.
Jaylen Brown (Norcross, GA) had a solid day notching a sack, tackle for loss, and a fumble recovery.
WATCH LIVE: Freshman Showcase https://t.co/uiJP9CdR9l
— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) January 17, 2022
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